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“To me it’s an indication of willingness to wait until free agency hits and then see what’s out there. How else can I interpret that? That’s fine. That’s their prerogative. But just tell us. I don’t want to bunch everybody together, but in some cases there hasn’t been any communication. What that does, in some ways, it holds us up from potentially finalizing something with somebody else because we do have some kind of pecking order.”

One area the Redblacks have ensured will be very solid is their defensive backfield. Corey Tindal, Sherrod Baltimore and Jonathan Rose (who signed Tuesday) have all agreed to contract extensions. On top of that, all-star Chris Randle, who brings plenty of versatility to the table, was signed after being released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. And while the defence has been solidified, other than bringing back some key offensive linemen, the Redblacks haven’t been able so far to bring back three of their biggest weapons on the offensive side of the ball — Harris, Powell and Ellingson.

“It’s just the way it’s worked out,” Desjardins said. “We stated from the get-go we wanted to get as many of our own guys back as possible. But everybody has to be on the same page for that to happen. We’ve approached this the same way we always have. We’ve been able to bring back a lot of the guys who we didn’t know if they would come back.”

Harris, in particular, could draw heavy interest in free agency. There are still some wild cards in play. Does Mike Reilly leave Edmonton? Does Bo Levi Mitchell stay with the Calgary Stampeders, test the NFL or leave as a free agent? All of those elite quarterbacks are represented by the same agency.