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January 23, 2025

CFL Free Agency Preview: Offensive Line

EDMONTON, AB – Expect some changes in the trenches in 2025.

CFL Free Agency is quickly approaching and is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. MT on Feb. 11. Elks VP of Football Operations and General Manager Ed Hervey recently stated his intent on adding to both the Green and Gold’s offensive and defensive lines at the CFL Winter Meetings in Charlotte, NC — so expect to see some movement once free agency commences.

To prime Double E fans for the weeks to come, GoElks.com has compiled a list of all the players currently under contract with the club, those whose contracts will expire on Feb. 11, and a list of the top CFL free agents at each position as compiled by the league.

For the second of the 2025 instalments in the series, we’ll take a look at the offensive line.

Currently under contract for 2025: Brett Boyko, Clayton Bradley, Phillip Grohovac, Martez Ivey, Tomas Jack-Kurdyla, Mark Korte, Patrick Lavoie, Jaxon Morkin,

Pending free agents: David Foucault, Shane Richards, Hunter Steward, Jakub Szott

CFL top 30 free agents: David Beard (22) Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Stanley Bryant (20) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (extended), Martez Ivey (10) Edmonton Elks (extended)

WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT & WHO’S AVAILABLE?

There was lots to like about the Elks offensive line in 2024.

The big men up front paved the way for the CFL’s most explosive run game last season. Edmonton’s offensive line paced Canadian Football in a multitude of categories including rushing yards (2,365), yards per carry (6.2), while allowing the fewest sacks (29) in the league.

However, a large part of the Elks rushing success in 2024 was born out of necessity. In Week 9 against Saskatchewan, fullback Tanner Green was lost for the season part way through the contest leading to the Elks filling his responsibilities with reserve offensive linemen such as Phillip Grohovac and Jakub Szott. The added beef of an additional linemen helped transform the Elks rush offence.

In the seven games prior, Edmonton rushed for 469 yards on 107 carries, good for 67 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry – totals that ranked near the bottom of the CFL at the time.  Once Edmonton started using six offensive linemen more often they racked up 1,896 yards on 299 carries – a marked improvement of 172 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry en route to leading the league in rush yards.

The Elks have already taken care of business to make sure the cornerstones of their offensive line are locked in for 2025. Mark Korte is back after being named to the West Division All-CFL team. He will suit up alongside left tackle and #10 ranked free agent Martez Ivey, who was locked up to a two-year extension on Jan. 13. Veteran Canadian right tackle Brett Boyko is also currently under contract for 2025, leaving the two guard positions as areas of interest for Elks fans.

Currently under contract are Nationals Phillip Grohovac, Tomas Jack-Kurdyla, Patrick Lavoie, and Jaxon Morkin – leaving last year’s starters David Foucault and Shane Richards as pending free agents from an offensive line that dressed the same five linemen for the final 12 games of 2024.

If the Elks choose to make a change, the CFL top-30 Free Agents list only features three players, headlined by tackles Martez Ivey and Stanley Bryant who have already been extended by the Elks and Blue Bombers respectively. The final name on the CFL’s list is a familiar one for Elks fans in local product and former University of Alberta Golden Bears star David Beard, who clocks in at #22 in the league rankings.

David Beard (#57) when he was a member of the Double E

The 31-year-old was drafted by Ed Hervey back in 2015 and was acquired by the GM in 2022 while he was in charge of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Beard is fresh off a season that saw him named to the All-CFL team for the first time in his career and has strong ties to the Edmonton community. However, the former Elks alumni currently plays the same position as fellow Alberta product Mark Korte. Both Golden Bears grads do have experience playing guard at the CFL level, so if a reunion is something either the Elks or Beard are interested in, the move can be accommodated.

Next up for the CFL Free Agency previews will still have a focus on the offence, taking a look at the wide receiver position.