Redblacks' trade for Maurice Price gives them an experienced big-play target, but Stamps get some valuable returns in the deal

CFL trades aren't all that common, but when they do happen, they tend to involve asymmetric positions; one team's need is filled by another team's excess, resulting in a lot of trades that seem like they can work out for both sides. That's the case with Thursday's deal, which saw the Calgary Stampeders send veteran receiver Maurice Price to the Ottawa Redblacks in exchange for linebacker Jasper Simmons and receiver Dan Buckner. All three players are imports, so this won't affect anyone's ratio. Price gives the Redblacks a proven top receiver, something they desperately needed last season. Meanwhile, the Stampeders free up some space in their receiving corps, probably get some space against the cap, and pick up a couple of intriguing pieces as well.

This could be an important move for Ottawa, and one that might help the Redblacks be more competitive in Year Two. They went a league-worst 2-16 in 2014, thanks largely to an offence that scored a CFL-low 278 points. While they got some good production from receivers like Marcus Henry (824 yards), Wallace Miles (732) and Matt Carter (551), there were also a lot of bad drops, and none of those guys entered the season as proven CFL targets. Price's 2014 wasn't great either, as he only recorded 544 yards partly thanks to injuries and the Stampeders' depth at receiver, but he is a proven big-play receiver. His production came on just 34 catches, giving him an average of 16.0 yards per catch (substantially better than any of the Redblacks' receivers in 2014). That average is also close to his career number (15.9), so it's not like this was a one-off season for him. Price hasn't put up mind-blowing yardage totals in his three CFL seasons (his best was 2013, where he finished with 788 yards on 57 catches), and he's battled some injuries, but he's got lots of speed and good hands, and at 29, he should be far from done. He'll bring some veteran leadership to Ottawa's receiving corps, and likely some big plays as well. The Redblacks also should have a decent amount of cap space, so adding him should be fine from that angle too.

This could benefit Calgary as well, though. Coming off a championship usually leads to some cap crunches, as all the pending free agents (they  started this offseason with 14, but have already extended four) now have "Grey Cup winner" on their resume. The Stampeders also had a logjam at receiver, making Price somewhat expendable. As Scott Mitchell notes, this move will let them go to a bigger starting lineup, too; Price isn't small (he's listed at 6'1'', 206 pounds), but this may let them feature some of their taller guys more. The 25-year-old Simmons is an intriguing addition in the linebacking corps (he led Ottawa with 80 tackles last year while adding three interceptions, and was named both the Redblacks' top defensive player and their top overall  player), and while Buckner didn't record a stat last year (he only dressed for two games), he's only 24 and has NFL experience. Those are impressive returns for a player like Price who looked reasonably expendable in Calgary.

It's quite possible that one team or the other could wind up winning this trade in the long run. Perhaps Price's production falls off in Ottawa and Simmons, Buckner or both turn into huge stars in Calgary. Perhaps Price starts posting 1,000-yard seasons and the Stampeders' acquisitions don't work out. For now, though, it looks like something that could benefit both sides. The Redblacks gain a veteran receiver with big-play ability and sure hands, while the Stampeders get a very impressive (and young) linebacker and a young receiver with potential. We'll see how it plays out.