Five stars re-up: Messam, Greenwood, Stephen, Rainey and Lulay will stick around

While there are over 140 CFL players possibly about to hit the market when the free agency period opens Tuesday at noon Eastern, several key players opted not to go through that process, with at least five important guys signing new deals Monday. Here's a breakdown of those five and what their decisions to stay could mean for their teams. See also our list of five key pending free agents.

Jerome Messam, Canadian running back, Calgary Stampeders: Many initially thought Messam was just a rental when the Stampeders traded for him last October, a short-term replacement for Jon Cornish, but Cornish's concussion problems kept him out for the rest of the year and forced him to retire. Messam filled in admirably, and while he might have been able to get more on the free-agent market, it wouldn't have been a sure thing; not every team wants to use a Canadian running back, and there's another younger and perhaps even more promising Canadian RB in this FA class in Andrew Harris. Signing a new deal with Calgary could work out well for Messam, and it seems very positive for the Stamps; they now have an experienced and talented Canadian RB to slot into Cornish's starting spot, which can let them keep developing younger guys like Matt Walter as backups, and they don't have to change their ratio. Messam's only 30, too, so he may still have several good years ahead, and he led the league in yards from scrimmage last season.

Cory Greenwood, Canadian middle linebacker, Toronto Argonauts: Greenwood, one of the most prominent CIS to NFL stories recently, has done well in Toronto since returning to the CFL in late 2014. His emergence was a key factor in the Argonauts' deal to send Shea Emry to Saskatchewan for Ricky Foley last offseason, and he did well in Emry's old MLB spot this past year despite only playing in eight games thanks to injuries.

Courtney Stephen, Canadian cornerback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats: Stephen has become one of the best players in the CFL at cornerback, a traditionally-American position. That ratio-buster status makes him extremely valuable, and he's produced by the numbers too;  he had 48 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble last year, and was a key part of Hamilton's defence.

Chris Rainey, American running back/returner, B.C. Lions: Rainey was cut by Montreal last summer, but quickly landed with B.C. in August, and fit into the Lions' offence well. He didn't get to carry the ball much thanks to B.C. having Harris ahead of him, and only collected 11 yards on six-regular season carries, but posted eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown and made plenty of explosive plays in the return game. If Harris moves on in free agency, Rainey could play a bigger role with the Lions.

Travis Lulay, American quarterback, B.C. Lions: Lulay joined B.C. in 2009 and has mostly been the Lions' starting quarterback since 2010, but injuries have plagued him over the past two seasons, and he lost the starting job to Jonathon Jennings towards the end of 2015, causing many to feel he was likely moving on. A lack of obvious landing spots for QBs plus Lulay's comfort with the Lions may have helped him stick around, though, and he could still be a key figure for B.C. this season. Plenty of emergent rookies fall back to earth, and quarterback injuries have also been on the rise lately. If Jennings isn't able to produce for whatever reason, the Lions now have a proven option to turn to.