EDMONTON — Eric Tillman will have his line out trolling the Canadian Football League free-agency waters when they officially open season at 10:01 p.m. Tuesday.

Whether he gets a nibble or two remains to be seen.

According to sources close to the situation, the Edmonton Eskimos general manager’s lure will be to attract Hamilton Tiger-Cats non-import defensive lineman Jermaine Reid and/or import linebacker Rey Williams, a former Saskatchewan Roughrider who spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League.

Both would be longshot catches, however, as Williams, who has until Tuesday night to re-sign with the Riders after accepting an injury buyout from the Steelers, is expected to garner plenty of attention.

Reid, a young talented tackle who could fill the hole left by the anticipated departure of Adam Braidwood, is the recruit Tillman would like to reel in. But the Eskimos have two other strong candidates in Etienne Legare, who impressed after being acquired in a trade with the Toronto Argonauts in October, and their No. 1 draft pick in 2010, Brian Bulcke, who returned to Stanford University for his senior season.

Reports out of the east suggest that Reid, 27, may be retiring to begin a career in engineering and, if he decides to continue to play, he will have strong offers from at least five CFL clubs, including Hamilton, B.C. Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan and Edmonton. Saskatchewan is the strongest contender based on his relationship with former Ticats defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall, now the Riders head coach.

Tillman remains high on Williams, whom he first brought into the league in Regina, but he is also keen on three young linebackers he has on his negotiation list — Quinton Culberson from Mississippi State, Jerome Boyd from Oregon and J.C. Sherritt from Eastern Washington, the latter a former teammate of Eskimos defensive end Greg Peach and quarterback prospect Matt Nichols.

Quinton has been with the St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers in the NFL, while Boyd spent 2009 on the Oakland Raiders’ practice roster. Sherritt just won the Buck Buchanan award as a senior, recognizing the top defensive player at the sub-division level.

Tillman is also keen on import linebacker Damaso Munoz, whom he acquired as part of the Noel Prefontaine trade late last season, which allowed the GM to dump plenty of salary. So with a combination of Maurice Lloyd, Rod Davis, T.J. Hill, Munoz, Boyd, Culberson and Sherritt, it’s unlikely the Esks let out too much line for Williams, who is expected to receive two or three six-figure offers.

There have been several misleading reports that Tillman is about to toss out a net to snag a number of Riders free agents, which he disputed late Monday.

“Yes, they have some talented guys available, but if we sign any Rider players, one would probably be the max. Honestly, none is much more likely. I feel a more prudent strategy is simply developing our own young nucleus via the draft and the negotiation list,” Tillman said. “We have a great group of coaches and they seem excited about the challenge of playing with, and developing, young talent. As Kavis (head coach Reed) and I have talked about, as an organization, we shouldn’t be afraid to work hard and earn our way back to the top.”

Reed is also said to be a fan of Winnipeg running back Yvenson Bernard (Reed was the Bombers’ defensive co-ordinator last season), but signing another running back appears unlikely with Arkee Whitlock and Daniel Porter on board.

Of course, the Esks have already reeled in two non-imports — receiver Chris Bauman and defensive back Donovan Alexander — after they were released by Hamilton and Saskatchewan, respectively. Tillman also signed non-import defensive back Joel Lipinski, another Riders’ release.

Edmonton’s remaining free agents are linebacker Tim St. Pierre, safety Jason Nugent and slotback Kelly Campbell, the latter of which is not being offered an extension by Tillman and could sign in B.C. or Calgary. Campbell struggled on and off the field in 2010.

mannicchiarico@edmontonjournal.com

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