By Stampeders.com staff

There’s a long tradition of associating the free-agency period with a shopping trip, so let’s consider John Hufnagel’s philosophy about this event on the Canadian Football League calendar according to this metaphor.

When the Calgary head coach/general manager visits to the Free Agent Supermarket, he never uses a cart. He may grab one of those hand-baskets inside the automatic doors but, then again, he may not.

Sometimes Huff is happy to just wander in, saunter up and down the aisles and head home with his wallet still in his pocket, content with the groceries he has back home in his pantry.

Consider his comments prior to the start of free agency a year ago.

“There’s a lot of good players out there,” he told the media, “but my philosophy about free agency isn’t any different than it has been in the years before. There may be a player or two or a position or two that I’ll be looking at, but I can’t see myself being an active player. I spent the few bucks that I have already.”

During Hufnagel’s administration, the Stamps have devoted their time and dollars to retaining their own players. So far this off-season, for instance, they’ve signed Brandon Smith, Matt Walter, Simon Charbonneau-Campeau and Glenn Love to contracts before they could hit the open market when CFL free agency begins Feb. 10. They’ve also inked Drew Tate, Fred Bennett, Jamar Wall, Corey Mace, Marquay McDaniel and Jock Sanders to extensions that shrink the list of potential free agents for future off-seasons.

It’s an approach that has served the Stamps well as Calgary has the best record in the CFL since Hufnagel became coach-GM in 2008 and has a pair of Grey Cup titles.

That’s not to say that the Stamps boss never indulges in a purchase or two — a year ago, for example, he added defensive back Joshua Bell and kick returner/running back Sanders — but the shopping is usually based on a specific need, and even then only if it fits into the budget.

The team’s scouting — both in terms of landing Canadian talent via the draft and imports through scouting south of the border — has allowed the Stamps to pick their spots when it comes to signing free agents.

The 2014 season, for instances, saw no fewer than 20 Stampeders draft picks make contributions to a championship. The roster is also loaded with U.S. players who were recruited by the Stamps and have made an impact — Bo Levi Mitchell, Charleston Hughes, Juwan Simpson, Nik Lewis, Keon Raymond, Deron Mayo, Smith, Bennett and Wall, just to name a few.

Back to the shopping analogy, why go the store to buy marked-up fruits and vegetables when you’ve got a fertile garden in your own backyard?

The Red and White has also shown an ability to make good use of players who were cast off by other organizations. Two of their best players in 2014 were leading receiver McDaniel and sack leader Shawn Lemon, who wound up in Calgary after being released by Hamilton and Edmonton, respectively.

Kicker Rene Paredes, the CFL’s special teams player of the year in 2013 and the owner of a couple of significant league records, was signed early during the 2011 season, not too long after having been cut by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

And finally, there’s the occasional timely trade that has allowed Calgary to add the likes of Dan Federkeil, Mace and Charbonneau-Campeau.

Stamps 2015 free agents

Signed: REC Simon Charbonneau-Campeau, LB Glenn Love, DB Brandon Smith, RB Matt Walter

Remaining: OL Stanley Bryant, OL Edwin Harrison, DL Micah Johnson, OL Brett Jones, REC Nik Lewis, LB Keenan MacDougall, REC Brad Sinopoli

Signed with NFL: DL Shawn Lemon (Steelers)

Calgary’s February free-agent signings over the years

2008: Dwight Anderson (Ham.), JoJuan Armour (Ham.), Jermese Jones (Ssk.), Richard Karikari (Mtl.)

2009: Alain Kashama (Ham.)

2011: Tim St. Pierre (Edm.), Larry Taylor (Mtl.), Geoff Tisdale (Ham.)

2013: Yannick Carter (Ham.), Rod Davis (Mtl.)

2014: Joshua Bell (BC), Jock Sanders (Ssk.)