HAMILTON, Ont. -- The Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed four defensive linemen on Wednesday, including former New England Patriot Shawn Crable.
The club also added Jada Brown, Ronnell Brown and Brandon Gilbeaux to its roster.
The Ticats are in desperate need of retooling their defensive line after cutting Stevie Baggs last month and losing Justin Hickman to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts in February.
Baggs had five sacks last season, while Hickman was tied for the league lead with 13.
Crable was selected in the third round (78th overall) of the 2008 NFL draft by New England following a four-year career at the University of Michigan.
In addition to his time with the Patriots, the six-foot-five, 250-pound native of Massillon, Ohio, has had stints with the New York Jets and UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions.
Jada Brown suited up with the UFL's Virginia Destroyers and the Arena Football League's Kansas City Command after finishing his NCAA career at Memphis. In four years with the Tigers, the six-foot-two, 265-pound native of College Park, Ga., had 80 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks and one interception.
Ronnell Brown, a six-foot-two, 270-pound native of Chesapeake, Va., attended training camp with the Denver Broncos last season.
Gilbeaux, a six-foot-three, 270-pound native of Washington, D.C., took part in training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both 2010 and 2011.
