CFL Free Agency Blog: Elks sign award-winning returner Leake
Published
The Canadian Football League's free agency period is now underway as players are free to sign. Stay up to date on the latest around the league right here on TSN.ca.
Leake lands in the City of Champions
The Edmonton Elks announced Tuesday they have signed 2023 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and CFL All-Star Javon Leake.
The 25-year-old Maryland product suited up in 17 regular-season games for the Argonauts in 2023, where he led the league with 1,216 punt return yards - the third-highest total in CFL history - and added a league-leading four punt return touchdowns.
Leake began his CFL career with the Argos in 2022, appearing in eight regular-season games and helping the Double Blue win the 109th Grey Cup in a 24 -23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
In 25 career CFL games the Greensboro, N.C., native has 1,402 punt return yards, 1,297 kickoff return yards and has rushed for 52 yards on 15 carries, while adding five receptions for 74 yards.
Thurman heads back to the West Division
Jameer Thurman is on the move as the Roughriders announced they have signed him on Tuesday.
Thurman, 29, spent the 2023 season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after spending four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (2017-19, 2021-22).
Thurman won a Grey Cup with the Stampeders in 2018.
Thurman, a native of Chicago, Ill., played in 18 games for the Black and Gold, posting a career-best 98 defensive tackles and career high five sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Harty goes westward
Fresh off a Grey Cup-winning season, Canadian receiever Jake Harty is joining the Lions on a one-year deal, the team announced Tuesday.
Harty, 32, played in 14 games for the Alouettes in 2023, hauling in four receptions for 36 yards and chipping in on special teams with eight tackles before earning his second Grey Cup ring.
The Calgary native was selected by the Ottawa Redblacks with the 10th overall pick of the 2015 CFL Draft and would make his pro debut in November of that season. He became a regular in 2016 and suited up in 14 games while making nine receptions for 81 yards and adding seven special teams tackles.
Godwin re-ups with Ticats
The Tiger-Cats announced Tuesday they have re-signed American wide receiver Terry Godwin II.
Godwin, 27, started all 18 regular-season games and one playoff game for the Tiger-Cats in 2023, finishing second on the team in receptions (68) and receiving yards (864) and posting the fifth-most receiving touchdowns in the league (6).
The native of Hogansville, Ga., suited up in 20 regular-season games and one playoff game over his two seasons in the CFL with the Tiger-Cats (2022-23), totaling 74 receptions for 971 yards and six touchdowns.
Roughriders add up front with multi-time All-Star Hardrick
Offensive tackle Jemarcus Hardrick has signed with the Roughriders, the team announced Tuesday.
Hardrick, 33, has played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers since 2016 and was the team's nominee for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2023. The Fort Scott, Nebraska native began his CFL career with the BC Lions in 2014 and previously played one season with the Riders in 2015, starting in eight games.
He was a CFL All-Star in 2021 and 2023 and a two-time Grey Cup champion with the Bombers in 2019 and 2021.
Ouellette heads to Riderville with Carney
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American running back A.J. Ouellette to a two-year contract, the team officially announced Tuesday.
Ouellette comes to Riderville on the heels of a career year with the Argonauts, setting career bests in rushing and becoming an East Division All-Star in 2023.
Ouellette, 28, suited up for 15 regular-season games last season, rushing for 1,008 yards on 178 carries, a 5.7-yard average, and scoring eight touchdowns. The Ohio native also tied for the league lead with 10 runs of 20-plus yards and added 16 receptions for 163 yards and two touchdowns
A former Ohio Bobcat, Ouellette initially signed with the Argos in September of 2019, suiting up for nine games in his first two seasons in Double Blue and tallying 257 rushing yards. Prior to the, CFL he spent time in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns.
The Roughriders also announced the signing of American DL Malik Carney.
Carney, 28, joins the Roughriders after three seasons with the Tiger-Cats (2021-23). He set a career high in tackles (52) in 2023, while adding five sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one knockdown and four tackles for a loss.
Over 41 career games in the Hammer, the Virginia native registered 81 career tackles, five special teams tackles, 13 sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.
Wiggan inks with Als
The Alouettes announced Tuesday they have signed Canadian defensive tackle Derek Wiggan.
The 31-year-old native Torontonian played in 18 games for the Stampeders, racking up 16 defensive tackles and four sacks in his seventh season in Cowtown. Wiggan was a member of the Stampeders' 2018 Grey Cup-winning team.
In 117 career games, Wiggan has amassed 147 defensive tackles and three on special teams. He also added 16 sacks, one interception and he forced two fumbles.
Thomas-Erlington going home
Sean Thomas-Erlington is going home to Montreal as the Alouettes announced they have signed him to a one-year deal
Thomas-Erlington, 31, recently completed his fifth season with the Tiger-Cats after being drafted by them in 2017 out of the University of Montreal.
“I am extremely pleased to bring Sean Thomas back to Montreal. He is from here and I am convinced that he will give us everything he has”, Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement. “He is a talented athlete who has excellent acceleration when running with the ball. With his services, we are adding depth to our roster.”
The Quebec-born back rushed for a career high 371 yards and a touchdown in 18 games with the Black and Gold.
The team also announced the signing of Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Tevin Jones.
Edwards-Cooper to the Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed American defensive back Jalon Edwards-Cooper, the team announced Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Texas A&M-Commerce product joins the Green and White after a career-best 36-tackle season with the Lions in 2023.
A native Texan, Edwards-Cooper was part of the 2016 LSC Championship team and the 2017 National Championship team before joining the Lions in 2021.
Edwards-Cooper amassed 79 defensive tackles and three interceptions at the DB position in 30 games for the Lions across three seasons (2021-23).
Shiltz to the Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders announced Tuesday they have signed free-agent American quarterback Matthew Shiltz.
Shiltz and the Stampeders agreed in principle to a deal earlier in the month.
In 2023, the 31-year-old Shiltz played 11 regular-season games and made three starts for the Tiger-Cats, completing 108 of 161 passes for 1,556 yards and seven touchdowns.
He also had 23 carries for 160 yards and one touchdown. In the Eastern Semi-Final, Shiltz completed 13 of 23 passes for 144 yards and had four rushing attempts for 34 yards.
In 78 career regular-season games for the Montreal Alouettes (2017-19, 2021 and Ticats (2022-23), Shiltz has completed 338 of 517 passes for a 65.4 per cent completion rate. He has 4,357 career passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns. On the ground, he has 101 carries for 615 yards and four TDs.
Houston heads to Stampeders on two-year deal
The Stampeders announced Tuesday they have signed American defensive back and former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Demerio Houston to a two-year contract.
Houston earned All-Star accolades in 2023 for his league-leading seven interceptions.
The North Carolina native also returned one of the interceptions 45 yards for a touchdown in Week 11 against the Stampeders. He also recovered three fumbles for a total of 10 turnovers.
In 15 regular-season games, Houston, 27, had 50 tackles and four knockdowns. In the postseason, he had one tackle and one interception in the Western Final and three tackles in the Grey Cup.
Houston joined the Blue Bombers in 2021 and in 30 career regular-season contests he had 84 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, nine interceptions, four fumble recoveries and seven knockdowns.
Stampeders add to O-line with former Argo Tate
The Stampeders have added free-agent offensive lineman Trevon Tate.
Tate, 27, played and started 10 games for the Argonauts in 2023 and was part of an offensive line that allowed a league-low total of 19 sacks. He made eight starts at left tackle and two at right tackle.
The University of Memphis product played a total of 18 games for the Boatmen after starting his career with Hamilton in 2019. He also appeared in one game for Ottawa in 2021 and has a total of 21 career games played in the CFL.
Betts to join NFL's Lions
Mathieu Betts, the Canadian Football League's reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player, will be signing a contract with the Detroit Lions of the NFL, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
Betts, 28, became the new single-season sack leader by a Canadian with 18 in 18 regular-season games for the BC Lions, surpassing previous record-holders Jamaal Westerman (2015), and former Lion Brent Johnson, who set the record in 2005 with 17 after setting the new Canadian record with 16 just a year prior.
Lalji reported on Feb. 6 that Betts was weighing offers from the Lions, the Tiger-Cats and the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes.
Betts started the season on a six-game sack streak and finished the 2023 campaign with six more sacks than A.C. Leonard (12), Jake Ceresna (12), and Carter Bryce (12) for the league crown.
A product of Laval University, Betts also racked up a career-high 42 defensive tackles and four forced fumbles, earning a CFL All-Star nod.
Adeleke trades Black and Gold for Double Blue
National defensive back Tunde Adeleke will be heading down the QEW to join the Toronto Argonauts, TSN's Farhan Lalji reports.
The 28-year-old Carleton product, played in 10 games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023, tallying 31 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles and a forced fumble.
Adeleke spent the past his last four seasons with the Black and Gold (2021-23) after playing his first two CFL seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (2017-18).
Adeleke was drafted by the Stampeders with the 25th overall pick in 2017 and captured a Grey Cup with the Stampeders against the Ottawa Redblacks in the 106th Grey Cup. He played in 17 games during his 2017 rookie season, making 15 defensive and 13 special teams tackles and a sack. He also logged special teams snaps, returning five kickoffs for 95 yards.
The Nigerian-born defensive back was a CFL All-Star in 2019, an East Division All-Star (2019-22) and the Ticats' nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian in back-to-back seasons (2021-22).
Adeleke played four seasons at Carleton and earned First-Team Ontario University Association and all-Canadian honours as a returner in 2015 and 2016 and was a second-team OUA All-Star at DB in both 2014 and 2016.
Prukop to Vancouver
Former Blue Bombers short-yardage specialist Dakota Prukop has agreed to terms on a deal with the Lions, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
Prukop, 30, scored a career-high seven rushing touchdowns for the Blue Bombers last season and threw for 28 yards on four completions in 15 games.
The native Texan has rushed for a career 570 yards and 15 touchdowns on 149 carries and thrown for 676 yards on 47 completions.
Lalji also notes that the Lions are also interested in Saskatchewan Roughriders' Jake Dolegala and former Edmonton Elks quarterback Taylor Cornelius.
Briggs files retirement papers
Longtime Blue Bombers linebacker Jesse Briggs has filed his retirement papers after a 13-season run with the Blue Bombers, according to team reporter Ed Tait.
Briggs played in 18 games for the Blue Bombers last year, making four defensive stops and 12 special teams tackles.
The Kelowna, B.C., native tallied a career-high 24 defensive tackles in his 2021 season.
In 98 career games since being drafted by the Blue Bombers in 2014, Briggs has played in 98 career CFL games, making 45 defensive tackles, 65 special teams tackles and a forced fumble.