DAY 2 CFL FREE AGENCY RECAP

The second day of CFL free agency was a busy one for Orlondo Steinauer and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Hamilton announced the signing of nine free agents Wednesday, including receiver Tim White, the lone returnee from last year’s squad. Two others – defensive lineman Ja’Gared Davis and offensive lineman Joel Figueroa – are back with the Ticats after time away.

Newcomers include receiver Llevi Noel, running back James Butler, linebackers Jameer Thurman and Fraser Sopik and defensive linemen Casey Sayles and Kwaku Boateng. Noel, Sopik and Boateng are Canadians.

“The one thing that’s very impressive is when those players were in this building, high character,” Steinauer, the Ticats head coach/president of football operations, told reporters in Hamilton. “They’re players who wanted to be here.

“It’s a small league, people talk all the time and money always talks a little bit louder but when things are close to even, I think environment and things they hear about the organization matter.”

Other CFL moves Wednesday include:

– The Calgary Stampeders re-signed American defensive back Branden Dozier. The native of Topeka, Kansas, has 289 career defensive tackles including four tackles for loss, 64 special-teams tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown and eight interceptions.

– Canadian linebacker Jordan Herdman-Reed returned to B.C. after spending the last two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The six-foot, 235-pound Herdman-Reed’s first three CFL campaigns were with the Lions (2017-19).

– The Montreal Alouettes signed receiver Greg Ellingson and defensive back Jumal Rolle as free agents and re-signed running back Walter Fletcher. All three are Americans. Ellingson had 38 catches for 598 yards and three touchdowns in eight regular-season games last year with Winnipeg. Rolle had 150 tackles and 11 interceptions in 65 career games with Hamilton while Fletcher ran for 486 yards on 85 carries with a touchdown last year.

– American linebacker Darnell Sankey, a CFL free agent, signed with the XFL’s Arlington Renegades, according to a source. The six-foot-one, 245-pound Sankey registered a CFL-leading 120 tackles last season with Saskatchewan after doing so in 2021 with Calgary.

– Canadian defensive back Godfrey Onyeka signed a one-year contract extension with Saskatchewan. The six-foot-two, 200-pound native of Brampton, Ont., was limited two two games in 2022 due to a shoulder injury. He played nine regular-season games as well as the West final for the Roughriders in 2021.

– The Edmonton Elks signed American receiver Sammie Coates, Jr. Coates made 29 catches for 528 yards with two touchdowns in 44 career NFL games with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Houston.

(Canadian Press)