CFL FINAL CUTDOWN BEGINS

CALGARY – Veteran CFL quarterback Dakota Prukop was among 16 players released Thursday by the Calgary Stampeders.

Prukop, an American, signed with Calgary in January. He spent his first three CFL seasons with Toronto (2017-19), completing 18-of-30 passes for 284 yards with three TDs and two interceptions.

He was a member of Toronto’s Grey Cup-winning team in 2017.

Also released were offensive linemen Kwabena Asare and Jay Gutherie, receiver Malcolm Thompson, linebacker/long-snapper Benjamin Whiting, defensive back Michael Asibuo and linebacker Shaydon Philip. All are Canadians.

The Stampeders also let go defensive backs Corrion Ballard, Greg Ducre, Trae Elston and Javien Hamilton, linebacker Cory James, receivers Shawn Bane, Fred Trevillion and Aaren Vaughns as well as running back Trey Williams. All are Americans.

The club also announced that American defensive lineman Cassanova McKinzy has retired.

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EDMONTON – Veteran CFL players Shawn Lemon, Thaddeus Coleman, Vontae Diggs and Kenny Shaw were among the Edmonton Elks’ final cuts Thursday.

Edmonton made its final roster decisions ahead of the CFL’s deadline of 10 p.m. ET on Friday.

The final roster moves come after receiver Kenny Stafford and linebacker Kevin Brown II, also CFL veterans, were let go earlier.

Lemon signed a one-year contract with Edmonton in February. The six-foot-two, 248-pound defensive lineman has played nine CFL seasons, registering 70 career sacks and 22 forced fumbles over 107 regular-season games.

Lemon is a two-time Grey Cup champion with Calgary (2014) and Toronto (2017).

The six-foot-two, 230-pound Diggs, a linebacker, was Edmonton’s outstanding rookie nominee in 2019 after recording 73 tackles, 11 special-teams tackles, one interception and two sacks.

The six-foot-seven, 320-pound Coleman was in his second stint with Edmonton. The towering offensive lineman had played for the franchise from 2013-16 before joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2016-19).

Shaw had spent time with Toronto (2015-16), Ottawa (2017) and Saskatchewan (2018). The receiver registered 94 catches for 1,223 yards and five TDs in 25 career CFL regular-season games.

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GUELPH, ONTARIO – Veteran receiver Terrell Sinkfield Jr. was among six players released Wednesday by the Toronto Argonauts.

Sinkfield Jr, 30, has spent time in the CFL with Toronto (2014), Hamilton (2014-15, 2018) and B.C. (2016). His best campaign was 2015 with the Ticats when he had 69 catches for 1,030 yards with six TDs.

Toronto also released Canadian offensive lineman Quinn Smith, who appeared in 40 games with the Calgary Stampeders but last played in the CFL in 2017. The Toronto native was taken in the first round, No. 7 overall, in the 2014 draft.

Also let go was Eric Starczala, a rookie offensive lineman from Cambridge, Ont. The six-foot-five, 315 pound Starczala played collegiately at Guelph and was drafted in the seventh round, No. 62 overall, by the Argos in 2019.

Toronto also released Canadian offensive lineman Mojtaba Mehry and American defensive linemen Eli Howard and Ronald Ollie.

(Canadian Press)