CFL NOTEBOOK: LOADS OF HIRINGS, TRANSACTIONS & PROSPECT RANKINGS

EDMONTON – Head coach/GM Chris Jones continues to put his Edmonton Elks coaching staff together.

On Thursday, the Elks announced the hiring of newcomers Anthony Vitale (offensive line) and Brandon Isaac (defensive backs) as well as the return of Demetrious Maxie (defensive line) and Cam Robinson (linebackers).

Earlier this month, the Elks hired Stephen McAdoo (offensive coordinator), Jarious Jackson (pass game coordinator, quarterbacks) and Markus Howell (run game coordinator, receivers). Ty Robinson has been added as Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sammy Gahagan has been named Director of US Scouting.

Edmonton hired Jones in December after he served as a defensive consultant with the Toronto Argonauts in 2021.

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OTTAWA – Head coach Paul LaPolice added two new faces to his Ottawa Redblacks coaching staff Thursday.

Offensive line coach Paul Charbonneau and quarterbacks coach Will Arndt have joined LaPolice’s staff this season. Charbonneau, an Ottawa native, was most recently the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Roosevelt University while Arndt served as an offensive assistant with Edmonton last year.

Bob Wylie and Steve Walsh served as Ottawa’s offensive line coach and quarterbacks coaches, respectively, last season.

The remainder of LaPolice’s staff returns, including defensive coordinator Mike Benevides, special-teams coordinator Bob Dyce, receivers coach Alex Suber, defensive line coach Carey Bailey, linebackers coach Patrick Bourgon and defensive backs coach Greg Knox.

The club’s running backs coach will be named at a later date.

Ottawa (3-11) finished last in the East Division last season, LaPolice’s first as the club’s head coach.

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WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers agreed to terms Wednesday on a one-year contract extension with Canadian fullback Mike Miller.

The six-foot, 218-pound Miller, a native of Riverview, N.B., is entering his 11th CFL season and fifth with Winnipeg.

Miller, 32, posted a CFL-high 25 special-teams tackles last year and became the league’s all-time leader (210) in 2021.

Miller was the West Division’s top special-teams player last season.

An undrafted free agent, Miller began his CFL career with Edmonton in 2011 and spent six seasons there before joining the Bombers as a free agent in 2017.

He has helped Winnipeg win consecutive Grey Cup titles.

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The Saskatchewan Roughriders have announced the following roster moves:

SIGNED:

American offensive lineman Ka’John Armstrong
American running back/returner Shamar Moreland

RELEASED

National fullback Alexandre Dupuis

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OTTAWA – Veteran quarterback Dominique Davis was among 12 players released Thursday by the Ottawa Redblacks.

The six-foot-four, 215-pound Davis started two games for Ottawa last season, completing 59-of-98 passes for 674 yards with three TDs and four interceptions. He also ran for 69 yards and a TD on 17 carries.

Davis played three seasons with Ottawa (2018-19, 2021) after spending three years with Winnipeg (2015-17).

Also released was veteran CFL receiver Kenny Stafford.

Ottawa signed defensive back Douglas Coleman II, defensive lineman Tre Hornbuckle and receiver Terry Williams (all are Americans), Canadian offensive lineman Clement Lebroux, kickers Jose Maltos and Anthony Mahoungou and defensive back Tony Anderson (all global players).

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TORONTO – Ottawa’s Jesse Luketa, a linebacker at Penn State, topped the CFL Scouting Bureau’s winter list of the top-20 prospects for the 2022 draft.

The six-foot-three, 247-pound Luketa was listed at No. 4 in the first top-20 list released last fall.

Luketa had 53 tackles (30 solo), four tackles for a loss and an interception he returned for a TD this season, finishing with 143 career tackles at Penn State.

Luketa has been selected to participate in the ’22 Senior Bowl as well as the NFL combine.

Calgary receiver Jalen Philpot, of Delta, B.C., moved up to five spots to No. 2 while Enock Makonzo of Lachine, Que., a defensive back at Coastal Carolina improved three positions to third overall.

Syracuse linebacker Tyrell Richard, of Brampton, Ont., dropped two spots to fourth, ahead of Philpot’s twin brother, Tyson, also a receiver at Calgary who was ranked No. 15 last fall.

The remainder of the top-10 prospects, in order, includes: Waterloo quarterback Tre Ford; Western defensive lineman Deionte Knight, Mustangs offensive lineman Zack Fry; Waterloo defensive back Tyrell Ford (Tre Ford’s twin brother); and Saskatchewan offensive lineman Noah Zerr.

The scouting bureau consists of CFL player-personnel directors, GMs and scouts and annually releases its prospect rankings in fall, winter and spring editions.

(With files from Canadian Press/Riderville.com)