THE POINT AFTER: HEADING INTO WEEK 8
TORONTO – Matt Black is back with the Toronto Argonauts.
The veteran defensive back rejoined the Argos this week after being released by the CFL club last week. Toronto also signed defensive lineman Linden Gaydosh – the first player taken in the 2013 CFL draft by Hamilton – and receiver Alex Charette to the practice roster while releasing receiver Kyle Graves from the practice roster.
All four players are Canadian.
Black, a Toronto native, has spent his entire CFL career with Toronto after being selected in the sixth round, 45th overall, of the 2008 CFL draft.
Black appeared in 109 career games with Toronto, registering 128 tackles, 80 special-teams tackles, three interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a member of Toronto’s 2012 Grey Cup-winning squad.
But Black was also active in the community and last year earned the CFL’s Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ award for his efforts away from the football field.
Black rejoins the Argos after veteran Canadian defensive back Jermaine Gabriel suffered an upper-body injury in Toronto’s 41-24 home loss to the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night.
The six-foot-four, 298-pound Gaydosh returns to the East Division after recently being released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. After being drafted by Hamilton, Gaydosh signed as a free agent with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers but spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a back injury.
The addition of Gaydosh fills a need for Toronto, which has lost defensive linemen Victor Butler and Canadian Cleyon Laing to injury.
Gaydosh, a former Calgary Dinos star, returned to Hamitlon in 2014 after being released by Carolina and appeared in nine games that season, registering two tackles. In the off-season, he suffered an Achillies injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the entire 2015 campaign.
He rejoined the Ticats in 2016 before being dealt to Saskatchewan on Oct. 12. The Riders released Gaydosh last week.
The six-foot-one, 200-pound Charette, a native of St. Catharines, Ont., has appeared in 27 career games with the Montreal Alouettes, who selected him in the fourth round, 36th overall, in the 2015 CFL draft.
Toronto (3-4) visits the Montreal Alouettes (2-4) on Friday night.
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ESKIMOS MOVES: The Edmonton Eskimos released veteran left tackle Tony Washington on while adding Canadian defensive lineman Kalonji Kashama to the practice roster.
The six-foot-seven, 318-pound Washington appeared in six games with the unbeaten Eskimos (6-0). Washington, 31, was in his fourth season with Edmonton, which acquired him from the Toronto Argonauts in May 2014.
Washington played collegiately at Washington and began his CFL career in 2011 with the Calgary Stampeders. He joined the Argos on July 4, 2012 and helped the club win a Grey Cup that year.
Washington earned another Grey Cup ring in 2015 with Edmonton.
The six-foot-four, 259-pound Kashama, of Brampton, Ont., played his college football at Eastern Michigan.
Edmonton visits the Ottawa Redblacks (1-5-1) on Friday night. The defending Grey Cup champions’ five losses this year have been by a combined 13 points.
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FOLEY A LION: Ricky Foley is back where it all began.
The veteran defensive lineman has re-signed with the B.C. Lions, the team that selected Foley in the first round of the 2006 CFL draft out of York University.
The Lions thought Foley was rejoining them in 2010 after he was released by the NFL’s New York Jets. But the 34-year-old of Courtice, Ont., ended up signing with the Toronto Argonauts.
Foley spent three seasons with Toronto before signing with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent in 2013. He spent two seasons with the Riders before being dealt back to the Argos for linebacker Shea Emry in January 2015.
Foley’s second stint with Toronto lasted two years before he was released March 31, the day before he was reportedly scheduled to receive a roster bonus.
The six-foot-two, 258-pound Foley has played for three Grey Cup-winning teams (B.C. in ’06, Toronto in 2012 and Saskatchewan in ’13). He has registered 60 career sacks and 370 tackles and was named the top Canadian in the ’12 CFL championship game.
B.C. (5-2) is coming off a 30-15 win over Saskatchewan on Saturday. They will visit the Riders on Sunday.
(Canadian Press)
