TUESDAY CFL FREE AGENCY ROUND-UP
TORONTO – Henoc Muamba will help the Toronto Argonauts defend their Grey Cup title.
The veteran Canadian linebacker re-signed with the CFL club on Monday. Muamba, 33, became a free agent on Feb. 14.
The six-foot, 230-pound linebacker capped the 2022 season in impressive fashion, being named the top Canadian and MVP of Toronto’s 24-23 Grey Cup victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He became just the second player to record the historic double, joining Argos running back Andrew Harris (2019 with Winnipeg).
Muamba, entering his 11th CFL season and third with Toronto, had 75 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in 17 regular-season games in 2022. He was named the league’s top Canadian in 2017 while with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Muamba was the first player taken in the 2011 CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was a league all-star two years later.
Muamba has appeared in 135 career CFL regular-season games, registering 592 tackles, 78 special-teams tackles, 17 sacks, eight interceptions, 14 forced fumbles and one TD.
Toronto also re-signed American receiver Markeith Ambles, who had 72 catches for 737 yards and five TDs last season, his first with the club. Ambles spent the previous three seasons with Calgary (2018-19, 2021), winning a Grey Cup title in his first year with the Stampeders.
The Argos also signed American receivers Tanner Gentry and B.J. Byrd.
MONTREAL – The Montreal Alouettes signed defensive lineman Vincent Desjardins and receiver Jake Harty to one-year deals Tuesday.
Both players are Canadians.
The six-foot-one, 275-pound Desjardins had a tackle in four regular-season games with Montreal last year. The Quebec City native spent his first two CFL seasons with the Calgary Stampeders (2019, 2021), recording three tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery in 20 regular-season contests.
The six-foot-two, 210-pound Harty registered 11 catches for 66 yards in 11 regular-season games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2022. The Calgary native began his CFL career with Ottawa (2015-17), winning a Grey Cup with the Redblacks in 2016.
Harty has appeared in 57 career regular-season CFL games, recording 48 catches for 378 yards and a TD. He has also registered 24 special-teams tackles.
OTTAWA – The Ottawa Redblacks hired Jykine Bradley as defensive backs coach Tuesday.
Bradley held the same post with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season, his first as a CFL coach.
“We are very pleased to have coach Bradley joining our staff as the defensive backs coach,” head coach Bob Dyce said in a statement. “His breadth of CFL playing and coaching experience will be a definite asset to our coaching staff.”
Bradley, 42, has also coached defensive backs Northwood University (Division II NCAA) in 2021 and served as receivers coach at Waterloo (2017-19).
Bradley played defensive back in the NFL with Buffalo (2004) and the CFL with Hamilton (2004-10) and Edmonton (2011).
(Canadian Press)
