Riders sign former NFL, XFL linebacker Matthew Thomas

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added some depth on the defensive side of the ball.

Linebacker Matthew Thomas has signed with the Riders, a versatile weapon who could slot in at a number of different positions in the CFL.

Thomas tore up the 2018 NFL combine, recording: a 4.58 forty-yard dash; ten-foot, eleven-inch broad jump; 41.5-inch vertical; 4.28 shuttle; and 6.85 three-cone. His rare combination of size and freak athleticism should be an intriguing weapon on a CFL field.

The six-foot-three, 230 pounder played 37 games at Florida State University, recording 192 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, four sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

He appeared in ten games with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 as an undrafted free agent and has since been on the off-season rosters of the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis BattleHawks in the now bankrupt XFL.

Given his versatility, it will be interesting to see where Saskatchewan chooses to deploy Thomas come training camp.

3Down Staff