After grabbing from the bargain bin last year, the Blue and Gold returned to the strategy that once helped them land players like Stanley Bryant, Andrew Harris, Adam Bighill, and Willie Jefferson: quality over quantity.

The Blue Bombers signed two of 3DownNation’s top six pending free agents, including the No. 1 available player in Jarell Broxton. Tim White would also have been top 10 had he not hit the market early due to his release from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

With the additions now official, it’s time take a look at Winnipeg’s updated depth chart. What you see below obviously isn’t official — it’s merely a mock-up designed to illustrate how the team could look come Week 1.

OFFENCE

Tim White and Tommy Nield were signed from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders, respectively, to upgrade Winnipeg’s receiving corps.

White is a three-time All-CFL selection who has recorded four-straight 1,000-yard seasons, and though he’s struggled with drops in the past, he indicated it’s a skill he’s continuing to hone. The 31-year-old received a $75,000 signing bonus to join the Blue Bombers, per source, on a contract worth $222,000 in hard money.

Nield, meanwhile, scored the game-winning touchdown for Saskatchewan in the West Final and should still have some untapped potential at the age of 26. He set all-new career-highs in 2025 with 42 catches for 535 yards and five touchdowns and will bring some much-needed size to the group at six-foot-three and 200 pounds. The native of Guelph, Ont. will earn $175,000 in hard money in 2026.

Nic Demski and Ontaria ‘Pokey’ Wilson are locks to be in starting lineup, which means there’s only one spot left. Kevens Clercius and Joey Corcoran both started games at field-side wideout in 2025, though Clercius was publicly berated by Zach Collaros for a mistake late in the regular-season and subsequently benched for the playoffs.

If Clercius or Corcoran win the starting job in training camp, Winnipeg would have three starting Canadian receivers, making it a little easier to start three Americans along the offensive line (more on that in a moment). The team has brought in several rookie American receivers, however, as they look to find the next Dalton Schoen, who wasn’t re-signed after suffering another torn ACL. Jerreth Sterns and Keric Wheatfall, who started a combined 30 regular-season games in 2025, also weren’t retained.

Jarell Broxton was Winnipeg’s flashy addition along the offensive line, signing a two-year contract worth $250,000 per season. He’ll likely be the team’s starter at right tackle with Stanley Bryant remaining on the left side, where he’s started since 2015. If this is Bryant’s swan song — he turns 40 in May — Broxton would be the perfect heir apparent. The 32-year-old was the best pass-blocking offensive tackle in the CFL last season, per Pro Football Focus, while protecting Nathan Rourke’s blindside in B.C.

It’ll be interesting to see how Winnipeg manages the interior of the offensive line, a spot that wasn’t addressed in free agency. Gabe Wallace had ups and downs over 15 starts at left guard in 2025 and though Micah Vanterpool struggled in three starts at left tackle, he played well in three starts at left guard. There’s also Kendall Randolph, who was a full-time starter at right tackle last year and gradually improved. With Broxton now presumably manning that spot, Randolph would be available to start at left guard.

Patrick Neufeld is a lock to start at right guard, while Tui Eli is the heavy favourite to win the starting job at centre following the release of Chris Kolankowski. Ethan Vibert, the team’s third-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, should be ready to fill a full-time depth role, though the Blue Bombers would be wise to use their first-round pick in the upcoming draft on a blue-chip offensive lineman.

Vanterpool and Randolph are on cheap contracts for 2026, which means it could be possible to keep both of them around even if they’re not starting. If the Blue Bombers believe in either or both of them long-term, they should be retained since quality offensive linemen are so tough to find. Then again, the team has cast an extremely wide net with 13 American offensive linemen currently under contract, most of whom have no previous CFL experience. Clearly, the offensive line will be a position to watch come training camp.

Winnipeg didn’t make an addition at quarterback, instead standing pat with incumbent passers Zach Collaros, Terry Wilson, and Chase Artopoeus. Wilson has attempted only 12 regular-season passes in the CFL, while Artopoeus has never taken a regular-season snap. Chris Streveler, who suffered a torn in ACL in October, wasn’t retained and he has yet to confirm whether or not he intends to return to the CFL.

It should be noted that the Blue Bombers have added two CFL rookies at the position in Bryce Perkins and Payton Thorne. Perkins is far from the average rookie, bringing six years of professional football experience and having won the UFL’s MVP award in 2025. Thorne, meanwhile, started 48 games at Michigan State and Auburn, two top collegiate programs, and was mentored by longtime CFL quarterback Kent Austin.

It remains to be seen if Perkins or Thorne achieve any success in the CFL, but it’s noteworthy that they have stronger collegiate and professional resumés than most quarterbacks who come to the league.

As for the running back position, there’s no question that Brady Oliveira will be the team’s starter and Matthew Peterson is a solid Canadian backup, having rushed for 329 yards and one touchdown as a rookie in 2025. It appears longtime NFL speedster J.J. Taylor will be this year’s American running back who almost surely gets cut, following in the footsteps of players like Quinton Cooley and Chris Smith. If Taylor is going to make the team, it’ll likely have to be as a return specialist.

DEFENCE

Jake Ceresna was the team’s big-money addition along the defensive line and he should add some much-needed punch to the pass rush. The 31-year-old has been a game-wrecker for much of his CFL career, recording 30 sacks and five forced fumbles from 2022 to 2024 and helping the Toronto Argonauts upset Winnipeg in the Grey Cup.

The six-foot-four, 295-pound native of New Fairfield, Conn., who makes his offseason home in Tampa, Fla., received a better financial offer from the Ottawa Redblacks, per sources, but ultimately chose to sign in Winnipeg. He will earn $235,000 in hard money in 2026, making him one of the league’s highest-paid defensive linemen. Though he primarily plays along the interior, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two-time All-CFL selection pushes out to defensive end when the Blue Bombers flex to a three-man front on passing downs.

Matthew Jaworski and Kydran Jenkins should have the inside track to winning the starting job opposite Willie Jefferson. Both players dressed for Winnipeg’s regular-season finale in 2025 and recorded a sack, drawing speculation that they should have been in the lineup earlier and perhaps remained active for the playoffs.

Jaworski has prototypical size at six-foot-five and 260 pounds and was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year at Fordham University in 2024, while Jenkins is a more compact edge rusher and was named third-team All-Big Ten at Purdue University in 2024. James Vaughters, who started opposite Jefferson in 2025, has signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Cameron Lawson, who made a career-high 21 tackles in 2025, is expected to start at nose tackle in place of Jake Thomas, who ended his 14-year playing career to become Winnipeg’s defensive line coach.

Jonathan Moxey was signed from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and should fill an important hole at cornerback. He’s been pencilled-in at boundary cornerback above, though he played field-side cornerback at a high level in 2025. Moxey will earn $135,000 in 2026, which is the first of a two-year deal with the Blue Bombers.

Trey Vaval, who was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2025, has been pencilled-in as the starter at field-side cornerback, though it may be best to have him focus solely on his return duties. Alijah McGhee, who was signed in November, has starting experience at field-side cornerback from his tenure with the Ottawa Redblacks.

Winnipeg lost boundary cornerback Terrell Bonds to a torn ACL in August and the team struggled to replace him, repatriating Demerio Houston, who was only available because he’d been the subject of criminal charges that were subsequently dropped. Jamal Parker Jr., who struggled at field-side cornerback during the East Semi-Final, was released by the team in December.

The halfback spots are set in stone with Deatrick Nichols and Evan Holm being two of the highest-paid defensive backs in the league. Cam Allen is the incumbent at safety, though it will be interesting to see if big-bodied UCLA product Bryan Addison gets an opportunity to play there. The team could also move Redha Kramdi back to safety, which they did three times this past season, allowing someone else to start at strong-side linebacker.

Winnipeg made one addition at linebacker, bringing Jovan Santos-Knox back where he started his CFL career in 2017. The 31-year-old has played 77 regular-season games with Edmonton, Hamilton, and Ottawa since departing the Blue Bombers, earning an All-East Division selection in 2022.

Tony Jones and Kyrie Wilson are the incumbent starters at middle and weak-side linebacker, respectively, though Santos-Knox could change that. In the above depth chart — which, again, is unofficial — Santos-Knox has been listed at the starter at middle linebacker with Jones being moved to weak-side linebacker.

Redha Kramdi has been sketched in as the returning starter at strong-side linebacker, though Winnipeg will rotate in all kinds of players like Michael Ayers, Michael Griffin II, and Jaiden Woodbey, particularly on passing downs.

Shayne Gauthier, who is best remembered for making a key tackle late in the West Final in 2019, was not retained, which could open opportunities for 2025 CFL Draft picks Connor Shay and Jaylen Smith. Shay made 10 special teams tackles as a rookie, while Smith recorded 22 to finish one shy of Ayers for the team lead.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Blue Bombers have made no changes on special teams with Sergio Castillo, Jamieson Sheahan, Ian Leroux, and Trey Vaval all returning.

Vaval had six NFL workouts after being named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2025, though it doesn’t appear he was offered a contract down south. He remains under contract with Winnipeg through 2027.

The post How do the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look after free agency? appeared first on 3DownNation.

9:35 a.m. EST — If you’re not already, be sure to follow our Instagram page. It’s growing fast and we’ve got slick graphics with all the latest news over there.

9:22 a.m. EST — Tre Ford recently told 3DownNation why he chose the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after being released by the Edmonton Elks. Check out the full podcast episode here.

9:05 a.m. EST — Justin Dunk, John Hodge, and JC Abbott analyzed all the CFL’s reported signings and more on the latest edition of the 3DownNation Podcast. Check out the episode here and don’t forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast provider.

8:44 a.m. EST — Many of 3DownNation‘s top 50 pending free agents still do not have agreements for 2026, including Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Dominique Rhymes, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Jovan Santos-Knox, Anthony Lanier II, Joshua Coker, William Stanback, Sean McEwen, Dalton Schoen, Lorenzo Mauldin IV, and C.J. Avery.

8:23 a.m. EST — Follow our news breakers Justin Dunk, John Hodge, and JC Abbott on Twitter/X and Bluesky so you don’t miss anything all day long.

8:03 a.m. EST — It’s time for the first coffee of the day. Never underestimate the importance of coffee during CFL free agency.

8:00 a.m. EST — Pending free agents were able to negotiate with teams across the CFL during the “legal tampering” window from February 1 to 8. Many agreements were reached during this time, though they can’t become official until free agency opens on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Offensive players with agreements in place include Jake Maier (Ottawa), Taylor Powell (Edmonton), Dustin Crum (Montreal), Greg Bell (Ottawa), Dejon Brissett (Calgary), Joe Robustelli (Edmonton), Tommy Nield (Winnipeg), Ayden Eberhardt (Ottawa), Jerreth Sterns (Montreal), Brendan O’Leary-Orange (Edmonton), Tyson Middlemost (Hamilton), Jarell Broxton (Winnipeg), Coulter Woodmansey (Edmonton), Jordan Murray (Edmonton), Brendan Bordner (Edmonton), and Eric Lofton (Hamilton).

Defensive players with agreements in place include Dylan Wynn (Ottawa), Malik Carney (Edmonton), Habakkuk Baldonado (Ottawa), James Vaughters (Saskatchewan), Jonathan Kongbo (Toronto), Kene Onyeka (Hamilton), A.J. Allen (Ottawa), Brian Cole II (Ottawa), Michael Brodrique (Ottawa), C.J. Reavis (Ottawa), Jonathan Moxey (Winnipeg), DaShaun Amos (Toronto), Demerio Houston (Ottawa), Devodric Bynum (Calgary), Scott Hutter (Ottawa), and Robert Priester (Toronto).

Some players entered free agency earlier and have already officially signed with new teams. These include Darnell Sankey (B.C.), Chris Kolankowski (Hamilton), Casey Sayles (B.C.), Adarius Pickett (Toronto), Peyton Logan (Toronto), DeWayne Hendrix (Toronto), Dakoda Shepley (Toronto), Tim White (Winnipeg), Austin Mack (Edmonton), DeVonte Dedmon (Montreal), Tre Ford (Hamilton), Deonta McMahon (Calgary), Jake Ceresna (Winnipeg), Josh Woods (Saskatchewan), Wynton McManis (Hamilton), and James Letcher Jr. (Saskatchewan).

Welcome to the 3DownNation 2026 CFL free agency live blog!

We will be around all day to provide the latest news, insight, analysis, and rumours surrounding CFL free agency. We’ve done many live blogs in the past and we’re excited you’ve chosen to join us for this year’s edition. There’s lots of fun to be had over the day, so let’s get rocking.

The post 2026 CFL free agency: LIVE appeared first on 3DownNation.

The honour will recognize club football operations personnel for outstanding achievement in scouting, player identification, roster building, and leadership. Goveia passed away in September at the age of 55 following a battle with cancer. The native of Burlington, Ont. won three Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers prior to being hired by the Tiger-Cats in 2025.

The award will be presented at a new annual event called the Coach of the Year Celebration. The inaugural proceeding will take place at The Westin Edmonton on March 25 and serve as a fundraiser for Football Alberta. A silent auction will be held with all proceeds going to support local amateur football programming and initiatives.

The event will also unveil the CFL’s Coach of the Year for 2025, which is between finalist Corey Mace of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Jason Maas of the Montreal Alouettes. 53 members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) voted for the winner in November, though the results have yet to be unveiled.

The Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award will also be presented. Created in 2006, the award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated great leadership in making significant contributions to the game. Past winners include Campbell, Wally Buono, Normie Kwong, Bob Ackles, Rick LeLacheur, and John Hufnagel.

The post CFL unveils Ted Goveia Football Operations Award, new event at CFL Combine appeared first on 3DownNation.

The 27-year-old originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens after going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played two regular-season games as a rookie and made one start, completing 44.9 percent of his passes for 302 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Brown was also sacked five times and lost one fumble.

The six-foot-one, 217-pound passer had a brief stint on Baltimore’s practice roster in 2023 but was otherwise out of the NFL. He spent 2024 with the Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Arizona Cardinals, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with those teams.

The native of Aberdeen Township, N.J. signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL) in 2025 and made three starts, completing 48.2 percent of his passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He also rushed for 61 yards.

Brown was a collegiate standout over six seasons at Boston College and the University of Oregon, completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 7,891 yards, 61 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. He also ran 287 times for 1,121 yards and 15 scores.

The Alouettes have also signed American quarterback Dresser Winn and American linebacker Donovan Manuel to two-year contracts.

Winn played for the Memphis Showboats of the UFL earlier this year and completed 58.0 percent of his passes for 834 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also rushed 13 times for 52 yards and one score.

The native of Dresden, Tenn. has since been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, though he was released by the team prior to the end of training camp in August.

The 26-year-old had his first of three stints with the Rams in 2023 after he went undrafted. He rejoined the team later that year following a stint on the practice roster with the Edmonton Elks, though he’s yet to dress for a regular-season NFL game.

The six-foot-three, 212-pound passer played collegiately the University of Tennessee at Martin where he was named second-team All-Conference in 2022. He threw for 5,800 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 24 touchdowns and ran for an additional nine scores.

Manuel played collegiately at Florida International University where he was named second-team All-Conference USA in 2023 after making 121 total tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss. The 26-year-old started his collegiate career at East Tennessee State, where he was named a third-team All-American in 2021.

The Montreal Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 as a starter during the regular-season, though he missed 11 games due to a hamstring injury.

The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offence, first in net defence, and third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal finished sixth in attendance with average crowds of 21,132, which was a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous year.

The post Montreal Alouettes sign former NFL QB Anthony Brown, two others appeared first on 3DownNation.

“RBC Training Ground came to (the University of Toronto last spring) and I was like, ‘I’ve already trained for the (CFL) Combine, I might as well just do another one,'” Stoikos told his alma mater. “I was like, ‘Listen, I’m still trying to get drafted to the CFL here. If for whatever reason that doesn’t work out, I’ll give you a call.'”

The five-foot-ten, 230-pound ball-carrier rushed 111 times for 601 yards and six touchdowns over 29 games with the Varsity Blues. He was also effective on special teams, returning 59 kickoffs for 1,291 yards and three scores, earning a second-team OUA all-star selection in 2022.

When it comes to football, the Varsity Blues are hardly a U Sports powerhouse. The team hasn’t posted a winning record this century and only two University of Toronto alumni — Saskatchewan fullback Albert Awachie and Winnipeg defensive back Nick Hallett — are under contract in the CFL.

Stoikos ended up being one of the top performers at the CFL Invitational Combine in Waterloo, Ont. last year, running a 4.59-second forty-yard dash, performing 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, and leaping 33 inches in the vertical jump. Despite the impressive testing numbers, he was the No. 67 overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft, an event that only had 72 selections.

The 22-year-old attended training camp with the B.C. Lions but was held off the stat sheet in the team’s first preseason game. He was then released on May 29, one day before B.C.’s final preseason game against the Edmonton Elks. It didn’t take him long after that to commit to bobsleigh.

“The night I got cut (by the Lions), the first phone call I made was to my parents,” said Stoikos. “The second one I made was to my contact at Bobsleigh Canada. I said, ‘Hey, when do I start?'”

The Toronto native also competed in track and field at the U Sports level, ranking fifth in the weight throw and eighth in shot put at the OUA Championships in 2024. His father, Boris, was an All-American hammer-thrower at the University of Georgia, while his uncle, John, was a hammer-thrower at the University of South Carolina. Both men also competed in the Commonwealth Games.

Stoikos started his bobsleigh training in Calgary by pushing a frame sled. Eventually, training moved to Whistler, B.C., which saw him get more practical experience.

“They brought us to Whistler to actually go down the track for the first time,” he said with a laugh. “It’d probably be equivalent to being in a bathtub and then being put into the clothes dryer and then going down a mountain.”

After competing at the World Cup in Altenberg, Germany in January, Stoikos was officially named to the Olympic team.

Stoikos is one of many athletes with CFL connections competing in the bobsleigh at this year’s Olympics in Milan and Cortina. Keaton Bruggeling, an active receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, is competing along with former defensive back Jay Dearborn and former running back Shaq Murray-Lawrence. Dearborn and Murray-Lawrence will compete in the two-man events in addition to the four-man events.

As per a spokesperson, Stoikos will be part of the four-man bobsleigh headed by Dearborn. Bruggeling and Murray-Lawrence will be part of Canada’s other four-man bobsleigh.

Jesse Lumsden, a longtime CFL running back whose father, Neil, is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, is the high-performance director for Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton. The native of Edmonton, Alta. is in Italy to accompany the team after previously competing in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Olympics.

“Canada gave my family so much when they moved here,” said Stoikos. “For me to be able to give back and represent that country is honestly a blessing.”

Team Canada has won 10 Olympic bobsleigh medals since 1964, including five golds, two silver and three bronze. This year’s bobsleigh events will begin on February 12 with official training, then the heats begin on February 15. The four-man heats don’t start until February 21 with medals being awarded on February 22.

The post U Sports standout Luka Stoikos pleased with pivot from CFL to Olympic bobsleigh appeared first on 3DownNation.

“I pride myself on being versatile, being able to be flexible within the defence, playing wherever they need me in multiple positions,” Sutherland recently told the media.

“I’d like to go into it with an open eye and just get to sit down and talk with the coaches. Obviously, it’s a new game, so just to see schematically what makes sense. I know I’m capable of playing wherever they need me to.”

The five-foot-eleven, 202-pound defender recently signed a three-year contract with the Alouettes following a three-year stint in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants, and Las Vegas Raiders. He never saw any regular-season action down south, though his tenure was marred by injury.

Montreal had one of the CFL’s top defences in 2025 and Sutherland could be a natural fit at safety or strong-side linebacker. Marc-Antoine Dequoy, the team’s incumbent starter at safety, recently retired, while Najee Murray, the team’s longtime strong-side linebacker, signed an extension for 2026 back in December.

Though he played mostly defensive back during his six-year collegiate career at Penn State University, Sutherland is roughly the same size as longtime Alouettes weak-side linebacker Tyrice Beverette. The six-year veteran is one of the best defensive players in the league — he earned All-CFL honours for a second-straight season in 2025 — but it’s not impossible to think Sutherland could replace him if he misses time due to injury.

Like most rookie CFL players, it stands to reason Sutherland will also be asked to play special teams as well, something he seems excited about.

“I like to pride myself on just playing fast, being decisive,” said Sutherland. “Playing physical with an edge and trying to get the ball back to the offence.”

“I’ve always taken pride in special teams, whether it was from high school, college, to playing in the league. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help this team win, so whatever the coaches feel like, whatever position that’s going to best-suit the team, I’m all for it. Special teams? I love special teams.”

Sutherland was selected by the Alouettes in the first round of the 2023 CFL Draft and has kept close tabs on the team ever since. Des Holmes, his collegiate teammate with the Nittany Lions, spent the 2025 season as a reserve offensive lineman in Montreal and was able to provide Sutherland with updates from the inside.

Danny Maciocia, the team’s general manager, also remained in close contact with Sutherland throughout his tenure in the NFL.

“Danny and I have always been in constant communication ever since he drafted me, that if things don’t transpire and things don’t work out in the NFL, that I’d always have a home to come back to and play,” said Sutherland. “After much thought and prayer and consulting with my family, I just felt like it was the best decision for me to make right now at this point in my career.”

Though born in Ottawa, Ont., Sutherland has close ties to Montreal. His mother was born in the city, which is still home to plenty of his extended family. It seems like a perfect fit not only for Sutherland but also the Alouettes.

“I’ve been playing this game since I was eight years old and it’s blessed me a lot. I’m very grateful to be able to play still and I’m just excited to get out there,” said Sutherland. “It’s great to come back and play in my home country and just to play football again, so I’m really appreciative and I’m really excited to get the ball rolling.”

The Montreal Alouettes finished second in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Final before losing the 112th Grey Cup to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Davis Alexander went 7-0 as a starter during the regular-season, though he missed 11 games due to a hamstring injury.

The Alouettes ranked eighth in net offence, first in net defence, and third with a turnover differential of plus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Stevie Scott III with 418 yards, leading receiver was Tyler Snead with 1,129 yards, and leading tackler was Darnell Sankey with 103 tackles. Montreal finished sixth in attendance with average crowds of 21,132, which was a 0.8 percent decrease from the previous year.

The post Jonathan Sutherland believes he can play multiple positions with Montreal Alouettes appeared first on 3DownNation.

Fletcher finished his collegiate career with two seasons at Appalachian State University where he made 40 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine sacks, two fumble recoveries, one pass knockdown, and one forced fumble.

The six-foot-six, 275-pound native of Flint, Mich. started his collegiate career at Michigan State University, making 31 total tackles and three sacks over 21 games.

The 24-year-old attended training camp with the New York Jets in 2025 and made two tackles, one pass knockdown, and one quarterback hit during the preseason, though he was released upon its conclusion.

Smith also attended training camp with the Jets in 2025, though he also didn’t make the final roster. He played three preseason games, recording four tackles, one pass knockdown, and one quarterback hit.

The six-foot-two, 230-pound native of Manning, S.C. played collegiately at South Carolina State University, where he made 241 total tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

The 23-year-old was named first-team All-Conference in 2024 and participated in the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers finished fourth in the West Division standings in 2025 with a 10-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs as the crossover team before losing the East Semi-Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Zach Collaros threw for 3,048 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions over 13 regular-season games, going 6-7 as a starter.

The Blue Bombers ranked fifth in net offence, third in net defence, and eighth with a turnover differential of minus-eleven. The club’s leading rusher was Brady Oliveira with 1,163 yards, leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and leading tackler was Tony Jones with 104 tackles. Winnipeg ranked first in attendance with average crowds of 32,343, which was a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year.

The post Winnipeg Blue Bombers sign Appalachian State standout Michael Fletcher, one other appeared first on 3DownNation.

Davis played 12 games at Central Michigan in 2024, recording 19 catches for 350 yards and three touchdowns. The six-foot-one, 205-pound native of Brighton, Tenn. started his collegiate career at Valparaiso University, an FCS program located in Indiana, where he made 94 receptions for 1,415 yards and 10 touchdowns across 34 games.

Rucker spent four collegiate seasons at Oklahoma State where he made 197 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass deflections, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble over 39 games. The 25-year-old started his collegiate career at Wake Forest where he played 18 games for the Demon Deacons.

The six-foot, 203-pound native of Waldorf, Md. had a brief stint with the Washington Commanders after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with the team.

The Toronto Argonauts finished third in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Franchise quarterback Chad Kelly was unable to play all season due to a fractured leg he suffered in the East Final the previous year, giving way to Nick Arbuckle, who threw for 4,370 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions to be named the team’s candidate for Most Outstanding Player.

The Argonauts ranked seventh in net offence, sixth in net defence, and seventh with a turnover differential of minus-eight. The club’s leading rusher was Spencer Brown with 314 yards, leading receiver was Dejon Brissett with 907 yards, and leading tackler was Cameron Judge with 79 tackles. Toronto ranked ninth in attendance with average crowds of 15,109, which was a 0.1 percent decrease from the previous year.

The post Toronto Argonauts sign Oklahoma State standout Trey Rucker appeared first on 3DownNation.

“I don’t know (if I’ll be ready for training camp),” Orimolade told Stamps TV from his offseason home in Arizona. “I’m at 20 weeks (since the injury), so I think I am where I’m supposed to be. Hopefully (I’ll be back) by camp, but not trying to rush it too much.”

“(The rehab process is) not complicated. You need to be able to be strong and you need to be able to move quickly. I can’t move quickly yet, so I need to be sure I do both.”

The 30-year-old made 19 defensive tackles and four sacks over 12 regular-season starts with the Stampeders in 2025, his first year back in the city where he started his CFL career. Orimolade left for the Toronto Argonauts as a free agent in 2023, though Calgary reacquired him last offseason in a trade that sent Cameron Judge to the Double Blue.

The difference in Calgary’s defence after Orimolade suffered his injury was palpable. The unit allowed only 19.1 offensive points and 365.1 net yards per game with him at defensive end, then 28.5 points and 387.2 net yards per game after he was hurt.

The defence’s negative trend continued into the playoffs as the Stampeders suffered a 33-30 loss to the B.C. Lions in the West Semi-Final.

“(Not being able to play in the playoffs) was the toughest part about (the injury). To be honest, I wasn’t really worried about the rehab. I did a quad tear (in 2019) and a quad tear is much worse, unfortunately. I feel like I came back pretty well from it, so I wasn’t worried so much about the injury itself,” said Orimolade.

“I just felt like we were so close (to winning a Grey Cup in 2025). I feel like if I was there (in the playoffs) we would have been closer, so that was the hard part — knowing that you can’t do anything really about it.”

The native of Washington, D.C. didn’t see the year as a complete write-off, pleased to see the Stampeders shake-off negative predictions and get back to the playoffs after a 6-12 season in 2023 and 5-12-1 season in 2024.

“I think the biggest positive was that we were a team that was told by various people slash media outlets that were going to be no good and we saw — at least, especially in the beginning — a team that was hungry, come together, and say, ‘We don’t really care about the outside noise,'” said Orimolade.

“(We were just focusing on) how we get better every day and be the best in our minds, essentially, so I really appreciated having younger guys, veteran guys all coming together and saying, ‘That’s what we’re going to do,’ and doing it.”

Calgary lost Jaylon Hutchings, Jacob Roberts, and Damien Alford to the NFL earlier this offseason, though they haven’t lost any big names to CFL free agency. Canadian receiver Dejon Brissett agreed to terms on a two-year contract after a breakout season with the Argonauts, while Devodric Bynum and Deonta McMahon will also join the team.

“Free agency, I actually pay attention to it quite a bit. I think it’s pretty fun. That’s been on my mind, like, ‘OK, these are the people I’m going to be going against on different (teams).’ It’s going to be weird, a bit different, but it’s going to be really cool to go against (those guys), so I look at it all around the league,” said Orimolade.

“Then I look for us, like the people that we get, if they make us a much better team. We were a good team last year, and I liked how we were able to sign most everybody — unless they went to the NFL, we were able to retain our players, so we were able to return a core and they get to know each other over time, and they have these prior relationships, but I think it just makes them a more cohesive unit going into the next season, which I believe bodes well for us.”

The Grey Cup will be played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary this November, marking the first time since 2019 that the venue has hosted the CFL’s championship game. Orimolade has won two Grey Cups — one as a rookie in 2018, then another with Toronto in 2024.

The five-foot-eleven, 240-pound defender wants to win another one and become the first-ever Stampeders team to do so at home in the process..

“I feel hungry every year, but I will say that it’s pretty cool to be able to win the Grey Cup in your own backyard. I can’t think of many teams that have done that. I can imagine after you win the Grey Cup, you go party in that city, then you go back to your city and party, too, but it’d be cool to not have to go anywhere — we know exactly where we’re going right after. That’d be cool and all the festivities will happen quicker because you don’t have to worry about going back and stuff,” he said.

“The fans deserve it, too. We haven’t been in the game as an organization since 2018, so it would mean a lot to do it in Calgary for the fans. I think it would be unique for the guys. This is a team that I believe deserves to win. I don’t think many people on the team have won a Grey Cup up here and I think the team, honestly, just even for them, I just want them to be able to have that opportunity. I think it’s one of those games in Canada where it makes you feel like, ‘Whoa, this is a big deal,’ and having that feeling would be amazing.”

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“I still feel maybe a little bit of scar tissue, but as far as results and data we’re seeing, it’s pretty much 100 percent,” Alexander told the media in Montreal. “I actually threw for the first time, picked up a ball for the first time since Grey Cup (on January 29), and that was fun. I felt fine, I feel good — I was able to roll out and all that stuff.”

“As far as fully coming back 100 percent, we all feel really confident about it. (Calgary receiver) Jalen Philpot, he tore his (hamstring) completely off the bone, I think, a couple years ago, and obviously, he was able to come back off that, and he looks fantastic. Mine’s not as severe as that, so we feel optimistic. Again, I play quarterback; I don’t play receiver. I know I do like to run a little bit, but we feel optimistic, and we’re on the right track.”

Alexander was recently flown to Montreal so the team could get an update on his recovery, and it seems as though all parties are pleased with the progress.

The 27-year-old was surprisingly transparent about the injury leading into the Grey Cup, suggesting it may have been caused in part by overtraining during the previous offseason. It seems as though Montreal’s medical staff has since confirmed that, though it’s possible the injury could have been even worse had Alexander not trained as hard as he did.

“I was always the guy that tried to push through anything, but I never really had a soft tissue-type injury like this, so I learned my lesson there,” he said. “I was told, basically, I might have overworked it and overworked in general, but because of that, they think that’s why I didn’t completely tear it off the bone, so there’s some good to it and some bad to it.”

Alexander indicated he currently weighs 212 pounds, which he’s happy with as he wants to be between 210 and 215 when the regular season starts. He indicated he reached 220 pounds at one point in 2025, which he felt was too heavy and may have added undue stress on the soft tissue in his hamstring.

The native of Gig Harbor, Wash., trains with longtime CFL quarterback Chris Streveler in the offseason and is thrilled to be getting back into the swing of things. Though some people would welcome the opportunity to spend weeks on end sitting on the couch, Alexander wasn’t a fan of being off his feet.

“It was horrible, I hated it. All the people around me, I was complaining a lot. It’s not in my nature (to sit around the house),” he said.

“I like to always do stuff, be active, or else I’m gonna be on the couch watching sports or playing video games, so it’s been great to get back into it, be around competitiveness. The trainers back home, I love them to death, they’re such good guys, and being in a highly competitive environment often.”

The Alouettes have been relatively quiet during the CFL’s legal tampering period, signing returner DeVonte Dedmon following his release from the Ottawa Redblacks and agreeing to terms with quarterback Dustin Crum and receiver Jerreth Sterns. The most costly loss is defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who chose to retire after five seasons with the team.

With minimal change heading into 2026, Alexander will be looking to replicate much of the success he had one year ago but do so for a full 18 regular-season games.

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