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 Memphis Fire Department responded to a call in the Orange Mound neighbourhood at 2:00 a.m. local time on Friday, February 6. They found an unresponsive victim in the rear hallway who was pronounced dead at the scene. A representative of the Wilburn family later confirmed that the individual was Barry.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Wilburn was originally selected in the eighth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Washington Football Team and rose to become a starting cornerback, earning NFL All-Pro honours after a nine-interception season in 1987. He capped that year with a start in Super Bowl XXII, picking off John Elway twice in a rout of the Denver Broncos.

The Ole Miss product saw his career derailed by a drug suspension in 1989, and he was out of football for two seasons before staging a comeback with the Cleveland Browns in 1992. When that was unsuccessful, he headed north and joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1993, earning a CFL all-star selection in his first season.

Wilburn would be released following his first campaign in Saskatchewan and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, though he was waived in training camp. He joined the B.C. Lions in September, where he contributed to the 1994 Grey Cup victory over the Baltimore Stallions. With the win, Wilburn became one of the few players in pro football history to win a championship in both the CFL and NFL.

The six-foot-two, 196-pound coverman returned to the NFL that offseason and spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1999, he staged a brief CFL comeback with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was also drafted by the Memphis Maniax in the inaugural XFL.

In 29 CFL games, Wilburn made 58 defensive tackles, two special teams tackles, and three interceptions. Across 91 NFL games, he was credited with 246 tackles and 20 interceptions, scoring one touchdown.

The post Grey Cup winner, Super Bowl champion Barry Wilburn killed in house fire appeared first on 3DownNation.

3DownNation reporter John Hodge first reported the agreement, which runs for two years and is worth $235,000 in hard money in 2026 and $255,000 in hard money in 2027. He will receive a $120,000 signing bonus to execute the contract.

Pending CFL free agents could negotiate with teams across the league during the communication window, which closes on Sunday, February 8. However, the deals are not legally binding and can’t be made official until after free agency opens on Tuesday, February 10, with teams receiving a 48-hour window to exclusively negotiate with their own players.

The Elks have waived that right in this case, assigning Ceresna to the Bombers in advance in order to ease the process.

“The Edmonton Elks Football Club agrees to assign the playing rights of American defensive lineman Jake Ceresna to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Football Club in order to demonstrate cooperation with fellow member clubs and to allow the acquiring club to begin its onboarding process, including travel arrangements and event planning,” Elks general manager Ed Hervey said in a statement.

Ceresna made 16 defensive tackles, one sack, and one interception over 11 regular-season games in 2025 — the lowest production of his career. However, he suffered a bucket-handle meniscus tear in late June and attempted to play through the injury for two months before ultimately getting surgery. He is fully recovered and expected to be ready for training camp.

The 31-year-old played 17 regular-season games with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024 and tied for the league lead with eight sacks. He also made 29 tackles and one forced fumble, helping the team win the Grey Cup in Vancouver over Winnipeg.

The Cortland State product began his CFL career with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2017 before being traded to Edmonton. He spent parts of the next five seasons with the Green and Gold, interrupted only by a stint with the New York Giants in 2019.

In 102 career regular-season CFL games, Ceresna has racked up 201 defensive tackles, 46 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and one interception. The six-foot-four, 295-pound pass rusher was named an All-CFL selection at defensive tackle in 2022 and 2024, but has frequently lined up at defensive end throughout his career.

Winnipeg 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, the leading receiver was Nic Demski with 1,001 yards, and the 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 Official: Jake Ceresna signs with Winnipeg Blue Bombers after Edmonton Elks assign playing rights appeared first on 3DownNation.

The 32-year-old made the decision public with an emotional address on his podcast, ShowTimeSpeaks The Keep Going Podcast, showing off his game-worn Grey Cup jersey, as well as one from his senior year of college.

“This is my retirement speech,” Bailey told listeners. “It’s hard because this game saved my life, and there’s been so many people on this journey that has helped me get to this point, but I got myself to this point too, and I worked my ass off every day. I was a kid who grew up in the projects. I was a kid who beat and defeated the odds of I’m supposed to be this. And I always had this dream as a kid that I was going to be somebody. I used to stare out that walk, that window, growing up in the projects, knowing that I was going to be something. I was staring at that skyline, and I knew that one day that I would probably potentially be sitting in the space that I’m in right now and giving this speech one day, walking away from the game.”

Bailey did not play during the 2025 CFL season after going unsigned in free agency. He played the first six games of the 2024 campaign with the Toronto Argonauts, catching 24 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He later signed with the Ottawa Redblacks, but finished the year on the practice roster without appearing in a game.

The native of Philadelphia, Penn., spent the first four years of his CFL career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, winning Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021. He caught a total of 180 passes for 2,072 yards and 20 touchdowns over 54 regular-season games with the team.

Bailey first signed with the B.C. Lions in 2015, but was quickly released due to NFL opportunities. He spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent, but never saw game action.

The six-foot-two, 212-pound target attended Delaware Valley University, a Division III program in Doylestown, Penn. He graduated as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,138, while ranking second in receiving touchdowns with 29 and third in receptions with 165.

The post Two-time Grey Cup champion Rasheed Bailey officially retires from CFL appeared first on 3DownNation.

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The 28-year-old signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and spent three seasons with the team, rushing for 156 yards, catching six passes for 20 yards, and scoring two touchdowns over 12 regular-season games. He also returned one punt for 11 yards and five kickoffs for 112 yards.

The native of Corona, Calif. signed with the Houston Texans in 2023 and spent two years with the team, dressing for five regular-season games. He rushed 10 times for 44 yards and caught two passes for zero yards but was released by Houston this past August.

The five-foot-ten, 185-pound speedster played collegiately at the University of Arizona. He played 49 games and rushed 587 times for 3,263 rushing yards, caught 62 passes for 487 yards, and scored 20 touchdowns. Taylor was named first-team All-Pac 12 in 2018.

The Blue Bombers also signed American receiver Dorian Singer and American linebacker Micah Cretsinger.

Singer finished his collegiate career at Utah in 2024, where he caught 53 passes for 702 yards and one touchdown. He played at USC the previous year, where he made 24 receptions for 289 yards and three scores in 12 games.

The six-foot, 191-pound target started his collegiate career at Arizona, where he made 66 grabs for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns over 12 outings.

The native of St. Paul, Minn. attended training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars after going unselected in the 2025 NFL Draft. He made seven catches for 59 yards during the preseason but didn’t make the club’s final roster.

Cretsinger had a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 and the Ottawa Redblacks in 2025, though he didn’t see any regular-season action with either team.

The six-foot, 238-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla. played collegiately at Saginaw Valley State where he made 271 total tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 10 interceptions, 10 pass knockdowns, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and five touchdowns over 44 games. He was named All-Conference four times.

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 longtime NFL player J.J. Taylor, two others appeared first on 3DownNation.

According to sources, the deal is worth $235,000 in hard money in 2026 and $255,000 in hard money in 2027. He will receive a $120,000 signing bonus to execute the deal.

The 31-year-old made 16 defensive tackles, one sack, and one interception over 11 regular-season games in 2025 — the lowest production of his career. However, he suffered a bucket-handle meniscus tear in late June and attempted to play through the injury for two months before ultimately getting surgery. He is fully recovered and expected to be ready for training camp.

Ceresna played 17 regular-season games with the Toronto Argonauts in 2024 and tied for the league lead with eight sacks. He also made 29 tackles and one forced fumble, helping the team win the Grey Cup in Vancouver over Winnipeg.

The Cortland State product began his CFL career with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2017 before being traded to Edmonton. He spent parts of the next five seasons with the Green and Gold, interrupted only by a stint with the New York Giants in 2019.

In 102 career regular-season CFL games, Ceresna has racked up 201 defensive tackles, 46 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and one interception. The six-foot-four, 295-pound pass rusher was named an All-CFL selection at defensive tackle in 2022 and 2024, but has frequently lined up at defensive end throughout his career.

Pending CFL free agents can negotiate with teams across the league during the communication window, which closes on Sunday, February 8. Players can agree to terms on a contract with a particular franchise; however, the deals are not legally binding and can’t be made official until after free agency opens on Tuesday, February 10.

Ceresna was 3DownNation’s No. 6-ranked pending CFL free agent.

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 Jake Ceresna agrees to terms with Winnipeg Blue Bombers: sources appeared first on 3DownNation.

The 32-year-old was named All-CFL for the first time in 2025 after anchoring the B.C. Lions at left tackle. He started 16 regular-season games and received the second-highest season-long grade from Pro Football Focus among all offensive tackles.

The native of Olney, Md. played 51 regular-season games over five seasons with the Lions, becoming a full-time starter in 2023. He was initially going to start his CFL career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2020, though the season was cancelled due to the inset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six-foot-five, 325-pound blocker played collegiately at Baylor University where he made 21 starts. He then spent two years with the Baltimore Ravens after going unselected in the 2016 NFL Draft, though he never dressed for any regular-season games.

Pending CFL free agents can negotiate with teams across the league during the communication window, which closes on Sunday, February 8. Players can agree to terms on a contract with a particular franchise, though the deals are not binding and can’t be made official until after free agency opens on Tuesday, February 10.

Broxton was 3DownNation’s No. 1-ranked pending free agent.

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 agree to terms with All-CFL blocker Jarell Broxton: sources appeared first on 3DownNation.

The 26-year-old spent the 2025 season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, making 42 receptions for 535 yards and five touchdowns. He caught the game-winning touchdown in the West Final, then recorded three grabs for 46 yards in Saskatchewan’s 25-17 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the 112th Grey Cup.

The native of Guelph, Ont. was originally a fourth-round pick in the 2021 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts. He spent four seasons with the team, making 63 receptions for 776 yards and two touchdowns. Nield won two Grey Cups with the Boatmen, both of which came against the Blue Bombers.

The six-foot-three, 205-pound target played collegiately at McMaster University where he recorded 102 catches for 1,618 yards and 10 touchdowns over 28 games. He helped the Marauders win the Yates Cup in 2019.

Pending CFL free agents can negotiate with teams across the league during the communication window, which closes on Sunday, February 8. Players can agree to terms on a contract with a particular franchise, though the deals are not binding and can’t be made official until after free agency opens on Tuesday, February 10.

Nield was 3DownNation’s No. 33 pending CFL free agent.

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 agree to terms with West Final hero Tommy Nield: sources appeared first on 3DownNation.