Elks land 11 free agents over first 2 official days of CFL free agency

Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Tyrell Ford (30) intercepts the pass intended for Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver KeeSean Johnson during CFL action in Winnipeg on Sept. 7, 2024. (John Woods/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Just call him a soothsayer: The insider information that started flowing more than a week ago accurately predicted the Edmonton Elks' free-agency haul, which came into focus on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As reported by TSN’s Farhan Lalji on Feb. 2, the Elks were poised to re-sign a clutch of key players, and add both new and familiar faces to the Canadian Football League team’s roster.

Lalji said the Elks had agreed to sign deals with the likes of Nyles Morgan, Jake Ceresna, David Beard, Tyrell Ford, Royce Metchie and Brett Boyko.

Last week, starting middle linebacker Morgan signed a two-year extension with the Elks while offensive lineman Boyko signed a new two-year contract after being released a few days earlier. Elks defensive lineman Jacob Plamondon also inked a one-year deal.

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On Tuesday, the day free agency officially opened, Elks general manager Ed Hervey signed six players: safety Metchie to a two-year contract, and to one-year deals offensive lineman Gregor MacKellar, defensive backs Emmanuel Rugamba and Kobe Williams, and wide receivers Kaion Julien-Grant and Tyson Middlemost.

On Wednesday, the Elks announced they had signed five more: defensive back Ford, offensive lineman Beard, and defensive linemen Ceresna, Robbie Smith and Jared Brinkman.

New Elks additions

• Ceresna, a former Elk, comes back to Edmonton on a one-year deal after winning the Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts last season. The Elks had traded the 30-year-old all-star rush end to Toronto before the 2024 CFL campaign for receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and a draft pick.

• Beard also returns to the Elks. The 31-year-old Sherwood Park native and grad of the University of Alberta played the last two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after being traded there by Edmonton.

• Brinkman, 25, spent the last three seasons with the Argonauts, with whom the American recorded 31 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble in 22 games played.

• Ford, 26, is the twin brother of Elks quarterback Tre Ford and was a CFL all-star for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024 after recording 51 defensive tackles and seven interceptions.

• Julien-Grant, 28, spent the last five years with the Montreal Alouettes. Last season, the Toronto native caught 46 passes on 64 targets for 486 yards and one touchdown in 12 games played.

• MacKellar is from Timberlea, N.S., and won two Grey Cups with the Argonauts the last three seasons, over which the 26-year-old played 43 games, after Toronto took him sixth overall in the 2022 draft.

• Metchie comes to Edmonton from the Argonauts, with whom he won two Grey Cups in 2022 and 2024. The 28-year-old Canadian also won a CFL title with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018.

• Dundas, Ont., native Middlemost, 27, has played four seasons in the CFL, all with the Stampeders, playing 46 games for Calgary in receiving and special-teams roles.

• Rugamba is coming off three seasons patrolling the backfield for the B.C. Lions, for whom the Rwandan recorded 179 total tackles, four sacks and two interceptions over 44 games.

• Smith, of Brampton, Ont., joins the Elks after five seasons with the Argonauts. The 27-year-old recorded 126 tackles and 20 sacks over 72 games for Toronto.

• Williams, 26, joins the Elks from the Stampeders, for whom the Long Beach, Calif., native played four seasons in the secondary with 140 total tackles, three interceptions, one sack and three forced fumbles to his credit over 44 games.

Former Elks receivers sign with Eastern squads

Eugene Lewis and Kenny Lawler are Westerners no more.

The one-time Elks receivers are off to the Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, respectively.

The veteran Americans each signed two-year deals Wednesday.

Lewis, who turns 32 in April, returns to the East Division following two seasons with the Edmonton Elks. The three-time CFL all-star caught 74 passes for 1,070 yards and a league-best 10 touchdowns playing for the Elks in all 18 regular-season games last year.

Lawler joins the Tiger-Cats from the Blue Bombers, with whom he won Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021. The 30-year-old played for the Elks in 2022. Lawler caught 41 passes for 662 yards and four touchdowns last season for the West Division-leading Blue Bombers, who lost the Grey Cup to Toronto.