The CFL Free Agency period begins on Tuesday February 8 at noon (Est), 11am Saskatchewan time. This will be the place to follow all of the current acquisitions the Saskatchewan Roughriders will make during this period.
Follow the Riders on twitter and use the hashtag #RidersFA and track all of the Free Agent signees and start the fan conversation.
Use the hashtag #CFLFA for all of the CFL Free Agent action.
Also follow the Riders on Instagram (where you can also use #RidersFA) and Facebook.
The week will finish with analysis from riderville.com’s Rod Pedersen and Luc Mullinder to put a wrap on the first week of Free Agency.
February 16th
Markus White – DL (6’4 – 264) will re-join the Riders for his third season in Green and White. The 28-year-old Florida State product 10 games, starting three, while collecting 15 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles, one quarterback sack, one tackle for loss, and a blocked punt.
February 12th
Corvey Irvin – DL (6’2 – 295) will join the Riders for his second CFL season after spending 2015 with the Montreal Alouettes. Last year, the 30-year-old started all 13 regular season games played picking up 12 defensive tackles, three quarterback sacks, and one tackle for loss.
Prior to the CFL, Irvin spent parts of five seasons in the NFL after originally being selected by the Carolina Panthers in the 3rd round (29th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He went on to play 24 games spending time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.
February 11th
Justin Capicciotti – DL (6’3 – 235) was originally selected by the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2nd round (14th overall) of the 2012 CFL Draft. After playing 22 regular season games through two seasons the Toronto, ON native was selected by the Ottawa Redblacks in the 2013 Expansion Draft.
Last season the 26-year-old led the Redblacks with 12 quarterback sacks while picking up 47 defensive tackles and four tackles for loss in 17 regular season games. He also added five defensive tackles in the Grey Cup and was named a 2015 East Division All-Star.
For his career, Capiccotti has totaled 117 defensive tackles and 25 quarterback sacks in 57 regular season games.
February 10th
Shamawd Chambers – WR (6’3 – 219) signs with the Green and White after spending the last four seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos after originally being selected by the team in the 1st round (6th overall) of the 2012 CFL Draft. Through 50 career regular season games, Chambers has recorded 112 receptions for 1,234 yards and seven touchdowns.
He won his first Grey Cup championship with the Eskimos in 2015 and was named the game’s Most Valuable Canadian.
Ed Gainey – DB (5’11 – 195) will join the Riders for his fifth CFL season. The 25-year-old Appalachian State product spent his first two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes after signing with the team ahead of the 2012 season. He then signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a free agent in July, 2014.
Through 43 career regular season games, Gainey has collected 69 defensive tackles, 25 special teams tackles and two interceptions. He has also scooped three fumble returns, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Kendial Lawrence – WR (5’9 – 195) has signed with the Riders after spending the last two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. He originally entered the CFL with Hamilton Tiger-Cats in September, 2013. Through his first three seasons, Lawrence has played 35 regular season games totaling 562 rushing and three touchdowns on 95 carries and 778 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 78 receptions. He has also added 59 kickoff returns for 1,359 yards and two touchdowns, and 142 punt returns for 1,410 yards and one touchdown. He has spent time at both receiver and running back. Last season, Lawrence played 17 regular season games and was a key component in the Eskimos post-season run.
He won his first Grey Cup championship with Edmonton in 2015.
Greg Jones – LB (6’0 – 242) has signed with the Riders after spending the last two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. Last season the 27-year-old Michigan State product registered a team leading 98 defensive tackles and 17 special teams tackles starting all 18 regular season games on his way to being named a 2015 East Division All-Star.
Prior to arriving in the CFL Jones spent two seasons in the NFL playing six games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012. He also played 16 regular season games – with five starts – and four playoff games with the 2011 Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
Otha Foster – DB (6’0 – 205) will join the Riders for his third CFL season. The 27-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos starting all 33 regular season games played totaling 103 defensive tackles, seven special teams tackles, and two interceptions.
Last season, Foster started 17 regular season games picking up 57 defensive tackles and one interception – which was returned 45 yards for a touchdown. He added four more defensive tackles in the playoffs.
Curtis Steele – RB (5’11 – 190) joins the Riders after spending the last three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts. Through his first three seasons, the 28-year-old Memphis product has 138 carries for 820 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 49 receptions for 383 yards and one touchdown.
February 9th
Dylan Ainsworth – DE (6’3 – 240) will return for his third season with the Green and White after originally being selected in the 2nd round (11th overall) of the 2014 CFL Draft. Through his first two seasons the University of Western Ontario product has played 35 regular season games picking 29 special teams tackles – the most by a Rider over that time.
Last season, the 23-year-old registered a team leading 12 special teams tackles in 17 regular season games. He was the Riders nominee as Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
John Chiles – WR (6’2 – 210) joins the Riders after previously spending two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, originally signing with the team in May, 2013. In 20 regular season games the 27-year-old registered 73 receptions for 1,200 yards and nine touchdowns.
Last season, Chiles attended training camp with the Chicago Bears after signing with the team in January, 2015. He registered one catch for six yards in three preseason games. The Texas product also spent time with the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams in 2011.
Jeremy Kelley – WR (6`6 – 231) has signed with the Riders after spending parts of three seasons in NFL. Last season, the Maine product attended training camp with the Chicago Bears, playing two preseason games. The 27-year-old also spent time with the Denver Broncos in 2014 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2013.
This is will not be Kelley’s first CFL experience.
The New York native originally signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats midway through the 2011 season. He went on to play three regular season games registering two receptions for 15 yards.
Andrew Jones – OL (6’4 – 299) will be entering his eighth season after originally being selected by the BC Lions in the 4th round (32nd overall) of the 2007 CFL Draft. The 33-year-old played three seasons with BC before joining the Toronto Argonauts as a free agent in 2012.
The Toronto native spent the last two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. He has played 80 career regular season games and eight playoff games.He is a three-time Grey Cup champion having won with BC in 2011, Toronto in 2012 and Edmonton in 2015.
Graig Newman – DB (6’1 – 195) will re-join the Green and White after spending the last two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Saskatoon, SK native originally spent two seasons with the Riders after signing with the team in 2012.
Through his first four seasons Newman has collected 36 special teams tackles, 14 defensive tackles and one quarterback sack in 48 regular season games. He has added five special teams tackles in three playoff games.
Newman won his first career Grey Cup with the Riders in 2013.
Here are the acquisitions the Riders have made up to the beginning of the Free Agency period
Feb 2nd
Signed
(Int) Malcolm Cyrus (RB) Alabama St
January 29th
Signed
(Int) Shay Hoge (WR) Mississippi
(Nat) Jordan Reeves (WR) Brandon (DNP Football)
(Int) Robert Sands (DB) West Virginia
(Int) Marte Sears (DB) Faulkner
January 28th
Re-signed
(Nat) Rob Bagg (WR) Queen’s
January 25th
Signed
(Int) BJ Coleman (QB) Tennessee-Chattanooga
(Int) Quinterrius Eatmon (OL) South Florida
January 22nd
Re-signed
(Nat) Spencer Moore (FB) McMaster
January 21st
Re-signed
(Nat) Dan West (DB) Bishop’s
Signed
(Nat) Josh Bartel (P)
January 19th
Signed
(Int) Curtis Brown (DB) Texas
(Int) Ryan Jones (DE) Montana Tech
(Int) Joesph Treadwell (OL) Louisiana-Monroe
(Int) Devrin Young (RB) Tennessee
January 15th
Signed
(Int) Shawn Lemon (DE) Akron
January 11th
Acquired from Ottawa (with a 2016 2nd Rd pick (52nd) in exchange for a 6th (45th) & 7th (54th) 2016 pick)
(Int) Maurice Price (WR) Charleston Southern
Signed
(Int) Derrius Brooks (DB) Western Kentucky
January 8th
Signed
(Int) Caesar Rayford (DL)
January 6th
Signed
(Nat) Melvin Abankwah (RB) St. Mary’s
(Int) Michael Campbell (WR) Temple
(Int) Nick Taylor (DB) FIU
December 23rd
Re-signed
(Nat) S.J. Haidara (SB)
(Int) Jarriel King (T) South Carolina
Signed
(Int) Kwame Adjei (DB) Mount Allison
(Int) Arron Pickton (OL) Regina
(Int) Brandon Deschamps (RB) UBC
December 18th
Acquired from Toronto (For Andre Monroe)
Jarriel King (T) South Carolina
December 21st
Re-signed
(Nat) Matt Webster (S) Queen’s
(Int) Tearrius George (DT) Kansas State
