Edmonton Elks wide receiver Greg Ellingson makes a catch during a game against the B.C. Lions, in Vancouver, on Aug. 19, 2021.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
It didn’t take Kyle Walters long to move on from Kenny Lawler.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers GM confirmed Tuesday that the club had agreed to terms with veteran American receiver Greg Ellingson on a one-year deal. The move came Lawler accepted a reported $300,000 offer from the Edmonton Elks that made him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
The 6-foot-3, 197-pound Lawler had 64 catches for six TDs and a CFL-high 1,014 yards last season as Winnipeg captured a second straight Grey Cup title. The 27-year-old spent two years with the Bombers, registering 107 receptions for 1,651 yards and 10 touchdowns in helping the franchise record consecutive championships.
“Once we realized what was going on with the Kenny Lawler contract status and his agent was very open and honest with me throughout the process we started looking at various other options,” Walters told reporters during a conference call. “Greg brings a veteran presence, we know him and Zach [Bombers starter Zach Collaros] have a relationship and we expect him to come in and provide some stability and play that slotback position.
“Good for Kenny for getting the payday. He played very well for us, that’s for sure.”
Ellingson, 33, had 47 catches for 687 yards and a TD in 10 games last season with the Edmonton Elks. The 6-foot-3, 197-pounder has appeared in 117 career CFL games with Hamilton (2013-14), Ottawa (2015-18) and Edmonton (2019, ‘21), registering 549 catches for 7,952 yards with 42 TDs.
Ellingson and Collaros were teammates with Hamilton in 2014. The Ticats went to the Grey Cup that year, losing 20-16 to the Calgary Stampeders.
The Ottawa Redblacks kicked off free agency Monday evening, signing veteran quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to a two-year contract. Masoli spent eight seasons with Hamilton but became expendable once the club signed Dane Evans to a two-year extension last month.
Masoli was slated to become a free agent Tuesday but Hamilton released Masoli on Friday, allowing him to sign with Ottawa early.
A number of CFL teams were busy on the opening day of free agency. They included:
– The B.C. Lions signed veteran kicker Sean Whyte, a 36-year-old native of White Rock, B.C. who originally signed with B.C. in 2007 as a territorial exemption. The club also added American defensive backs Loucheiz Purifoy and Delvin Breaux and Canadian quarterback Michael O’Connor. Breaux, a two-time CFL all-star, retired before the ‘21 season. The addition of O’Connor is interesting given Nathan Rouke, a Victoria native, enters camp as the starter.
– In addition to Lawler, Edmonton signed American defensive back Ed Gainey and Canadian offensive lineman Mark Korte. The 5-foot-11 193-pound Gainey has 309 tackles, 36 special-teams tackles, one sack and 23 interceptions in 126 career CFL regular-season games with Saskatchewan (2016-19, 2021), Hamilton (2014-15) and Montreal (2012-13). The six-foot-two, 293-pound Korte, of Spruce Grove, Alt., spent his first three CFL seasons with Ottawa (2018-19, 2021) after playing collegiately at Alberta.
– The Hamilton Tiger-Cats re-signed Canadian defensive tackle Ted Laurent and American defensive back Jumal Rolle.
– The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed American linebackers Darnell Sankey and Derrick Moncrief. Sankey had a CFL-high 97 tackles with Calgary last year, while Moncrief recorded 23 tackles and four sacks in nine games with Edmonton. Moncrief began his career in Canada with the Riders in 2017. The club also signed Canadian offensive lineman Josiah St. John to a contract extension
– The Toronto Argonauts agreed to terms with American defensive lineman Ja’Gared Davis and Canadian offensive lineman Justin Lawrence. Davis had five sacks and a forced fumble in Hamilton’s three playoff games last year and has played in the Grey Cup in all five of his CFL seasons with Calgary and Hamilton, helping the Stampeders win in 2018. Lawrence spent the last three seasons with the Stampeders.
Canadian running back Andrew Harris, who helped anchor Winnipeg’s recent success, hit the open market after he and Walters couldn’t agree on a new deal. Later on Tuesday, Harris, a Winnipeg native, agreed to terms with Toronto.
“Andrew and I spoke a few days ago,” Walters said. “He represents himself, which is an interesting element to all this, and we couldn’t agree on a contract.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, I don’t know how this is going to end up. I know Andrew has done nothing but good things for this organization and been part of the success over the last few years as we’ve built this up the way we did. It’s obviously a very difficult situation.”
Since Winnipeg’s second Grey Cup win in December, Walters has been busy re-signing key pending free agents. The Bombers began with 41 players slated to hit the open market but now have approximately 17, including Harris, Lawler and American kicker Sergio Castillo, who joined the club late last year.
Walters said there’s been little talk between the Bombers and Castillo and given the number of players who’ve already re-signed, he doesn’t see Winnipeg being active in free agency.
“We don’t have much left to spend, we’ll be quiet [Tuesday],” Walters said.
Another hole Winnipeg must fill is backup quarterback. But Walters cautioned Bombers fans against expecting Chris Streveler, who was with the franchise for its ‘19 title before signing with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, to return to Manitoba.
“His agent has made it perfectly clear to me, ‘I wouldn’t hold anything aside with the hopes of Streveler coming back any time,’ ” Walters said. “Which works out well because we certainly don’t have any money to hold aside.”
Walters said he expects American defensive back Brandon Alexander to remain with the club. Alexander suffered a knee injury in Winnipeg’s 33-25 overtime Grey Cup win over Hamilton and became a free agent Tuesday.