Redblacks sign Canadian defensive lineman Cleyon Laing to one-year extension

Ottawa Redblacks defensive lineman Cleyon Laing (90) celebrates after sacking Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) during the first half of CFL football action in Ottawa, on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Redblacks have signed Canadian veteran defensive lineman Cleyon Laing to a one-year contract extension, the CFL club announced Tuesday.

The 34-year-old from Edmonton was set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.

Laing had 25 tackles and four sacks — including the 50th of his career — in 18 games for Ottawa last season.

He helped anchor a Redblacks defensive line that finished second in the CFL with 39 sacks, third in tackles for loss, and second in forced fumbles.

Laing, a four-time CFL East Division all-star, has appeared in 142 CFL games with Toronto and Ottawa, racking up 248 total tackles, 50 sacks, and four forced fumbles.

He won a Grey Cup with Ottawa in 2016 and another with Toronto in 2017.

“Cleyon’s importance to our football club cannot be overstated,” Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce said in a statement. “He is an elite Canadian defensive lineman and one of the pillars of our leadership group both on and off the field. We are extremely pleased to have him locked in for two more years.”

Also Tuesday, the Redblacks announced they have acquired Canadian running back Daniel Adeboboye from Toronto in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 CFL draft and a negotiation list player.

The 25-year-old Adeboboye rushed 63 times for 244 yards and made six catches for 40 yards in 18 games last season, and also contributed on special teams as Toronto won the Grey Cup.

TICATS ADD FIVE AMERICAN RECEIVERS

HAMILTON — The Tiger-Cats have signed American receivers Brevin Easton, Griffin Hebert, OJ Hiliare, Cephus Johnson III and Trea Shropshire.

Easton, 24, attended training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 after signing with the club as an undrafted free agent.

Hebert, 25, spent parts of the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2023-24) after originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

Hiliare, 23, spent time last season on the Tiger-Cats' practice squad after signing with the club in September.

Johnson, 25, spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2023-24) on its practice squad after originally signing with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2023.

Shropshire, 24, most recently spent training camp with the Toronto Argonauts (2024) after suiting up with the UFL’s DC Defenders in 2023 and attending mini-camps with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings that same season.

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LIONS SIGN RB OLLISON

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Lions have signed American running back Qadree Ollison. who moves north following five years in the NFL.

Ollison was selected in the fifth round (152nd overall) by Atlanta in the 2019 NFL draft.

He played in 19 games over three seasons with the Falcons, rushing for 158 yards and five touchdowns on 44 carries.

After a stint with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 where he dressed in three games, the rusher from Niagara Falls, N.Y. signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023 and was on the receiving end of Nathan Rourke’s highlight-reel scramble touchdown pass in a pre-season clash in Dallas.

Following his release from the Jaguars, Ollison signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the remainder of 2023 and appeared in two regular season games.

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BOMBERS RE-SIGN LINEBACKERS WILSON AND GAUTHIER

WINNIPEG — The Blue Bombers have signed veteran linebackers Kyrie Wilson and Shayne Gauthier to one-year extensions.

Both were scheduled to become free agents next month.

Wilson returns for his eighth CFL season, all of them with the Blue Bombers.

Wilson, from Fresno, Calif., had 28 defensive tackles and one sack last season when injuries limited him to eight games. He also started the West Division final and the Grey Cup.

The 32-year-old has appeared in 51 games over his seven seasons with the Blue Bombers and has 161 defensive tackles, 15 special teams tackles, six sacks, one interception and one forced fumble.

Wilson came to the Blue Bombers in 2017 after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders.

Gauthier returns to the Blue Bombers for a ninth season in 2025 after originally being selected by the club in the fourth round, 28th overall, in the 2016 CFL draft.

The veteran from Dolbeau-Mistassini, Que., had seven defensive tackles and a forced fumble in ’24 while adding 14 tackles on special teams — the third-highest total on the club.

He now has 71 career special-teams tackles, ranking 10th in Blue Bombers history.

Gauthier has dressed for 105 regular-season CFL games, all with the Blue Bombers.

Both players helped Winnipeg win Grey Cup titles in 2019 and 2021,

Also Tuesday, the Bombers signed receiver D’Marcus Adams, offensive lineman Antonio Garcia, defensive back Marcus Hillman and linebacker Marvin Pierre. All four players are American.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press