Three players from last season’s team are returning to Saskatchewan for at least the 2024 season. The Roughriders announced that they are bringing back offensive lineman Philip Blake, defensive back Nelson Lokombo and defensive back CJ Coldon.
Blake returns on a one-year extension after playing in just six games last year following a preseason injury. He appeared in 17 games with the Toronto Argonauts in 2022, helping them to a Grey Cup victory. Blake was first drafted in the third round by Montreal in 2011, but he elected to return to Baylor. He finally joined the Alouettes on a three-year contract in 2015 after spending time on preseason rosters with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.
Lokombo was the Roughriders’ second overall pick in the 2021 CFL Draft. In 23 career games, he has registered 18 defensive tackles, four special teams tackles and one forced fumble. He also went to college in Saskatchewan and earned a Presidents’ Trophy as the best defensive player in Canada in 2019.
Coldon is entering the CFL for the first time after spending time in 2023 with the Minnesota Vikings on their practice squad. In his last year at Oklahoma in 2022, he racked up 42 tackles, two tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass deflections in 12 games. He was named to the All-Big 12 team as an honorable mention.
The Roughriders currently have 18 players on the roster who are set to hit the free agent market and will be able to sign with any CFL team on February 13.
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