CFL free agency news will be wild and fierce the next week and a half as players begin to talk with teams. One player is already off the market and heading to the Ottawa Redblacks.
TSN’s Farhan Lalji reported Monday the Redblacks are expected to sign Toronto Argonauts defender Adarius Pickett when free agency officially begins.
Pickett posted the best stats of his CFL career last season in his lone season with the Argos. He finished 2023 with 124 total tackles, six sacks and one forced fumble in 18 games, earning a CFL All-Star selection. His previous two seasons were spent with the Montreal Alouettes, posting 115 tackles, five sacks and three forced fumbles in 30 games. He also was in the NFL in 2019 and 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots.
Players and teams can agree to terms verbally until Feb. 11. No deals can be official until Feb. 13 when players can sign contracts with CFL teams.
After the season ended, CFL.ca had Pickett as its eighth-ranked player entering free agency in the CFL. Toronto has already re-signed three of their linebackers during the offseason, including one of the team’s top free agents in Wynton McManis.
The addition for Ottawa is a major upgrade for a defense that has already shown to be solid after finishing second in the CFL last season in takeaways with 37. From trading for quarterback Dru Brown to signing Pickett, the Redblacks appear to be all in on winning the Grey Cup this season.
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