Bombers ink veteran receiver Greg Ellingson to 1-year deal; Argos sign running back Andrew Harris
Little talk so far between Winnipeg and American kicker Sergio Castillo, says Blue Bombers GM Kyle Walters
It didn't take Kyle Walters long to move on from Kenny Lawler.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers general manager confirmed Tuesday that the club had agreed to terms with veteran American receiver Greg Ellingson on a one-year deal. The move came after Lawler accepted a reported $300,000 offer from the Edmonton Elks that made him the league's highest-paid non-quarterback.
The six-foot-three, 197-pound Lawler had 64 catches for six touchdowns and a CFL-high 1,014 yards last season as Winnipeg captured a second straight Grey Cup title. The 27-year-old spent two seasons 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 and we started looking at various other options," Walters told reporters during a conference call.
"Greg brings a veteran presence, we know him and [Bombers quarterback] 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 Elks. The six-foot-three 197-pounder has appeared in 117 career CFL games with Hamilton (2013-14), Ottawa (2015-18) and Edmonton (2019, 2021), registering 549 catches for 7,952 yards with 42 TDs.
Ellingson and Collaros were teammates with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2014. The Ticats went to the Grey Cup that year, losing 20-16 to the Calgary Stampeders.
Harris signs with Argonauts
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 the Toronto Argonauts.
"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 he's 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."
Harris has accumulated 9,661 rushing yards, 576 receptions, 5,223 receiving yards and 83 total touchdowns over his 176 career games. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion and five-time CFL all-star.
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 15, including 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 as free agency continues.
Another hole Winnipeg must fill is backup quarterback. But Walters cautioned Bombers fans against expecting Chris Streveler, who was with the franchise for its 2019 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.