Argos ink Foley despite agreement with Lions

Ricky Foley has done an about face.

The athletic defensive end signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts through the 2012 season Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the B.C. Lions announced they had agreed to terms with the CFL's top Canadian player from 2009.

"Congratulations to Ricky Foley," Paul Sheehy, Foley's agent, said on his Twitter account. "Rare opportunity to play in his hometown and be close to family, he's signed, officially, with Toronto Argos."

Foley said being close to family factored in his decision to play with the Argos.

"The last two weeks have truly been a roller-coaster ride for me and I'm glad to move forward," he said in a statement. "At the end of the day, family comes first for me.

"You never know when you're going to get the opportunity to play at home and I had to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself. I'm comfortable with a lot of the guys on the team and the situation in Toronto. I can't wait until Sunday to focus on what I do best which is play football. I am looking ahead and looking forward to being a part of the Toronto Argonauts, the team I grew up watching."

A CFL spokesman said the league looked into the matter because both B.C. and Toronto are owned by Hamilton businessman David Braley. No improprieties were found because Foley hadn't signed anything with the Lions.

But the native of Courtice, Ont., was singing a different tune in a news release issued by the Lions on Monday night that said he'd agreed on a new deal with the team.

"B.C. is where I made my start, made great friendships and won a championship in 2006," Foley said in the statement. "I couldn't imagine playing anywhere else."

However, the situation took a bizarre twist early this morning, courtesy of another Sheehy tweet.

"Hey Canada, not so fast on ex .CFL, .Jets & .Seahawks Ricky Foley-to-BC Lions talk," he tweeted. "Still premature, anything can happen.

"More in the a.m."

Still, Foley was scheduled to board a flight Tuesday for Vancouver and formally practice with the Lions on Wednesday. He even did an interview with a Vancouver radio station Tuesday morning discussing his decision to return to the B.C. club.

The six-foot-two, 258-pound Foley became a CFL free agent this off-season and signed with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. He was released and quickly joined the New York Jets, signing a practice-roster deal before being let go last week.

"Ricky established himself as a premiere pass rusher in this league as evidenced by his outstanding Canadian player award last year," Argos head coach Jim Barker said in a statement. "He is a young man from the Toronto area that was a free agent.

"We went through our due diligence, made one offer and one offer only, which never changed. Ricky went through his process to decide what was right for him and his family and he chose to be a Toronto Argonaut. We are thrilled to have him as a member of our team."

Foley, 28, was the Lions' first-round pick, fourth overall, in 2006. He spent his first three CFL seasons as a backup before earning a starting spot with B.C. last year.

Foley made an immediate impact to the Lions' defence, registering 12 sacks and 51 tackles to be named the league's top Canadian. He suffered a broken thumb late in the season but still had 15 tackles and a sack over B.C.'s final four regular-season contests.