CFL free agency: Ticats re-sign Davis to further bolster secondary
Hamilton lured ex-Redblacks defensive back Abdul Kanneh on Tuesday
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats re-signed Emanuel Davis on Wednesday, agreeing on a two-year deal one day after the defensive back became a free agent.
The 27-year-old had 55 tackles, five interceptions and three fumble recoveries in 17 games last season with Hamilton. Davis enters his fifth season with the Ticats, having registered 178 tackles, 24 special-teams tackles, 10 interceptions (four returned for TD).
David was a CFL all-star in 2015 after recording a league-best three interception return TDs.
On Tuesday, the Ticats bolstered their secondary with the signing of free-agent American defensive back Abdul Kanneh, who spent the last three seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks, registering 138 tackles, 12 interceptions, three sacks and five forced fumbles.
Alouettes add DB Phillips, QB Harris
The Montreal Alouettes formally announced the signing of veteran defensive back Ryan Phillips to a one-year deal and American quarterback Jacory Harris to a two-year pact.
Word surfaced Tuesday shortly after the start of CFL free agency that Phillips, 34, was headed to Montreal after being released last week by the B.C. Lions.
The five-foot-10, 195-pound Phillips spent 12 seasons with B.C., helping the Lions win two Grey Cups. A four-time CFL all-star, Phillips enters 2017 with 47 career interceptions, the most among active players in the league.
"Ryan will bring some veteran leadership attitude, and a winning pedigree to the Alouettes," GM Kavis Reed said in a statement. "He has tremendous knowledge of the league and we have the utmost confidence he will be a true game-changer for us."
Phillips played in all of B.C.'s 18 regular-season games last year, the 11th time in his career he has done so.
The six-foot-four, 214-pound Harris spent the previous three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He also was on the Edmonton Eskimos practice roster in 2013 when current Montreal general manager Kavis Reed was the club's head coach.
Injury prone Owens joins Riders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders signed American receiver/returner Chad Owens and Canadian safety Marc-Olivier Brouillette.
The five-foot-seven, 180-pound Owens had 58 catches for 808 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games last year with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Prior to that, Owens spent six seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, winning the league's outstanding special-teams player award in 2010 before adding the CFL's outstanding player honour in 2012.
Owens helped Toronto capture the 100th Grey Cup in 2012.
Brouillette, a 31-year-old Montreal native, spent seven seasons with the Alouettes. The six-foot-one, 220-pound safety has 202 tackles, 30 special-teams tackles, eight sacks and five interceptions over his CFL career. In 18 games last season, he had 34 tackles, three special-teams tackles and one interception.