Kenny Lawler is a Hamilton Tiger-Cat and Eugene Lewis is an Ottawa Redblack.
The veteran American receivers signed two-year deals with their respective clubs Wednesday, the second day of CFL free agency.
Lawler, 30, joins the Ticats following CFL stints with Winnipeg (2019, 2021, 2023024) and Edmonton (2022). Last season, Lawler had 41 catches for 662 yards and four touchdowns as the Blue Bombers made a fifth straight Grey Cup appearance.
Lawler also helped Winnipeg capture CFL championship wins over Hamilton in 2019 and '21 The six-foot-one, 180-pound Lawler has 256 catches for 4,108 yards and 25 TDs in 63 career CFL regular-season games.
Lewis, a three-time CFL all-star, returns to the East Division following two seasons with the Edmonton Elks. The six-foot, 200-pound Lewis had 74 catches for 1,070 yards and league-best 10 TDs playing in all 18 regular-season games last year.
He'll open '25 needing TD catches in his first two games to tie Hall of Famer Terry Evanshen’s CFL mark for consecutive matches with a touchdown grab (10).
Hamilton also signed veteran American defensive back Reggie Stubblefield to a three-year deal. The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes, registering 42 tackles, five special-teams tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 14 regular-season contests.
Winnipeg kicked things off for a second straight day by agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with American quarterback Shea Patterson. The six-foot, 212-pound Patterson enters his fourth CFL season, having also spent time with Montreal (2021) and Saskatchewan (2023-24).
Patterson appeared in 18 regular-season games last year with Saskatchewan, winning two of six starts. That included a 19-9 home victory over Winnipeg where he threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for 35 yards.
Patterson completed 131 of 217 passes (60.4 per cent) for 1,655 yards with six TDs and five interceptions last season while rushing 38 times for 134 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns.
Calgary signed Canadian defensive Godfrey Onyeka, who spent the last four seasons with Saskatchewan, and American defensive lineman Miles Brown, who played for Saskatchewan the last the campaigns. The Stampeders also re-signed American offensive lineman Kyle Saxelid, who started three-of-five games with the club in 2024.
The six-foot-one 200-pound Onyeka appeared in 18 regular-season games with the Riders, posting 10 special-teams tackles. He began his CFL career with Edmonton (2018-19).
The six-foot-two, 320-pound Brown registered 56 tackles (six for loss), eight sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in 41 regular-season games with Saskatchewan.
Calgary also released veteran American defensive back Demerio Houston, who's reportedly facing a misdemeanour domestic violence charge in North Carolina. Houston had a team-high 74 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and a forced fumble in 15 games last season, his first with the Stampeders.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2025.
The Canadian Press
