Roughriders add pair of American players

The CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders announced the signings of two players Tuesday, including a former draft pick of the NFL’s Chicago Bears.

Wide receiver Dazz Newsome was selected by the Bears in the sixth round (221st overall) of the 2021 NFL draft out of the University of North Carolina.

The Roughriders also announced the addition of linebacker Diego Fagot, who starred collegiately at the United States Naval Academy.

The 5-foot-10, 184-pound Newsome played in three games with the Bears, recording two catches for 23 yards and six punt returns for 75 yards. He subsequently had stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.

Over his four seasons at North Carolina, the converted defensive back caught 188 passes for 2,435 yards and 24 touchdowns in 44 games. He added 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns, 48 punt returns for 535 yards and one touchdown, and seven kickoff returns for 144 yards.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Fagot signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL draft and attended their training camp. He had a stop with the New England Patriots in 2023.

Fagot played four seasons at Navy, compiling 282 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 42 games. He led the Midshipmen in total tackles in each of his final three seasons.

He played in the East-West Shrine all-star game after his senior season and was named the game’s defensive MVP.