Montreal Alouettes dip into free-agent waters to sign four players

MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes bolstered their Canadian content Wednesday, signing defensive tackles David Menard and Junior Luke and linebackers Alexandre Gagne and Frederic Chagnon.

All four Quebec natives were free agents.

Menard, 29, had 18 sacks and 55 tackles in 94 regular-season games with the B.C. Lions. The six-foot-one, 259-pound Menard registered 12 tackles and two sacks in 10 contests last year.

The six-foot-three, 291-pound Luke appeared in 53 regular-season games with B.C., which took him in the first round, No. 7 overall, in the 2017 CFL draft. Luke helped the University of Montreal capture a Vanier Cup in 2014.

Gagne had a team-high 19 special-teams tackles last year with Saskatchewan. The former Sherbrooke star recorded 23 special-teams tackles in 2018.

The six-foot-four, 233-pound Chagnon recorded six special-team tackles in 17 regular-season games with the Lions last year. Like Luke, Chagnon played on Montreal’s 2014 Vanier Cup-winning squad.

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Ticats, Argos pull off swap

TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts acquired American linebacker Jordan Moore and the rights to a negotiation list player from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Wednesday.

In return, the Ticats landed the rights to two players on Toronto negotiation list. The 26-year-old Moore had one start in five games with Hamilton last year, registering five tackles and four special-teams tackles.

Moore also returned three kickoffs for 20 yards.

The Ticats also American defensive back Patrick Levels as a free agent. Levels, 25, had 86 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and four pass knockdowns in 18 regular-season games with Montreal and was named an East Division all-star.

The five-foot-11, 187-pound Levels has started 23-of-43 career regular-season games played with Calgary (2017-18) and Montreal (2019). He had accumulated 122 tackles, 14 special-teams tackles, five sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

He appeared in two Grey Cups with Calgary, winning in 2018.

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John re-signs with Saskatchewan Roughriders

REGINA — Josiah St. John is back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Canadian offensive lineman signed a one-year deal with Saskatchewan on Wednesday. St. John finished last season with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Saskatchewan selected St. John first overall in the 2016 CFL draft. The former Oklahoma Sooner appeared in 22 regular-season games with the Riders.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press