Mar 17, 2026
CFLHamiltonEdmontonMontrealCalgary
Ten days to the combine. Organizations are filling depth positions through free agency and saving draft capital for premium needs. All nine franchises confirmed in Edmonton.
CFL franchises continued building their rosters in the days leading up to the March 27-29 Edmonton Combine, with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and several other clubs confirming transactions that reflect the final phase of pre-draft roster shaping. Hamilton added three players to their defensive unit: lineman Brandon Bowen, lineman Charbel Dabire, and defensive back Stephen Douglas. The Tiger-Cats' off-season has been oriented around defensive depth, with the Tre Ford and Wynton McManis signings on offense already confirmed from the February 10 free agency opening. The defensive additions reflect the organization's evaluation of where they need bodies ahead of a combine process where interior linemen and defensive backs are traditionally the deepest position groups.
Continue reading →Mar 2, 2026
CFLVancouverTorontoCalgary
The league called the change specific to Rouyer's case. Teams are skeptical. The import-to-national ratio shapes roster construction at every club in the league.
The CFL's American ratio rules — commonly called the import-to-national ratio — continue to be one of the more distinctive roster construction challenges in professional football, and the 2026 offseason has produced several situations that illustrate how teams are managing the constraints creatively. The basic structure requires that each team dress a minimum number of Canadian (National) players at each position group, which limits how freely teams can sign American (import) players regardless of talent evaluation. The practical effect is that organizations with deep National player pipelines have a structural advantage over teams that haven't invested in that development pipeline.
Continue reading →Feb 28, 2026
CFLEdmontonWinnipegHamiltonCalgary
The league set its camp schedule Friday. Four weeks of preseason before the June 12 opener. What each contender needs to figure out before the games count.
The CFL announced its 2026 training camp schedule Friday, with all nine teams opening camp the week of May 18. The regular season begins June 12, which gives organizations approximately four weeks of camp and preseason activity to finalize their rosters before the games that count. Edmonton, which was the most active team in free agency, will enter camp with a reconfigured offensive unit built around the additions of Austin Mack and the returning offensive line that protected Trevor Harris last season. The Elks were a playoff team in 2025, and the front office moved this offseason with the energy of a team that believes it's close. Camp will confirm whether the pieces fit together.
Continue reading →Feb 27, 2026
CFLEdmontonMontrealHamiltonCalgary
The Elks were the most active team in free agency and came away with the best haul. Montreal lost more than it gained. Hamilton added a linebacker who changes their defense.
CFL free agency opened February 10 and ran hot for the first 72 hours before settling into the slower rhythm that typically follows the initial burst. The dust has largely cleared now, and the picture of which organizations navigated the window well — and which ones created problems they'll spend the summer trying to solve — is becoming clear. Edmonton was the most active team in the window and came away with the best overall haul. The addition of Austin Mack, who had recorded 136 catches for 1,973 yards and six touchdowns across 32 games with Montreal, gives Edmonton a proven possession receiver who has demonstrated durability at the CFL level. Montreal cut Mack earlier in the offseason; Edmonton moved immediately. That's the kind of reactive decision-making that free agency rewards. Mack signed a two-year deal. Edmonton also added Malik Carney, Coulter Woodmansey, and Joe Robustelli, making the offseason a genuine upgrade across multiple roster layers.
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