Valued U.S. linebacker eligible for CFL draft
The Ottawa Redblacks like linebacker Alex Singleton. So do other CFL teams — a lot. When the Redblacks added Singleton, who’s from California, to their negotiation list, it was as an American. As the Redblacks later discovered, it turns out the 22-year-old has a Toronto-born mom.
He was approved for Canadian citizenship in October, making him eligible for the CFL Draft on May 10. The Redblacks then took him off their neg list.
Explained Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins: “If he would have signed as an international, that would have been his status, moving forward. Once he became a Canadian and became eligible for the draft, he was no longer eligible for the neg list. Nobody else can neg list him, and he’s part of the draft. The rules changed. It used to be it didn’t matter if you were a Canadian citizen or not; if you learned your football in the U.S., you were an American. Now, if you have a Canadian passport if you want to declare for the CFL, you have to go through the draft.”
Here’s what one scout told Justin Dunk, the former Guelph Gryphons quarterback who’s on top of the CFL for CFL.ca, 3DownNation and Sportsnet: “The top linebacker in the class — if he comes straight to the CFL. He’s got ratio-changing potential with good size — athletic and a sure-tackler.”
Singleton, who has been in the NFL with Seattle, New England and Minnesota (which released him April 13) since graduating from Montana State, stands to cash in if he winds up in the CFL. And yep, it sounds weird that a kid can actually be with NFL teams and still get drafted into the CFL.
Said Desjardins: “When we talked to him, we said, ‘It’s in your best interests to wait until you get that answer (about Canadian citizenship) to determine what you want to do.’ For him, if the NFL doesn’t work out, he’ll command more money as a Canadian linebacker than he would as an American linebacker — or as a national versus an international. If he comes to this league, absolutely he can be (a good player).”
MORE SIGNINGS
A day after signing former Texas Longhorns receiver John Harris, the Redblacks added defensive back Marc Anthony, a 2013 seventh-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, on Wednesday.
“We’ve been after (Anthony) since January,” Desjardins said. “It’s been a long process; we’ve been very patient with it — let’s put it that way. We’ve been tracking him for more than a year. He’s a guy we feel can come in here and compete; we feel he has a chance to make our roster.”
The Redblacks are also anxious to take a look at Harris, who caught 68 passes for 1,051 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season with the Longhorns.
The Redblacks decided to give him a look after a tryout camp in Austin, Texas, on April 9.
“He’s been to a couple of NFL teams; for whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out for him,” Desjardins said. “He was at the tryout camp; our guys really liked him. We did our followup, watching film and getting more familiar with him. This came together pretty quickly. Obviously, if a guy like that shows up at tryout camp, he’s looking to play, and when you offer him that opportunity, he’s going to take it. And he’s passport-ready, which is half the battle sometimes.”
READY FOR CAMP
The Redblacks will hold a threeday mini-camp beginning Sunday at TD Place, with 85 players expected to be here. While it’s voluntary, just two players are not expected to be here — long snapper Tanner Doll (finishing exams) and linebacker Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard.
The mini-camp will give the Redblacks a good chance to evaluate — especially newcomers they’ve signed in the off-season, mostly based on what they’ve seen on film. For some, getting accustomed to the CFL rules is a large adjustment.
“You don’t know (how they’re going to adjust),” Desjardins said. “Sometimes guys show up — this game is so much different, it catches them off guard a bit. Some guys just can’t adjust to it; some guys don’t want to adjust to it ... everybody’s different in how the transition to the CFL affects them as football players.”
The GM said much of the groundwork has been done for mini-camp and a major focus continues to be preparation for the CFL draft.
“Our roster is what it’s going to be, at least through mini-camp,” he said. “The bulk of our focus has been on watching film for the draft.”
TRYING OUT
The Redblacks expect more than 100 bodies on Saturday when they play host to a tryout camp at TD Place. Registration begins at 9 a.m., with testing at 10.
The last time the Redblacks held a local tryout, in 2014, they signed receiver Robin Medeiros, who spent that season with the team. There will be draft hopefuls here hoping to get one more look, though there’s certainly no guarantee they’ll wind up with Ottawa.
“They’re coming here to be evaluated is what it boils down to,” Desjardins said. “The way the league rules work is anytime you work out a draft-eligible, you’re supposed to share the testing information with the league and with the other teams. That’s kind of a condition that’s put on it.”