Big Blue sign pending free agent Lawson

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are slowly chipping away at their long list of pending free agents.

A day after inking star receiver Ontaria Wilson to a two-year deal, the club announced Wednesday it has also re-signed Canadian defensive tackle Cam Lawson to a two-year extension.

The 27-year-old appeared in 16 games last season, starting six, and recorded 21 defensive tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. In 69 career CFL games — 15 with the Montreal Alouettes and 54 with the Bombers — Lawson has 41 defensive tackles, seven sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. The Queen’s University product was drafted in the second round, 16th overall, by the Als in 2020 before being traded to Winnipeg on the day of the 2022 CFL draft.

With Wilson and Lawson locked up, the Bombers still have 34 pending free agents to sort through. The CFL free agency window opens Feb. 10.

NFL WORKOUTS

The Minnesota Vikings worked out Bombers returner Trey Vaval on Monday.

Last month Vaval was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Most Outstanding Rookie after leading the league in punt return yards, missed field goal return yards and kick return touchdowns. The 25-year-old from Blue Springs, Mo., would feel right at home with the Vikings as he played at the University of Minnesota State-Mankato before making his way up to Winnipeg.

The Vikings have rolled with rookie receiver Myles Price at returner this season and he has fumbled four times, losing three of them.

Vaval also worked out for the New York Jets in late November.

Quarterback Taylor Elgersma — who was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, by the Bombers in the 2025 CFL draft — is also getting looks down south.

The Hec Crighton award winner out of Wilfrid Laurier worked out for the Chicago Bears on Tuesday. The week before he worked out for the San Francisco 49ers. In August, the New York Giants brought him in for a visit.

Elgersma completed 16-of-23 passes for 166 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in three pre-season games with the Green Bay Packers before being one of the team’s final cuts. Instead of taking his talents to the Bombers, Elgersma decided to use this year to continue pursuing the NFL.

The 6-5, 227-pound pivot from London, Ont., completed 72 per cent of his passes for 10,230 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions in 39 games at the U Sports level in his four seasons with the Golden Hawks.

“We’re still, organizationally, optimistic that we’ll see (him), but I don’t think that’s going to sort itself out until after Feb. 1 when all those future contracts get signed,” said Bombers general manager Kyle Walters last month.

“That’s their prime objective, to be honest, to hold out and try and get another NFL shot.”

winnipegfreepress.com/taylorallen