Who will be the very latest members of Edmonton Elks?
CFL Free Agency is quickly approaching, with the frenzy set to begin at 10:00 hrs. MT on February 13. The Green and Gold head into the off-season with the best position they have had in years, all of the few unrestricted free agents belonging to the Canadian Football League.
To gear up Elks fans ahead of next week, GoElks.com has come up with all players with a current contract with the Elks, those who are contractually done from February 13th and the top CFL free agents of every position.
In our next chapter — the third instalment of the series—we will analyze the Elks receivers.
Currently under contract: Deontez Alexander, Gavin Cobb, Danny Davis, Malik Flowers, Vincent Forbes-Mombleau, Kurleigh Gittens J., Charles Headen III, Eugene Lewis, Dillon Mitchell, Kyran Moore, Jerminic Smith, Tony Tate
Pending free agents: Emmanuel Arceneaux~
CFL top 30 free agents: Shawn Bane Jr., 24 years old, Saskatchewan Roughriders; Justin Hardy, 23 years old, Ottawa RedBlacks; Alexander Hollins, 12 years old, B.C. Lions; Keon Hatcher, 6 years old, B.C. Lions; Dalton Schoen, 4 years old, Winnipeg Blue Bom
WHOSE IN, WHOSE OUT & WHO IS AVAILABLE?
Edmonton Elks will be entering the free agency with the receivers being one of the strongest and most deepest positions of the whole squad. Led by 2022 East Division Most Outstanding player Geno Lewis, the rest of the core is filled out with a mix of returning vets and some super talented Canadians.
Kyran ‘Swerve’ Moore didn’t opt to become a free agent instead re-signing with the Elks on Jan. 12. The league‘s number one yards after catch generates a weapon that the Green and Gold can turn even the most unpromising opportunity into something with. Speedy receiver Dillon Mitchell is back for his third season with the Elks and gives EE another deep ball option.
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. lead the EE’s national talent, he had a 1,000-yard season already and chemistry with quarterback McLeod-Bethel Thompson was established. Gavin Cobb, an rookie wide receiver chosen by the Elks in the fourth round of the 2022 CFL Draft will be either his back up or will help Elks change the ratio in 2024. The Bisons alumnus scored his first professional TD in the Elks 18th week game against Toronto Argos last season, and being more than a year and a half away from a season-ending ankle injury, he seems set for a 2024 breakout.
The Elks have other skill tight talents on the roster such as Deontez Alexander who returned a kickoff 98-yards for the touchdown in the last game of the 2023 season, ending the dry spell of eight years without the kick return TD. Malik Flowers is also back on the team after showing as a practice roster player in 2023 before being released to pursue an NFL opportunity
For the free agents who are yet to come, only the 36-year-olds Manny Arceneaux, former CFL All-Star, has a contract that expires on the 13th of February.
Although the Elks seem to be out of luck when it comes to receiver prospects as they are quite deep in that position. There are two of the CFL’s three top free agents being pass catchers in Hamilton’s Time White and Winnipeg’s Dalton Schoen, and White is the only one who’s going to hit the market. The sole top 30 free agent wide receiver to make his way to main stage amidst all the free agents that didn't make it to the open market after compiling a total of 2,534 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons is the star of the Ti-Cats.