Alouettes land quarterback Cody Fajardo on 2-year deal in free agency | CBC Sports

Cody Fajardo has a new CFL home.

The move wasn’t a surprise as former Alouettes quarterback Trevor Harris agreed to a deal last week with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Fajardo’s former team.

Fajardo, 30, spent the past three seasons with Saskatchewan, leading the Riders to the West Division final in 2019 and ’21. Montreal also secured him a reliable receiver as a CFL source said the Alouettes also signed veteran Greg Ellingson to a one-year deal Tuesday.

Fajardo threw for 3,360 yards last season in 17 regular-season games, which he played with a persistent knee ailment. Fajardo had 16 touchdown strikes but also threw a career-high 13 interceptions.

Ellingson, 34, had 38 catches for 598 yards and three TDs in eight regular-season games last year with Winnipeg. The six-foot-three, 211-pound American has cracked the 1,000-yard plateau five times during his nine-year CFL tenure.

Ellingson has 587 catches for 8,550 yards and 45 TDs in 125 career regular-season games with Hamilton, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

WATCH | Fajardo shines in August win over B.C.:

Roughriders beat Lions as Fajardo leads the way

Saskatchewan defeats B.C. 23-16, Cody Fajardo throws for 321 yards and two touchdowns.

Elks ink Eugene Lewis

Eugene Lewis is on the move, as the East Division’s top player last season signed with the Edmonton Elks.

Contract details weren’t divulged but Lewis, 29, reportedly signed a two-year contract worth over $300,000 annually.

The six-foot-one, 208-pound Lewis set career highs in catches (91), receiving yards (1,303) and touchdowns (10) last season in helping Montreal reach the East Division final for the first time since 2014.

Lewis was named an East Division all-star for a third straight year and secured league honours for the second consecutive season.

Argos add on defence

Meanwhile, the Grey-Cup champion Toronto Argonauts signed American defensive back Adarius Pickett.

The five-foot-11, 210-pound Pickett spent two seasons with Montreal. He appeared in 30 regular-season games, registering 96 tackles, 19 special-teams tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Before coming to the CFL, Pickett spent 2019-2020 in the NFL with New England, Chicago and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Stamps sign Howsare

Also, the Calgary Stampeders signed American defensive end Julian Howsare. Contract details weren’t immediately known.

Howsare, 30, joins the Stampeders after four seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

He appeared in 62 career regular-season games, registering 112 tackles (10 for loss), five special-teams tackles, 21 sacks, three knockdowns, one forced fumble and two interceptions.

He has also participated in the post-season in each of his four CFL campaigns, amassing 25 tackles including a tackle for loss, two sacks, one special-teams tackle, one fumble recovery and one knockdown in eight games.

Before joining the Ticats, Howsare spent time in the NFL with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks. He dressed for two games with the Jets in 2016.

Lions beef up o-line

The B.C. Lions added a local offensive lineman to their roster, inking free agent Michael Couture to a two-year deal.

Couture, 29, was drafted 10th overall by Winnipeg in 2016 and spent six seasons playing for the Blue Bombers, winning Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021.

An arm injury limited him to seven regular-season games last year, but the six-foot-four, 307-pound lineman returned to help the Bombers to their third straight championship appearance.

The native of Burnaby, B.C., played his college football at Simon Fraser University and was coached by Kelly Bates, the Lions’ offensive line coach, in 2015.

Couture says in a release that signing with the Lions is an opportunity to live out his childhood dream.

The Lions also signed free agent quarterback Dominique Davis to a one-year deal.

Davis spent last season with the Montreal Alouettes, connecting on 19-of-25 pass attempts for 253 yards and three touchdowns. The 33-year-old from Lakeland, Fla., added 163 rushing yards with another 13 TDs.

The six-foot-four, 215-pound East Carolina alumnus has played 106 CFL games, splitting his time between the Als, the Ottawa Redblacks and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

B.C. locked up Vernon Adams Jr. on Feb. 8, signing the veteran QB to an extension through the 2024 season.