The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed former Laval defensive back Charles-Antoine Beaulieu and re-signed linebacker Les Maruo.
Charles-Antoine Beaulieu, a 24-year-old from Quebec, Quebec, made 16 tackles, one sack, and two fumble recoveries in five games for the Laval Rouge Et Or in 2022. Beaulieu played five seasons at Laval (2018-22) with 47 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and three pass breakups in 25 games. He was part of two Vanier Cup championship teams in 2018 and 2022.
Les Maruo, a 27-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, made 21 tackles and one sack in 17 games for the Blue Bombers in 2022. This will be Maruo’s third season in Winnipeg. The Blue Bombers drafted Maruo in the first round (4th pick) in the 2021 CFL Draft. In his rookie year, he made six tackles on special teams as the Blue Bombers won the 108th Grey Cup championship in 2021.
Collegiately, Maruo played two seasons at Hutchinson Community College (2014-15) with 107 tackles, two sacks, and one fumble recovery in 22 games for the Blue Dragons. Then, he transferred to the University of Texas-San Antonio (2017-18) with 98 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries in 23 games for the Roadrunners.