The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were very active on day two of the CFL Free Agency. First, they signed defensive lineman Ja’Gared Davis, linebacker Jameer Thurman, and wide receiver Tim White.
In addition, the Ticats signed former B.C. Lions running back James Butler, former Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Casey Sayles, former B.C. Lions offensive lineman Joel Figueroa, former Edmonton Elks defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng, former Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Llevi Noel, and former Calgary Stampeders Fraser Sopik.
Ja’Gared Davis, a 32-year-old from Crockett, Texas, signed a one-year contract through the 2023 season. He made 36 tackles and seven sacks in 14 games for the Toronto Argonauts in 2022 as they won the 109th Grey Cup. This will be his seventh season in CFL and second stint in Hamilton.
Davis began his CFL career with the Calgary Stampeders. He played three seasons with 126 tackles, 23 sacks, three interceptions, two touchdowns, and seven forced fumbles in 45 games.
Then, he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2019. He played two seasons with 94 tackles, 19 sacks, and three forced fumbles in 30 games. He is a two-time Grey Cup champion (2018, 2022) and a three-time CFL East All-Star (2019, 2021-22).
James Butler, a 27-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, signed a two-year contract through the 2024 season. He had 210 carries for 1,060 yards, seven touchdowns, 53 catches for 384 yards, and four touchdowns in 17 games for the Lions in 2022. This will be his third season in the CFL. Butler played two seasons with the Lions with 311 carries for 1,557 yards, nine touchdowns, 92 catches for 627 yards, and five touchdowns in 28 games.
Casey Sayles, a 27-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, signed a two-year contract through the 2024 season. He made 36 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles in 18 games for the Blue Bombers in 2022. Sayles signed with the Blue Bombers in 2021. He played two seasons in Winnipeg with 64 tackles, 11 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 32 games.
Joel Figueroa, a 33-year-old from Miami, Florida, signed a two-year contract through the 2024 season. He played 18 games for the B.C. Lions in 2022. Figueroa played 64 games in four seasons in British Columbia.
Figueroa began his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played 26 games in three seasons in Hamilton before signing with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2016. He played 18 games in two seasons with Edmonton.
Jameer Thurman, a 28-year-old from Chicago, Illinois, signed a one-year contract through the 2023 season. He made 74 tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 15 games for the Calgary Stampeders in 2022.
Thurman played four seasons in two stints for the Stampeders with 300 tackles, six sacks, six interceptions, and eight forced fumbles in 64 games.
Tim White, a 28-year-old from Santa Clarita, California, signed a one-year contract extension through the 2023 season. He made 94 catches for 1,265 yards, eight touchdowns, nine carries for 60 yards, 14 kick returns for 311 yards, and one punt return for eight yards in 17 games for Hamilton in 2022.
This will be his third season in Hamilton. In two seasons, White has 150 catches for 2,039 yards, ten touchdowns, 21 carries for 141 yards, 15 kick returns for 329 yards, and one punt return for eight yards in 30 games.
Kwaku Boateng, a 27-year-old from Ghana, signed a one-year contract through the 2023 season. He made 15 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games for the Elks in 2022.
The Elks drafted Boateng in the fifth round (41st pick) in the 2017 CFL Draft. Boateng played four seasons in Edmonton with 83 tackles, 25 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 64 games.
Llevi Noel, a 31-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, signed a one-year contract through the 2023 season. He made one catch for nine yards in 11 games for the Elks in 2023.
The Argonauts drafted him in the fourth round (31st pick) in the 2016 CFL Draft. He played five seasons in Toronto making 82 catches for 869 yards, four touchdowns, one carry for two yards, and 18 kick returns for 370 yards. In 2022, he signed with the Ottawa Redblacks and played six games before getting traded to Edmonton.
Fraser Sopik, a 25-year-old from Toronto, Ontario, made 21 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games for the Stampeders in 2022. The Stampeders drafted Sopik in the fourth round (31st pick) in the 2019 CFL Draft. He played three seasons in Calgary with 61 tackles, four sacks, and three forced fumbles in 44 games.
