The Ottawa Redblacks and wide receiver/kick returner DeVonte Dedmon agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2025 season and released wide receiver Dominique Rhymes on Saturday.
DeVonte Dedmon is five foot ten and weighs 200 pounds. The 29-year-old from Williamsburg, Virginia, made one catch for nine yards, one touchdown, six carries for 15 yards, 29 kick returns for 799 yards, one touchdown, 37 punt returns for 424 yards, and one tackle on special teams in ten games in 2024. He missed the majority of the season with a hand injury.
The Ottawa Redblacks signed Dedmon on May 22, 2019. In his first two seasons in Ottawa, Dedmon made 15 catches for 161 yards, 65 kick returns for 1,765 yards, two touchdowns, 10 carries for 68 yards, one touchdown, 70 punt returns for 1,076 yards, three touchdowns, two tackles, and one tackle on special teams in 16 games.
Dedmon was named CFL All-Star and CFL East All-Star and won the 2021 John Agro Special Teams Award as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams. After the 2021 season, Dedmon was released by the Redblacks and signed with the Miami Dolphins on January 27, 2022. The Dolphins released him on August 16, 2022, and he re-signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on August 20, 2022.
In 2022, Dedmon had eight catches for 58 yards, two carries for five yards, 13 punt returns for 174 yards, eight kick returns for 182 yards, 13 punt returns for 174 yards, and two missed field goal returns for 76 yards in six games. After the season, Dedmon left the Redblacks to sign an NFL contract with the Miami Dolphins. He returned to the Redblacks on August 20, 2022.
In 2023, Dedmon made eight catches for 58 yards, four kick returns for 88 yards, and 11 punt returns for 79 yards in two games before injuring his shoulder against the Calgary Stampeders in Week 2 and missed the rest of the regular season.
Collegiately, Dedmon played five seasons at William & Mary (2014-18) with 152 catches for 2,037 yards, 20 touchdowns, 41 carries for 240 yards, one touchdown, 55 kick returns for 1,364 yards, one touchdown, 19 punt returns for 184 yards, and one touchdown in 44 games for the Tribe. He was named Second Team All-CAA selection in 2016 and Third Team All-CAA selection in 2018.
Dominique Rhymes is six foot four and weighs 215 pounds. The 31-year-old from Miami, Florida, signed with the Ottawa Redblacks on January 18, 2024. In 2024, he made 72 catches for 1,011 yards, two touchdowns, and one kick return for no yards in 18 games.
The Ottawa Redblacks signed Rhymes on May 29, 2017. He played three seasons in Ottawa making 102 catches for 1,578 yards, and six touchdowns in 39 games. Next, the B.C. Lions signed Rhymes as a free agent on February 21, 2020.
He played three seasons in British Columbia making 148 catches for 2,347 yards, and 18 touchdowns in 36 games. He was named a CFL West All-Star and CFL All-Star in 2022.
In 2023, Rhymes made 35 catches for 535 yards in ten games. The Lions released Rhymes on January 17, 2024.
Collegiately, Rhymes played four seasons at Florida International University (2011-14) making 28 catches for 317 yards, and one kick return for 15 yards in 32 games for the Panthers. Then, he transferred to Murray State in 2015 making ten catches for 141 yards in nine games for the Racers.
