HEADLINES

Steven Gilmore

Updated Slate Of NFL Players On CFL Negotiation List Revealed

July 4th, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Canadian Football League has long used a negotiation list for its teams to acquire the rights to active NFL players. That remains the case in 2025, and after a few updates were revealed earlier the full list is now available.

A recent piece from TSN’s Marshall Ferguson breaks down nine of the most notable names who have been added to the list recently. These players are not assured of heading north of the border at any point in their careers, of course. The list merely dictates which CFL teams own their negotiating rights in the event they do attempt to play in the league.

Shedeur Sanders is among the members of the 2025 (NFL) draft class who have been added recently. His CFL rights belong to the Toronto Argonauts. Any time spent north of the border would certainly come as a surprise, as the fifth-round rookie is positioned to occupy at least a depth role with the Browns for the coming years. A path to the starting gig could also emerge depending on how the team’s four-man competition plays out this summer. Fellow quarterback Max Duggan – who has spent time in the Chargers’ organization and with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks – is also on the Argonauts’ list.

Other signal-callers who find themselves on the negotiation list include former Saints draftee Ian Book (who has made just one regular season appearance in his career) and New Mexico State/Vanderbilt product Diego Pavia. The rights to both of them belong to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, meanwhile, have added former Colts UDFA Kedon Slovis to their negotiation list.

In addition to Trey Lance, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have the rights to Canadian Chase Claypool. The former second-rounder flashed considerable potential with the Steelers, but an ill-fated trade acquisition on the part of the Bears did not pan out as hoped. Claypool, 26, was unable to carve out a regular role with the Dolphins in 2023 and missed last season due to injury.

Another Canadian on the list is Eagles safety Sydney Brown. The London, Ontario native’s rights belong to Toronto, although his attention will of course remain focused on helping Philadelphia repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2025. Fellow defensive back Steven Gilmore – the younger brother of Stephon Gilmore – has been added to the BC Lions’ negotiation list.

Negotiating rights can (and do) get traded in the CFL based on positional need when teams attempt to acquire players such as the ones listed above. The end of NFL training camps brings about roster cuts and, oftentimes, an influx of players north of the border during the middle of the CFL campaign. The current team-player pairings on the negotiation list will be key in determining where players who wind up becoming available land in the event they attempt to continue their careers in Canada.

Lions Get Down To 53 Players

August 27th, 2024 at 8:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions used a couple of different methods to get their active roster to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

The Lions released a lot more vested veterans than we typically see at this time in the year, perhaps a sign of the young talent on the roster. Peko seemed like a sure thing to make the roster after starting 10 games for the Titans in 2023.

Detroit will dismiss a couple of young rushers in Jefferson and Knight after the two failed to develop a significant role on the roster. Fromm was easily outshined in the preseason by an electric Hendon Hooker, who will take the backup job behind Jared Goff. Fromm continues to search for his place in the NFL after nearly winning it all at the collegiate level.

Martin, like Mahogany, will be able to return after four weeks, thanks to a new NFL rule that allows each team to place two players on IR before or at the roster cut deadline and designate them to return. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley has the other designation.

Mahogany is the only drafted rookie not to make the initial 53, but he’ll stick around in Detroit. On the other side of things, the Lions kept three undrafted rookie signees on their active roster to start the season. Most notably Hogan Hatten will come in and operate as the team’s new long snapper. Safety Loren Strickland from Ball State and wide receiver Isaiah Williams from Illinois are the other two undrafted rookies to make the initial roster.

Lions Sign 15 UDFAs

May 13th, 2023 at 9:36am CST by Ben Levine

With the Lions kicking off rookie minicamp yesterday, the team was busy adding 15 undrafted free agents to their roster:

Per Tim Twentyman of the team’s website, Lions Brad Holmes expressed enthusiasm about their year’s UDFA class, with the GM noting that three unspecified players were actually on Detroit’s draft board.

One of the team’s most notable additions is Steven Gilmore, the younger brother of former NFL DPOY Stephon Gilmore. The Marshall product had nine interceptions and 34 passes defended during his five collegiate season, and his ability to play multiple positions in the secondary (plus special teams) could give him a strong opportunity to earn a roster spot.

The Lions used a third-round pick on Hendon Hooker, but that didn’t stop them from adding a QB in free agency. Adrian Martinez had a prolific showing at Nebraska before transferring to Kansas State, where he paired an underwhelming 1,261 passing yards with 627 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. His passing inconsistency led to him going undrafted, but the Lions could get creative with how they use the dynamic runner.

Speaking of, Keytaon Thompson was a backup quarterback at Mississippi State before transferring to Virginia as a wideout. He was productive in the slot during his two seasons as Virginia, hauling in 131 receptions for 1,569 yards.