According to a report on BigIslandNow.com, the Ticats have signed linebacker Charles Clay.
Clay signed with the Redblacks in October of 2014 but was released the following spring without having played a game. He was also signed by the Packers in May of 2014 and cut the following August.
At 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, it looks like Clay was a free safety in college, where he played at both SMU and Hawaii. The Redblacks tried him at both the WILL linebacker position and safety. He’s got decent speed, running 4.42 in the 40 at his Hawaii pro day in March of 2014: that would have put him second among safeties at the 2016 NFL Combine.
He played for Ticats special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Jeff Reinebold at Hawaii and says Reinebold played an integral role in the Ticats signing him. From the story:
“He’s been pivotal in helping me get in here. He knows what kind of man I am, and I know what kind of man he is. We both know that we can feed off of each other.”
According to the piece, Clay says the Ticats plan to play him at WILL. That likely means they see him as a back up to all-star Simoni Lawrence or they plan to move Lawrence to the middle to replace the departed Taylor Reed. The team also signed former B.C. Lion Alex Hoffman-Ellis as a free agent in February, another guy who can play both spots.
Also important to note that this signing is not official: the Ticats could release Clay before he even arrives training camp (which is why they usually delay announcing signings until just before camp.) This doesn’t happen often.
Here’s some highlight tape on Clay as well as his pro day.
