The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have released American offensive lineman Trevon Tate and reserve quarterback J’Mar Smith.
Tate started at left tackle in Week 1 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, though he struggled to protect against Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat. He was added to the one-game injured list in Week 2, missing Hamilton’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The six-foot-four, 295-pound blocker was originally signed by the Ticats in July 2019 and spent most of the year on the practice roster. He won the starting left tackle job coming out of training camp, replacing Ryker Mathews, who’d departed for B.C. via free agency.
J’Mar Smith signed with the team in May and quickly “enticed” the team’s coaching staff. The native of Meridian, Miss. is a dual-threat passer with a strong college resume, having been named the Conference USA’s Football Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
The six-foot-one, 218-pounder played 44 games for Louisiana Tech University over four seasons from 2016-19. He completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 9,523 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions while rushing for 856 yards and 15 scores.
Smith signed with the New England Patriots after going unselected in the 2020 NFL Draft, though he was released before the start of training camp. He also had a workout with the Green Bay Packers before prior to signing his contract with the Tiger-Cats.