The Edmonton Elks have released five players including American defensive back Matt Elam, Canadian defensive back Ethan Makonzo, Canadian quarterback Mike Beaudry, American receiver Jalin Marshall, and American defensive back Malik Sonnier.
Elam started all three games for the Elks this season — one at safety and two at strong-side linebacker — and made 10 tackles. He was a first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2013 NFL Draft and played for the team for four seasons before joining Chris Jones with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2018.
Ethan Makonzo, a former member of the Montreal Alouettes, was signed by Edmonton on June 14 and appeared in two games with the club.
Marshall and Sonnier had not dressed since appearing in Edmonton’s season-opening loss to the B.C. Lions. Beaudry, a rookie who played college at Idaho, has spent parts of the season on Edmonton’s practice roster.
The Elks also moved Canadian linebacker Enock Makonzo and American receiver Raphael Leonard to the active roster.
Makonzo, the club’s top selection in the 2022 CFL Draft, spent the last two games on the one-game injured list with a knee injury after making four tackles in his CFL debut in Week 1. Leonard appeared in two preseason games with the Elks and recorded three catches for 48 yards.
The club will begin the practice week on Tuesday at Commonwealth Stadium as they prepare for their game on Friday July 1 when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-3) at Tim Hortons Field.
