The Ottawa Redblacks made a series of roster moves ahead of the start of training camp on Sunday.
The team released 12 players, including veteran American defensive linemen Davon Coleman and Praise Martin-Oguike, fellow American defensive linemen Keyshawn James and Wallace Cowins, American running back Deon McIntosh, American defensive backs Jeremiah Baltrip, Al Young and Isaiah Huff, American receivers Adonicas Sanders and Malik Williams and Canadian defensive linemen Alian Cimankinda and Shaiheem Charles-Brown.
The 32-year-old Coleman spent the last two seasons in Ottawa after previous CFL stops in Hamilton, B.C. and Toronto. The Cleveland, Ohio native played in 28 games over the past two seasons with the Redblacks, registering 48 defensive tackles, eight sacks, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.
The Arizona State University product re-signed with the Redblacks for the 2023 season back in April and spent two years as an undrafted free agent with the Dallas Cowboys prior to coming to the CFL in 2017.
Cimankinda was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He spent his entire rookie season on the practice roster and did not see game action. The six-foot-one, 280-pound defender signed with Ottawa last October, and saw his only game action of 2022 in the team’s final regular season contest.
The 27-year-old previously spent three seasons with the University of Guelph Gryphons, finishing the 2019 season as a second-team OUA all-star. The physical defensive lineman made 81 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery over 30 career U Sports games.
The Redblacks resigned Martin-Oguike prior to free agency opening in February. The 29-year-old played nine games last season, starting each of them at defensive end. He recorded 12 defensive tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in those contests, finishing tied for sixth on the team in sacks.
The six-foot-one, 258-pound defender played nine games as a rookie in 2021 and made 20 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and four sacks.
The team also added recently signed receiver Bralon Addison to the six-game injured list, Canadian offensive lineman Peter Kourtis to the retired list and suspended American defensive back Skyler Thomas.
