The Edmonton Elks have added three players to their roster, including a pair of familiar faces in defensive tackle Daniel Ross and running back Mekhai Johnson.
Ross was released by the Elks on July 8 after he appeared in four games this year, collecting eight defensive tackles. The 30-year-old originally signed with Edmonton in January of 2022 but missed the entirety of his first season with the club due to injury.
The Northeast Mississippi Community College product first arrived in the CFL when he was just 21 years old, attending training camp with Edmonton in 2014. He went on to sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2016, playing one game that season.
The six-foot-five, 305-pound pass rusher gained NFL attention despite his lack of playing time, landing practice roster stints with the Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, and later Kansas City Chiefs. He eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys mid-way through the 2017 season and stuck around for parts of three seasons, before spending time with the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.
In 21 career NFL games, Ross collected 27 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks.
Johnson rejoins the club after he was released following training camp. He played one preseason game, rushing five times for 15 yards against Calgary.
The five-foot-11, 200-pound native of Dorchester, Massachusetts spent the 2022 season at Tusculum University, an NCAA Division II school located in Tusculum, Tennessee, rushing for 635 yards on 100 attempts, while adding eight touchdowns in 11 games for the Pioneers.
The 24-year-old spent his first four collegiate seasons at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he played in 33 games over four seasons with the Red Foxes, recording 159 carries for 863 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Elks have also signed American linebacker Caleb Tannor.
The six-foot-three, 220-pound defender played five seasons at the University of Nebraska, setting a Cornhusker record with 56 career games played. He was credited with 125 defensive tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles over that span, earning a rookie mini-camp invite from the New York Jets earlier this year.
The Elks (0-9) return to action on Thursday, August 17 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-5).
