The Cleveland Browns have signed Toronto Argonauts’ defensive lineman Ralph Holley, per sources.
The West Bloomfield, Mich., native was a standout with the Argos this past season, his first in the CFL. He recorded 22 tackles, eight sacks and one forced fumble. His eight sacks tied for the league lead despite him playing mostly on the interior for Toronto. He also played in the Argonauts three postseason games, posting one tackle and one sack in the East Final, en route to a 111th Grey Cup victory.
During December and January, the 25-year-old worked out for seven NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.
The six-foot-one, 285-pound defender played collegiately at Western Michigan University where he recorded 138 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, five pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery over 50 games with the Broncos. He was named first-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2020 and second-team All-Mid-American Conference in 2021.
At his 2022 NFL pro day, Holley ran 4.99 in the 40-yard dash, 4.67 short shuttle, and 7.53 three-cone drill while recording a 30-inch vertical and eight-foot, 10-inch broad jump. He also bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times.
The three-down league’s NFL workout window opened on Nov. 18, 2024 with players eligible to sign futures contracts on Jan. 6, 2025. That window closes on Feb. 11, 2025, at 12:01 p.m. ET. Toronto retains his exclusive CFL right through the 2025 season.