The Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Redblacks have completed a rare CFL trade. Not only is the swap a player-for-player deal, but it features individuals who have barely played north of the border.
The Argonauts acquired American defensive lineman Andrew Chatfield, who dressed for one game with Ottawa last year and recorded no statistics.
The six-foot-two, 254-pound defender played six collegiate seasons at the University of Florida and Oregon State University. He made 67 total tackles, 13 sacks, and two interceptions over 49 career games spent mostly as a rotational player.
Ottawa received American defensive back Craig James, who signed with Toronto last month and has never attended a CFL training camp.
The Springfield, Ill. native initially joined the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and played in three regular-season games, though he didn’t register any statistics. He returned to the team the following season but was released at the end of training camp.
The five-foot-ten, 195-pound defender signed with the Philadelphia Eagles shortly after his release and spent three years with the team, making 17 total tackles, one pass knockdown, and one fumble recovery over 18 games, which included one start.
James spent portions of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New York Jets and played two regular-season games, making one tackle and one pass knockdown. He signed with the Detroit Lions near the end of the 2023 season and remained with the team for much of the offseason, though he was released before training camp got underway.
The 28-year-old finished his collegiate career at Southern Illinois University, where he reportedly ran a 4.50-second forty-yard dash at his pro day.
This is the second trade the Argonauts and Redblacks have executed this offseason as Canadian running back Daniel Adeboboye was previously shipped to the nation’s capital.
