Winnipeg Blue Bombers sign former Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB Dexter Lawson Jr., five others

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The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have signed American defensive back Dexter Lawson Jr.

The five-foot-nine, 190-pound native of Bloomfield, Conn. started four games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at field-side cornerback in 2024, making 16 defensive tackles and one special teams tackle. He was released by the team in July.

The 25-year-old first joined the Tiger-Cats in 2023 and made nine starts — six at field-side halfback and three at field-side cornerback — recording 29 defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and one interception.

Lawson Jr. finished his collegiate career at Appalachian State where he made 26 tackles, three interceptions, five pass knockdowns, and one forced fumble over 12 games. He previously played at Central Connecticut where he was named second-team All-Northeast Conference in 2019.

The Blue Bombers have also signed American receiver David Wallis, American linebacker Latavious Brini, and American defensive backs Cam Allen, Isaiah Avery, and Trey Vaval.

Wallis attended training camp with the New England Patriots in 2024 but was waived at the end of training camp. The six-foot, 184-pound native of Cedar Point, N.C. played collegiately at Randolph-Macon College, a Division III program located in Ashland, Va., where he made 146 receptions for 3,144 yards and 34 touchdowns. He was named first-team All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors.

Brini has had previous stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Toronto Argonauts, and Montreal Alouettes but has yet to dress for a regular-season professional game. The six-foot-two, 215-pound native of Miami Gardens, Fla. finished his collegiate career at the University of Arkansas where he made 55 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, two pass breakups, and one interception. He previously played at the University of Georgia where he recorded 50 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception, and 10 pass knockdowns.

Allen played five collegiate seasons at Purdue University where he made 157 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, 13 interceptions, 31 pass knockdowns, four forced fumbles, and one blocked kick. The six-foot-one, 195-pound native of Bluefield, Va. was briefly a member of the Denver Broncos in 2024 after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent.

Avery attended rookie minicamp with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024 but wasn’t offered a contract with the team. The six-foot, 180-pound native of Antioch, Calif. finished his collegiate career at Portland State after previous stints at Liberty University and the City College of San Francisco. At Portland State, he recorded 50 total tackles, 12 pass knockdowns, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.

Vaval attended training camp with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 but didn’t make the team’s final roster. The six-foot, 170-pound native of Blue Springs, Mo. played collegiately at Minnesota State where he made 52 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 14 pass knockdowns, one sack, five blocked kicks, and two return touchdowns. He previously played at Missouri Western State.