Ottawa Redblacks release two, sign three

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The Ottawa Redblacks have released American defensive lineman Jordan Lawson and American defensive back Jalen Jones, the team announced on Monday.

Lawson signed with the team earlier this month and spent two weeks on the practice roster. The six-foot-four, 251-pound defender played 49 games at Louisiana Lafayette, registering 161 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He attended rookie minicamp with the Miami Dolphins earlier this year.

Jones signed with Ottawa in July but didn’t see any regular-season action. The six-foot, 195-pound defender played collegiately at the College of William & Mary, recording 128 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 51 pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

The Redblacks have also signed American defensive lineman Norell Pollard and American defensive backs Travian Blaylock and Benny Sapp III.

Pollard attended training camp with the Calgary Stampeders, though he was released among final roster cuts. The six-foot-one, 280-pound defender spent parts of the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Washington Commanders, though he didn’t see any regular-season action. The native of Apopka, Fla. played 59 collegiate games at Virginia Tech, where he tallied 119 tackles and 12 quarterback sacks.

Blaylock played one regular-season game with the B.C. Lions last year, recording three defensive tackles. The five-foot-eleven, 195-pound native of Humble, Texas also attended training camp with the Edmonton Elks this year, though he was released among final cuts. The 26-year-old played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, where he made 32 total tackles.

Sapp III made three starts with the Calgary Stampeders at field-side halfback earlier this season, recording seven defensive tackles, though he was cut in July. The five-foot-eleven, 200-pound defender played six regular-season games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2025, making 19 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, and one forced fumble.

The native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. played five regular-season games with the Green Bay Packers in 2023, recording two tackles.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-9) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (8-1) at Percival Molson Stadium on Thursday, August 20 with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT. Last week, the Redblacks extended their modern CFL record losing streak to 15 games, while the Alouettes were on bye.

The weather forecast in Montreal calls for 23 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on TSN 1200 in Ottawa or TSN 690 (English) or 99.5 Montreal (French) in Montreal.