The Ottawa Redblacks have re-signed defensive back Adarius Pickett to a one-year contract extension, the team announced on Friday.
Pickett, a two-time East Division all-star and 2023 CFL all-star, recorded 52 tackles, one sack and an interception in 13 games last season before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
The 28-year-old also contributed 14 special teams tackles.
Pickett previously played for the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes before joining Ottawa in 2024.
The native of Berkeley, Calif., played college football at UCLA and spent time with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots before making his way to Canada in 2021.
Through 61 career CFL games, Pickett has tallied 305 total tackles, 12 sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles.
---
Riders extend Canadian defensive back Lokombo
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed Canadian defensive back Nelson Lokombo to a contract extension.
Lokombo played in all 18 regular-season games in 2024, starting Week 1 at halfback before transitioning to safety for the remainder of the season.
The 25-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., set a career-high with 44 defensive tackles, while also tallying one tackle for loss, five pass knockdowns, one forced fumble and his first career sack.
Lokombo was selected by the Roughriders in the first round, second overall, at the 2021 CFL draft.
---
Argos sign DL Carter
TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive lineman Andre Carter.
Carter's negotiation rights were obtained in a trade earlier this month with Ottawa for Canadian running back Daniel Adeboboye.
The six-foot-five, 270-pound Carter spent time with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 after being signed as an undrafted free agent by Jacksonville in May.
The defensive lineman played one season at Indiana University in 2023 tallying 49 tackles, 11 for loss, and two sacks in 12 games played for the Hoosiers.
Before playing at IU, the Detroit native played five seasons with Western Michigan.
---
Ticats sign four draft selections
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed four of their picks from the 2024 CFL draft.
Defensive back Jonathan Giustini (Round 6, 52nd overall), offensive lineman John Kourtis (Round 7, 61st overall), running back Matthew Peterson (Round 4, 36th overall) and linebacker Mitchell Townsend (Round 8, 70th overall) have signed with the club.
Giustini, 23, spent last season at the University of Alberta, where he had 43 total tackles, three passes defended, one interception and one forced fumble in eight games.
Kourtis, 25, suited up in 11 games for the University of Saskatchewan.
Peterson, 23, had 105 carries for 784 yards and one touchdown for Alberta in 2024.
Townsend, 23, spent time with the B.C. Lions last season before returning to the University of British Columbia, where he had 79 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks and one pass defended in nine games.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2025.
The Canadian Press
