As the Tiger-Cats prepare to develop their 2024 CFL Draft and Global Draft strategy, Hamilton continues to sign more players to their defensive line unit. According to the CFL Transactions list, the Tiger-Cats have signed American defensive end Jason Lewan and American defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo. Both Lewan and Tangelo fit the Tiger-Cats pattern of player acquisitions during this free agency period, which is to add younger players to their defensive units that have the potential to develop into playmakers for the Tiger-Cats.

The Tiger-Cats started the free agency period by signing defensive lineman Brandon Barlow, who had recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. In addition to Barlow, the Tiger-Cats have restructured Casey Sayles’s contract and signed multiple defensive line prospects, including Nick Usher and Adam Plant Jr. For Lewan and Tangelo, signing with the Tiger-Cats gives them both an opportunity to show that they deserve an opportunity in the CFL after spending time with teams in the NFL.

Defensive end Jason Lewan is a 6’6″, 293-pound native of Yorkville, Illinois. Lewan played college football at Illinois State from 2018 until 2022. While playing for the Redbirds, Lewan played in 47 games and recorded 100 tackles and five quarterback sacks. In 2023, the Green Bay Packers signed Lewan as an undrafted free agent.

Defensive tackle Derrick Tangelo is a 6’1″, 296-pound native of Gaithersburg, Maryland. Tangelo started his college football career at Duke University from 2017 until 2020, when he played 44 games, recorded 115 total tackles and 4.5 quarterback sacks, forced five fumbles, and recovered two fumbles. In 2021, Tangelo finished his college career with Penn State, playing in 12 games and registering 29 total tackles, two quarterback sacks, forcing one fumble, and recovering two fumbles for the Nittany Lions. Tangelo spent 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

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