Less than a week after the Grey Cup championship game, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have started to focus on building their 2026 roster. At this time of year, CFL teams target free-agent players who did not finish the 2025 season on a team roster, allowing teams to assemble prospects for pre-season training camp.
These players present low-risk/high-reward opportunities for the Tiger-Cats, who now get another chance to evaluate them. According to the CFL Transactions list, the Tiger-Cats signed five players during the first week of the off-season. This week, the Tiger-Cats added National defensive back Jake Nitychoruk, American wide receiver Moochie Dixon, American linebacker Ryan Meed, National defensive lineman Kail Dava, and American defensive back Cameron Bergeron.
National defensive back Jake Nitychoruk returns to the Hamilton roster after being a 7th-round draft pick for Hamilton during the 2025 CFL draft. Nitychoruk is a U Sports player who played college football at Manitoba from 2021 until 2024. As a National player, Nitychoruk adds inherent value by providing roster flexibility while managing the ratio rule.
American wide receiver Moochie Dixon joins the Tiger-Cats roster after spending some time with the New Orleans Saints during the 2025 NFL season. Dixon played college football at Southern Methodist University from 2022 until 2024. While playing for the Mustangs, Dixon played in 40 games and caught 74 passes for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns.
American linebacker Ryan Meed returns to the Tiger-Cats roster after having the opportunity to play in one game for Hamilton during the 2025 season. Meed played college football at the University of Illinois from 2019 until 2024. While playing for the Fighting Illini, Meed played in 50 games and recorded 34 solo tackles and 31 assists.
National defensive lineman Kail Dava joins the Tiger-Cats roster after spending some time with the Calgary Stampeders during the 2024 CFL season. Dava played in eight games for the Stampeders and recorded 3 solo tackles. Dava played college football at Tennessee Tech University from 2019 to 2023, appearing in 48 games and recording 41 solo tackles, 46 assists, and 8 quarterback sacks.
American defensive Cameron Bergeron joins the Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster after playing college football at Duke University. From 2021 to 2024, Bergeron played in 46 games for the Blue Devils, recording 55 solo tackles, 42 assists, and 1 interception. Bergeron has the potential to be a contributor in a strong Tiger-Cats defensive backfield, but in the worst-case scenario, he could fill a role as a solid special teams player for the Tiger-Cats.
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