The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are actively working to improve their team after a disappointing effort during the 2024 season. This week, the Tiger-Cats made a big move by hiring former Winnipeg executive Ted Goveia as their new general manager. Along with adding Goveia to the Tiger-Cats organization, Hamilton has secured several of their recent draft picks as the Tiger-Cats start building their roster for the 2025 CFL season.

The Tiger-Cats ended the week by re-acquiring one of their recent CFL draft picks. According to the CFL Transactions list, Hamilton has re-signed National defensive lineman Reece Martin to its active roster. Hamilton drafted Martin in the 4th round of the 2023 CFL draft with the 31st pick.

The 6’5″, 285-pound defensive lineman is a native of Moncton, New Brunswick. Martin played U Sports football at Mount Allision University and appeared in 37 games for the Mounties. While at Mount Allision, Martin recorded 89.0 total tackles, including 63 solo tackles and 52 assists. Additionally, Martin added 12.5 quarterback sacks and 24 tackles for loss. Martin was selected as an AUS All-Star three times during his time at Mount Allison.

During the 2024 CFL season, Martin produced two tackles in the pre-season for Hamilton. During the regular season, Martin played three games for Hamilton, but the Tiger-Cats released him on October 26th. Before the CFL draft, Martin was considered one of the top defensive line prospects, and many projected him to be a first-round draft pick, but he fell to Hamilton in the 4tfourthound.

The Tiger-Cats recently re-acquired several recent draft picks to see how those players fit into their roster for 2025. Being re-signed by Hamilton gives Martin another chance to prove that he has what it takes to be a playmaker in the CFL. Hamilton struggled defensively during the 2024 season, so anything the Tiger-Cats can do to boost their defensive units could make a big difference in the team’s performance on the defensive side of the ball.

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