How important is having a winning campaign in 2025 for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats? Suppose the Tiger-Cats veteran players’ willingness to rework their contracts to free up money for free agents is any sign of their commitment to winning. In that case, those veteran players are fully committed to making sacrifices so Hamilton can improve. Earlier this off-season, Tiger-Cats defensive backs Stavros Katsantonis and Jamal Peters agreed to rework their contracts with Hamilton. Hamilton’s best veteran defensive lineman, Casey Sayles, is reworking his contract.
According to the CFL Transactions list, defensive lineman Casey Sayles has agreed to a new, reworked contract, and the Tiger-Cats have signed American wide receiver Dimitri Stanley. During the 2025 CFL Negotiation Week, the Tiger-Cats reached several agreements with free agents to help bolster Hamilton’s defensive line and linebackers. That means Sayles’s willingness to help free up resources to secure those players could help make Sayles a more effective player on the defensive line in 2025.
During the 2024 season, Sayles played 17 games for the Tiger-Cats and recorded 36 tackles and 6.0 quarterback sacks. When you compare those numbers to 2023, when Sayles also played in 17 games but registered 50 tackles and 7.0 quarterback sacks, the Tiger-Cats’ incomplete rebuild of their defensive units last year negatively affected Sayles’ production. If the Tiger-Cats can access more resources by reworking Sayles’s contract, he will have a chance to return to his 2023 performance level.
Sayles, the former Ohio University Bobcat, has played in the CFL since 2021, when he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Sayles played 32 games for the Blue Bombers, recording 64 tackles and 11.0 quarterback sacks. Before coming to the CFL, Sayles played a season with the Birmingham Steel in the AAF in 2019, and he has spent time with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2017 NFL seasons and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and 2019.
American wide receiver Dimitri Stanley looks for a New Opportunity
American wide receiver Dimitri Stanley joins a Tiger-Cats roster that is deep at the wide receiver position, and that position will get deeper shortly. While CFL teams can never have enough wide receivers, the opportunity to come to Hamilton could be the big break that Stanley needs to show that he can play wide receiver at the professional level of football. During the 2024 NFL season, Stanley spent time with the Green Bay Packers, but he never had an opportunity to make an impact in a game for the Packers.
Stanley’s 6’0″, 200-pound frame will allow the wide receiver to compete for a roster spot while in training camp. During his college career, Stanley showed that he could play wide receiver beyond college, but he is still looking for the right fit that allows him to demonstrate his talents. Stanley started his college football career at the University of Colorado from 2018 until 2021, where he played in 30 games for the Buffaloes and caught 70 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. In 2022, Stanley transferred to Iowa State University, where he played in 23 games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. While playing for the Cyclones, Stanley caught 47 passes for 522 yards and a touchdown.
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