This time of year, CFL teams tend to focus on using their resources and collecting the best collection of free agents to improve their team for the next season. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed several free agents this week in an effort to fill in many of the gaps in their depth chart. Signing new talent and upgrading as many position groups as possible is an important part of the off-season for CFL teams.
In addition to signing new players and attempting to bring in bigger and better playmakers, taking care of the players who have built the team’s foundation is essential. For Hamilton, one of those foundational players is defensive lineman Casey Sayles, and today, the Tiger-Cats have announced that they have extended Sayles’s contract through the 2026 season. There were signs last week that Sayles would be getting an adjustment to his contract on the CFL Transactions list a week ago. A contract extension for Sayles would be a massive success for the American defensive lineman and solidify Sayles as the leader of the Tiger-Cats defensive line.
The 6’3″, 290-pound Sayles played in 17 games for the Tiger-Cats during the 2024 season, recording 36 tackles and six quarterback sacks. Since coming to the CFL in 2021, Sayles has played two seasons for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2021,2022) and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2023, 2024). During his career, he has proven to be a consistent play-maker in the CFL, registering 151 defensive tackles, eight tackles for loss, seven pass deflections, and 25 quarterback sacks.
In addition to Sayles’s production on the field, he has also established himself as a leader in the locker room. General manager Ted Goveia touched on Sayles’s leadership characteristics, “His leadership and work ethic sets the standard for the rest of the locker room, and his commitment to the Hamilton community speaks volumes. We look forward to seeing him remain a foundational part of our defensive line in the years ahead.” Many of the Tiger-Cats free agent additions this week will also benefit Sayles by drawing some of the attention away from him, and that could be a recipe for a big season for Sayles in 2025.
Tiger-Cats Latest Roster Additions
In addition to the Tiger-Cats announcing the contract extension of Casey Sayles, the CFL Transactions list shows that the Tiger-Cats have also signed American offensive lineman Nicolas Melsop and National wide receiver Keaton Bruggeling. Melsop comes to Hamilton as a player with the prototypical build for a professional offensive tackle, standing 6’8″ and 325 pounds, and the Tiger-Cats always need more high-quality offensive linemen. Wide receiver Keaton Bruggeling helps the Tiger-Cats address an issue with depth for National players at the wide receiver position.
Before signing with the Tiger-Cats, Melsop spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers after signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Melsop earned an opportunity with the Chargers after having an outstanding career at NCAA Division II Lake Erie (2016,2017) and Delta State University (2019-22). While at Lake Erie, Melsop played 16 games and 31 more games at Delta State.
National wide receiver Keaton Bruggeling comes to the Tiger-Cats after spending the last three seasons with the Ottawa Redblacks. The 6’3″, 225-pound Bruggeling played in 31 games for the Redblacks from 2022 until 2024. The former Carleton Ravens player has caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown during his CFL career.
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