The Saskatchewan Roughriders made a couple of free agent signings today when they extended defensive lineman Anthony Lanier II to a 1-year deal and signed defensive lineman Christian Albright to his first CFL contract. Both players hail from Georgia.

Lanier II has already played 2 years in Saskatchewan and established himself as a defensive force on the team. The former Alabama A&M Bulldog had 8 quarterback sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 19 defensive tackles last season.

The 29-year old DL played in the NFL from 2016 to 2020 where he suited up for 15 career NFL games with the Washington Commanders. Lanier II recorded 5 sacks with the Commanders. He also had brief stints in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints but did not play in any regular season games for those teams.

Albright was not drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft but signed with the Chicago Bears and participated in the Bears training camp in 2022. He ultimately didn’t make the cut and now is going to try his luck in the CFL.

The other free agent signing of the day, Christian Albright is a former All-MAC defensive lineman. Albright played his collegiate football at Ball State in Indiana. While playing for the Ball State Cardinals he quickly established himself as a starter on defense.

According to Riderville.com “The disruptive defender also added 34.5 tackles for loss (151 yards), 16.5 sacks, two interceptions, 13 pass knockdowns, nine forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.”

Riderville.com

These two signings on should help bolster Saskatchewan’s defense prior to the official opening of free agency on February 14th. The Roughriders finished near the bottom of the CFL in nearly all team defense statistics in 2022.