The Edmonton Elks announced the club has acquired Avery Ellis (DE) and a third round pick in the 2023 draft from the Montreal Alouettes in exchange for Thomas Costigan (DL) and Nafees Lyon (DB).
A veteran of five CFL seasons, Ellis brings physicality and experience to the Elks defensive corps. Since breaking into the CFL in 2017, the Temple University product has appeared in 66 regular season games, recording 146 defensive tackles and 21 sacks.
Ellis suited up for nine games with the Alouettes, registering 17 tackles and three sacks. He spent the first four seasons of his CFL career with the Ottawa RedBlacks, appearing in the 2018 Grey Cup. As a rookie, the six-foot-two native of Newark, N.J., led Ottawa with six sacks, and he equalled his career high with six sacks to rank second on the RedBlacks in 2019.
The 27-year-old played four seasons of NCAA Division 1 football at Temple, where he totalled 23 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 48 games with the Owls.
Costigan, 25, was in his second season with the Elks after signing as a free agent in 2020. The former Bryant University standout led Edmonton with six sacks in 11 games in 2021 and had recorded three sacks through 11 games this season.
The 25-year-old Lyon is also in his second CFL season. After signing with the Elks in 2021, the Charlotte product appeared in a total of 13 games with the Elks, amassing 52 tackles, three interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble.
Edmonton returns to practice on Thursday, as the Elks begin preparing for their Week 13 matchup with the Calgary Stampeders in the annual Labour Day Classic at McMahon Stadium next Monday.