EDMONTON, AB – Who will be the newest members of the Edmonton Elks?
CFL Free Agency is quickly approaching, with the frenzy set to begin at 10:00 a.m. MT on Feb. 13. The Green and Gold find themselves in a solid position entering the silly season, with the fewest remaining free agents in the Canadian Football League.
To prime EE fans for the week to come, GoElks.com has compiled a list of all the players currently under contract with the club, those whose contracts will expire on Feb. 13, and a list of the top CFL free agents at each position.
For the third instalment in the series, we’ll take a look at the Elks receivers.
Currently under contract: Deontez Alexander, Gavin Cobb, Danny Davis, Malik Flowers, Vincent Forbes-Mombleau, Kurleigh Gittens J., Charles Headen III, Eugene Lewis, Dillon Mitchell, Kyran Moore, Jerminic Smith, Tony Tate
Pending free agents: Emmanuel Arceneaux
CFL top 30 free agents: Shawn Bane Jr. (24) Saskatchewan Roughriders, Justin Hardy (23) Ottawa RedBlacks, Alexander Hollins (12) B.C. Lions, Keon Hatcher (6) B.C. Lions, Dalton Schoen (4) Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Tim White (3) Hamilton Tiger-Cats
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT & WHO’S AVAILABLE?
The Edmonton Elks will enter free agency with the receiver position being one of the strongest and deepest positions on the entire roster. Led by 2022 East Division Most Outstanding player Geno Lewis, the rest of the core is filled out by a mix of returning veterans and some high-upside Canadian talent.
Kyran ‘Swerve’ Moore avoided free agency, re-upping with the Elks on Jan. 12. The league leader in yards after catch gives the Green and Gold a weapon that can make something out of nothing at any opportunity. Explosive wideout Dillon Mitchell is back for his third season with the Elks and provides another deep threat to the EE’s arsenal.
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. headlines the EE’s national talent, with a 1,000-yard season already under his belt and established chemistry with quarterback McLeod-Bethel Thompson. Emerging wide receiver Gavin Cobb, who was selected by the Elks in the fourth round of the 2022 CFL Draft will either back him up, or help the ELks change the ration in 2024. The Manitoba Bisons product scored his first pro touchdown last season in the Elks Week 18 contest against the Toronto Argonauts, and now more than a year and a half removed from a season-ending ankle injury, he looks primed for a 2024 breakout.
The Elks have several other intriguing talents on the roster including Deontez Alexander, who returned a kickoff 98-yards for a touchdown in the team’s final game of the 2023 season, snapping an eight-year drought without a kick return TD. Malik Flowers is also back on the roster after flashing as a practice roster player in 2023, before being released to pursue an NFL opportunity with the Las Vegas Raiders.
As for pending free agents, 36-year-old former CFL All-Star Manny Arceneaux is the only member of the team with a contract that expires on Feb. 13.
While the Elks are unlikely to make a big splash in their receiving core considering their depth at the top. Two of the CFL’s top 3 free agents are pass catchers in Hamilton’s Time White and Winnipeg’s Dalton Schoen, with only White slated to hit the market. The Ti-Cats star is the lone top 30 free agent wide receiver to potentially make his way to the open market after notching 2,534 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns over the past two seasons.