July 29, 2022

Elks release total of 11 players out of bye week, sign five

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Elks have released six players from the practice roster, four players from the active roster, and one from the suspended list.

They also added five players to their roster later on Friday.

The roster moves come as the Elks wrap up their bye week during Week 8 and begin preparation for their Week 9 match-up against the BC Lions at BC Place on Aug. 6.

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Receivers Caleb Holley, Mike Jones, quarterback Ben Holmes, running back Jamel Lyles, defensive back Jeawon Taylor and kicker Matt Mengel made up the six players released from the team’s active roster.

Running back Sherman Badie, receiver Ente Eguavoen, defensive back Nate Hamilin and defensive lineman Pharoah McKever were released from the team’s practice roster. Linebacker Reggie Walker was released from the team’s suspended list.

Holley, 31, played two games for the Elks this season and had eight catches for 101 yards. Jones joined the Elks in 2021 and had eight catches for 100 yards through seven games this season.

The Elks added Americans Devin Wynn (RB), Dillon Mitchell (WR) and Toriano Roundtree Jr. (OL), along with national Greg Hutchins (K) to the practice roster, while national Jamie Harry (DB) joins the active roster.

Harry was released by the Lions on July 19 after suiting up for two games this season. The 28-year-old Lachine, Que., native played 13 games over three seasons with BC, recording seven defensive tackles and two special teams tackles. Harry played three four seasons of U SPORTS football at the University of Ottawa from 2015 to 2018, where he totalled 70 tackles, pass breakups, and 11 interceptions.

Wynn played 50 games over five seasons of college football at Furman University, totalling 2,960 yards and 31 touchdowns rushing along with 483 yards and five touchdowns receiving. He was an All-Southern Conference team selection in 2019, when he finished second in the conference with 14 rushing touchdowns. As a fifth-year senior in 2021, the Greensboro, Ga., native served as co-captain of the Paladins.

Mitchell was selected 239th overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft, ​spending time on the Vikings’ practice squad in 2019 and 2020. Collegiately, Mitchell played at Oregon. In 2018, Mitchell finished with 10 touchdowns, a program single-season record 1,184 yards, and was named Redbox Bowl Offensive MVP, AP Pac-12 All-Conference second team and Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference second team.

Hutchins joins the Elks for his third stint in Edmonton, having previously been on the Green and Gold’s practice roster in 2019 before signing with the Lions late that season. He was released by the Lions prior to the start of the 2021 season and signed with the Elks this January. The former UBC and New Mexico State kicker was released by Edmonton following the 2022 pre-season.

A six-foot-six lineman, Roundtree Jr. most recently spent time in the Indoor Football League, playing for the Spokane Shock in 2021 before signing with the Jacksonville Sharks this year. Roundtree’s NCAA career included three seasons at Louisville, where he blocked for 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, before transferring to Colorado State for his senior year and earning Lindy’s All-Mountain West First Team honours in 2018.

After trading for National punter Jon Ryan during the bye week, the veteran joined his new team on the field for the first time on Friday.

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