Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The 2024 CFL Free Agency featured plenty of big names hitting the market and drawing a lot of attention from all nine teams.
Players like AJ Ouellette, Jermarcus Hardrick, Javon Leake and Jamal Peters were set to impact whatever team was lucky enough to secure their services. That said, there are always names that aren’t necessarily at the forefront of free agency conversations but end up making just as much of an impact.
Last year it was a trio of defenders that immediately provided a boost to their new teams after signing in free agency.
CFL.ca brings you three under the radar free agency signings from 2024.
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CIANTE EVANS | DB | BC LIONS
Ciante Evans is a well-known veteran with a penchant for taking the ball away. Coming from an injury-laden season in 2023, Evans’ signing in BC didn’t draw as much attention as some of the other names previously mentioned.
Despite that, the veteran was once again doing his thing at the back end, finishing with the eighth best defensive grade (84.9) among all players in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus. Evans allowed only one touchdown all season, keeping opposing pass-catchers to 16 first downs on 45 targets while also registering an 11.1 forced incompletion percentage and catching two interceptions.
The two-time Grey Cup champion (2018, 2023) is once again set to hit free agency in 2025 and showed he has plenty to contribute to whichever team pursues his services in case he doesn’t sign an extension with the Leos.
Adeyemi-Berglund was named East Division Most Outstanding Canadian in his first season with the Alouettes (Minas Panagiotakis/CFL.ca)
ISAAC ADEYEMI-BERGLUND | DL | MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund signed in Montreal without much noise, but ended up delivering an East Division Most Outstanding Canadian season in his first season with the Alouettes in 2024.
The defensive lineman was also named to the All-CFL East Division team after registering 36 defensive tackles, seven sacks and a forced fumble for the Als.
The National defensive lineman was among the most disruptive pass rushers in the CFL in 2024, registering 45 total pressures, good for ninth among all players. The performance led the Alouettes to extend Adeyemi-Berglund’s contract through 2026.
Carney was one of the most productive pass rushers in the CFL after signing with the Riders in 2024 (James Paddle/CFL.ca)
MALIK CARNEY | DL | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Speaking of disruptive pass rushers, Malik Carney has a strong argument to have been the top one in 2024.
The veteran signed in Saskatchewan last season and proceeded to dominate opposing offensive lines. Carney finished first in winning (17.9) and pressure percentage (15.9) among pass rushers with at least 100 snaps according to PFF.
That means nobody was winning at the line of scrimmage more than the Roughriders 2024 free agency acquisition, who added four sacks and 48 pressures in 2024 for the Green and White. Carney is set to become a free agent again in February and at only 29 years old would potentially draw a lot of attention should he decide to test the free agency waters.
