Edmonton Eskimos lock up Boateng and Smith for 2 more years

The Edmonton Eskimos have locked up a key member of their defence as Canadian defensive end Kwaku Boateng signed a two-year contract extension Friday, which will take him through to the 2020 CFL season.

Boateng was a fifth-round selection in the 2017 CFL Draft and became the steal of the draft.

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He played 18 games that season and recorded 20 defensive tackles, three quarterback sacks and one forced fumble. He was named as the Eskimos nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie.

In 2018, Boateng played in 15 games and recorded a team-leading nine sacks and added 26 defensive tackles along with two pass knockdowns and one fumble recovery.  He was named as the Eskimos nominee for Top Canadian.

Boateng worked out for several NFL teams last month but wasn’t able to secure a deal. The 23-year was due to become a CFL free-agent on Feb. 12.

The Eskimos locked up another pending free-agent of Friday, signing linebacker and special teams captain Blair Smith to a two-year contract extension.

Smith finished in a tie for second last season in special teams tackles with 13. He has played 52 career games with the Eskimos and has recorded 52 career special teams tackles.