REGINA — Trevor Harris is officially a Saskatchewan Roughrider.
The CFL club announced Harris’s signing Tuesday, the first day of CFL free agency. But sources had indicated last week that Harris agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Riders.
Harris, 36, completed 71.6 per cent of his passes for 4,157 yards last season with the Montreal Alouettes. The six-foot-three, 212-pound American is entering his 12th CFL season but Saskatchewan would be his fifth different team after spending time with Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton and the Alouettes.
Harris’s best CFL season came in 2018 with Ottawa when he threw for a career-high 5,116 yards. In 161 career regular-season CFL games, Harris has thrown for 28,610 yards with 154 touchdowns and 71 interceptions. He has been part of two Grey Cup-winning teams (Toronto in 2012, Ottawa in 2016).
The Riders also added American receiver Jake Wienke, 28, a good friend of Harris’s and a former Alouettes teammate. The six-foot-four 215-pound Wieneke had 142 catches for 2,056 yards and 21 TDs in 48 regular-season games over three seasons in Montreal.
Saskatchewan (6-12) finished fourth in the West Division standings last season, missing the CFL playoffs. While Harris and Wienke are expected to help an offence that was second-last in offensive points (19.8 per game) in 2022, there’s still the matter of improving an offensive line that allowed a league-leading 77 sacks last year.
Saskatchewan also shored up its offensive and defensive lines by signing veteran Canadian Peter Godber and American Micah Johnson.
The six-foot-four, 304-pound Godber started 18 regular-season and two playoff games last year at centre for the B.C. Lions. In 2022, the Lions led the CFL in net yards (384.6 per game) and were second in scoring (27.7 points per game).
The six-foot-two, 278-pound Johnson returns to the Riders after spending last season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He had 24 tackles (five for a loss) and seven sacks last year in being named an East Division all-star.
Johnson spent the two seasons prior in Regina, recording 45 tackles and six sacks in 28 regular-season games with the Riders.
The Riders also signed American receiver Shawn Bane Jr. The five-foot-nine, 178-pound Bane set career highs for catches (21) and yards (288) last year with Calgary while adding a touchdown.
The 27-year-old also returned nine punts for 80 yards and seven kickoffs for 156 yards.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2023.