Homegrown star Andrew Harris signs one-year extension with Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Andrew Harris is back for another year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The veteran running back signed a one-year contract extension with his hometown team Friday. But the 33-year-old Winnipeg native was more than willing to commit to a longer deal.

“I would’ve signed a five-year (extension) to be honest with you,” Harris said with a chuckle during a videoconference with reporters. “I don’t know if you could see a 39-year-old running back.

“For me, I’m taking it year by year, I’ve always been that way. You’re always one hit away from this being over so you have to take it play by play, day by day and year by year. For me, it’s nothing different there.”

Financial details weren’t divulged but many CFL players have re-signed for less money with the league having not operated in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris said the extension was never about money.

“Everyone is feeling the effects on the financial side,” he said. “We all have to kind of adapt to that.

“For me, it was a seamless conversation, an easy conversation with Kyle (Bombers’ GM Kyle Walters). We both kind of understood each other and where we’re at. It wasn’t too difficult to get to where we are today.”

Harris will return for a fifth season with Winnipeg. He has led the CFL in rushing the past three years. He was named the game MVP and most valuable Canadian in Winnipeg’s Grey Cup win over Hamilton in 2019.

During the 2019 season, Harris passed Ben Cahoon to become the CFL’s career leader in yards from scrimmage by a Canadian. He also moved past Normie Kwong as the Canadian career rushing leader.

A five-time CFL all-star, Harris also was named the league’s most outstanding Canadian in 2017.

REDBLACKS SIGN SIX

The Ottawa Redblacks have signed Canadian linebacker Brad Cowan and defensive back Dagogo Maxwell and American defensive backs Brandin Dandridge and Marcus Roberson, receiver R.J. Harris and defensive lineman Avery Ellis.

Cowan was Ottawa’s sixth-round pick in the CFL draft. He played university football at Wilfrid Laurier in Waterloo, Ont.

Maxwell was Calgary’s fifth-round pick in 2018 out of UBC. He had six special-teams tackles with Calgary in 2019 before signing with Ottawa.

Dandridge had 12 defensive tackles and four pass breakups in four games in 2019 with Ottawa.

Roberson had 20 defensive tackles in 11 games for Toronto in 2018, his last action in the CFL.

Harris had 62 catches for 774 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games in 2019.

Ellis led all Redblacks with 54 tackles while tying for the team lead with seven sacks and forcing one fumble in 2019.

TICATS RE-SIGN DARIUS CIRACO

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats re-signed Canadian offensive lineman Darius Ciraco on Friday.

Contract details weren’t divulged.

Ciraco, 24, has started 34 career regular-season games since being selected in the first round, No. 6 overall, by Hamilton in the 2018 CFL draft. The six-foot-four, 292-pound native of Burlington, Ont., has also participated in four playoff games with the Ticats.

Ciraco played collegiately at Calgary (2014-17).

LINEMAN RE-SIGNS WITH RIDERS

American offensive lineman Terran Vaughn has signed a one-year contract extension with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Vaughn made 15 starts at left tackle for the Riders in 2019. He made his CFL debut in 2018 and has played in 22 career games.

LIONS RE-SIGN PAIR

The B.C. Lions have re-signed Canadian running back Jamel Lyles and American linebacker Dyshawn Davis.

Lyles, a native of Surrey, B.C., was an eighth-round pick by the Lions in 2019. He played seven games for the Lions in his rookie season.

Davis is back with the Lions after two years with Saskatchewan.

The Syracuse product started his CFL career with B.C. in 2016. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press