BY PERRY LEFKO
sportsnet.ca
The Edmonton Eskimos have signed free agent wide receiver Chris Bauman to a three-year contract worth $125,000 per season.
The deal also includes a significant signing bonus, sources told sportsnet.ca.
"We're very pleased to have Chris as an Eskimo," general manager Eric Tillman said in a news release. "He's still in the formative stages of his career, but we certainly believe he is a young man with significant upside."
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats released Bauman last week after they couldn't reach an agreement on a new contract. The a Brandon, Man., native, received five offers, including one from his home-province club, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Bauman, 26, was the most attractive player in the free agent market. After floundering for most of his time in Hamilton, he finally became an impact player late last season. Bauman, who was the top pick in the 2007 draft, is a big receiver with great hands.
Bauman starred at the University of Regina, so there's a familiarity factor there.
Eskimos' general manager Eric Tillman, who believes strongly in Canadian talent, will be very excited about the addition of Bauman. Edmonton needed to upgrade the slotback position because Kamau Peterson has been plagued by injuries the last two seasons
