By Perry Lefko and Arash Madani, Sportsnet.ca
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have landed a major free agent, signing diminutive running back/return specialist Dominique Dorsey to a multi-year contract, Sportsnet.ca has learned.
Dorsey, who played for the Toronto Argonauts for the past 2 1/2 seasons and was voted the Canadian Football League’s Special Teams Player of the Year in 2008, has agreed to a two-year deal that includes an option-year clause will reportedly pay him $125,000 a season. He will receive a $50,000 signing bonus as part of the first year of the deal.
The signing follows a flurry of moves in the league. The Argos and Calgary announced a deal on Wednesday, in which receiver Jeremaine Copeland heads to Toronto for fellow receiver P.K. Sam, who had just resigned with the Boatmen. And Hamilton signed two cornerbacks, Will Poole and Jason Shivers, both of whom played their last two years in Toronto.
Dorsey was initially being courted by four teams, but when negotiations became serious, B.C. and Hamilton were out of the race and it was down to Saskatchewan and Toronto.
Considered to be the top prize of the CFL’s 2010 free agent class, Dorsey, a terrific punt and kick returner, has signed a two-year contract (including an option) with the Roughriders worth $125,000 per year. The first season includes a signing bonus of $60,000. Dorsey was initially being courted by four teams, but when negotiations became serious, B.C. and Hamilton were out of the race and it was down to Saskatchewan and Toronto.
Dorsey began his Canadian Football League career in 2005 with Saskatchewan where he played two seasons as a backup running back/returner. He was traded to Winnipeg in May, 2007 and released a month later. The general manager of the Bombers was Brendan Taman, who is now the Riders’ GM.
Dorsey rose to unexpected prominence with the Argos, who signed him as a free agent shortly after the Bombers cut him. He became an all-purpose player in 2008 and was named the CFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year. After a brief stint with the NFL’s Washington Redskins last summer he returned to Toronto in the fall and played out the end of the Argos season.
The main piece left in free agency now is quarterback Steven Jyles. He is believed to be negotiating with Winnipeg, who two weeks ago hired his former Saskatchewan offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice as head coach. LaPolice is also said to be enamoured with Stefan LeFors, another Blue Bomber quarterback under contract, who struggled in former head coach Mike Kelly’s offence.
