With the 2021 CFL season coming up fast the Ottawa Redblacks continue to add to their firepower defence. In 2019 the last time they step foot on the field at TD Place the Redblacks had the worst defence in the CFL but going into 2021 they may have the best in the CFL. Making key moves in the off-season bringing in some of the best defensive coaches in the CFL like defensive co-ordinator Mike Benevides then following up with building one of the more proven defensive front sevens in the CFL signing players like Cleyon Laing, Davon Coleman, Don Unamba and Micah Awe all to play alongside Avery Williams, Jerod Fernandez, Avery Ellis, Shaneil Jenkins, Darius Jackson and Shaheed Salmon who were already with the Redblacks in 2019 but those additions and re-signs will not be the only ones heading into training camp which starts July 10th. The Ottawa Redblacks, on the CFL’s transactions page have added both Lakiem Williams and James Crawford.
Williams, a 6-foot, 225 pound, 24 year old linebacker out of Syracuse will be going into his first professional opportunity and has high expectations coming off his 2019 season where he made 110 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in just 12 games. As for James Crawford, he has found himself on a few NFL rosters recently including the Green Bay Packers where he played each of their 16 regular season games. Though he mostly played special teams and served as a backup only making 10 tackles over the 16 game span he was able to play and learn with veteran NFL players Mike Daniels and Clay Matthews. Crawford, the 6-foot-2, 225 pound edge rusher and linebacker has also seen playing time with the Miami Dolphins having played 3 games with them in 2019, making one tackle and has recently been on the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens. He and Williams will have the opportunity to play a large role in Ottawa if proven in training camp next month.
Lakiem Williams joins Shamarko Thomas, Amba Etta-Two, Ervin Phillips and Jamar McGloster as former Syracuse Orangemen on the Ottawa Redblacks’ roster heading into the 2021 CFL season.
JZ MEDIA 