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Ottawa Redblacks agree to terms with free-agent defensive backs Levels, Hunter

OTTAWA — Patrick Levels is on the move. The veteran American defensive back agreed to terms with the Ottawa Redblacks on Wednesday.

OTTAWA — Patrick Levels is on the move.

The veteran American defensive back agreed to terms with the Ottawa Redblacks on Wednesday. The CFL club also agreed to terms with defensive back Monshadrick Hunter and signed receivers Jaelon Acklin and Shaq Johnson.

Hunter and Acklin are also Americans while Johnson is a Canadian.

The five-foot-11, 187-pound Levels is entering his fifth CFL season. He spent the last two years with the Montreal Alouettes after starting his pro career in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders (2017-18).

The Dallas native has appeared in 55 career CFL regular-season games, recording 164 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. He helped Calgary win the Grey Cup in 2018.

Hunter, 26, was a 2021 CFL all-star with Montreal after registering 55 total tackles, two interceptions and a sack in 14 regular-season games. Hunter began his tenure in Canada with the Edmonton Elks (2018-19)

Hunter's father, Torii, was a five-time Major League Baseball all-star.

"These are two energetic, aggressive football players who will bring a tenacity to our defence," Ottawa GM Shawn Burke said in a statement. "We're excited to have both guys as part of our organization."

Acklin, 26, spent his first two CFL seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The six-foot-two, 190-pound Acklin had 108 catches for 1,386 yards and seven TDs in 31 regular-season games.

Hamilton reached the Grey Cup in both of Acklin's seasons there.

Johnson, of Brampton, Ont., spent the last five seasons with the B.C. Lions, recording 127 catches for 1,749 yards and seven TDs in 68 career regular-season games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2022.

The Canadian Press