Riders release Brayden Lenius for NFL opportunity, announce three signings

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have released one of their top 2021 receiving targets for an NFL opportunity.

The CFL team announced Canadian slotback Brayden Lenius will be relieved of his contractual obligations with the club so he can try to play down south.

Lenius was drafted by the Riders in the second round (15th overall) of the 2019 CFL draft.

While he only caught two passes for the Riders in his rookie year, he enjoyed a breakout in 2021. In 14 games, Lenius caught 37 passes for 471 yards and a team-leading four touchdowns. Lenius added six catches for 43 yards in two playoff games.

Lenius was set to become a free agent on Feb. 8.

Earlier, the Roughriders announced they had signed slotback Paul McRoberts to a contract extension. They also announced they had re-signed fullback Albert Awachie and added fullback James Tuck.

McRoberts and Awachie could have become free agents in February. They’re the seventh and eighth potential free agents to sign extensions with Saskatchewan, which still has 41 players who could hit the market.

McRoberts initially signed with the Riders in 2019 and spent the entire season on the practice roster. In 2021, McRoberts dressed for one regular-season game — a 23-10 win over the Ottawa Redblacks on Aug. 21, when he caught four catches for 42 yards — but was once again put onto the practice roster until the playoffs.

McRoberts dressed in both playoff games after slotback Ricardo Louis suffered a torn Achilles in the Riders’ regular-season finale.

In the playoffs, McRoberts caught six passes for 50 yards.

The Missouri product previously spent one season with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, most of that time on the practice roster.

Awachie is returning to the Riders for a fifth season. The Toronto-born fullback signed with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Awachie has been a strong contributor on special teams and has appeared in 36 games during his CFL career.

Tuck brings another veteran Canadian presence to the Riders’ locker room. The Aurora product has played in eight CFL seasons — three in Montreal, one apiece with Toronto and Winnipeg, and the last three with Edmonton. Tuck has appeared in 72 CFL games.