"REDBLACKS add trio of import linebackers to roster"

Even though they still had a bit of room on the roster, it appeared as though the RedBlacks were done signing players for a while. Their near-daily signings had come to an end weeks as the team instead made the news with mascot namings and fancy food selections at the stadium.

But they were back to their earlier ways today, signing three linebackers.  The release is below.

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS of the Canadian Football League added trio linebackers to the team roster today: Anton McKenzie, Travis Brown and Jeremiah Green. 

McKenzie, a 33-year-old native of Medford, N.Y., is an eight-year CFL veteran who played three seasons to begin his career in Saskatchewan before joining the B.C. Lions in 2009. 

McKenzie (5-10, 235) has 398 career regular-season tackles, 13 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. 

In 2009 and his first season with the Lions, McKenzie had a career-high 85 tackles, 14 tackles on special teams and six sacks. 

Brown, a native of Fresno, Calif., played collegiate football at Fresno State where he had 38 consecutive starts at linebacker for the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-1, 236-lb. Brown had 67 tackles during his senior year at Fresno State in 2012. 

Green, a 23-year-old native of Tulare, Calif., joins the REDBLACKS after a standout collegiate career with the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. 

Green (6-2, 235) joined the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL and attended training camp before joining the San Jose SabreCats of the Arena Football League last October.

Obviously McKenzie is the best known of the bunch, and the release shares a fair amount of information about him.  But in trying to find out more about him, I came across this pretty complimentary comment from his now-former head coach in a newspaper article from last July.

"He plays the game from a cerebral point of view," Benevides said. "He's always where he needs to be. When we picked him up in free agency...the analysis we had on him at the time was that he was a very smart football player, and a leader. He was telling everyone else what to do. And he still does. That says something, given the multiplicity of the defences we run. At the same time, he makes plays. I've always respected him because he's never gotten enough credit. And I respect him because he knows that."

McKenzie had 30 tackles for the Lions last year, plus another five on special teams.

As for the others, being young and relatively inexperienced, there is less material about them to choose from, however I did find the following about Brown in a 2011 defensive preview of Fresno State's season...

Junior Travis Brown started every game last year on the strongside finishing second on the team with 79 tackles with two sacks, nine tackles for loss, and a pick. The 6-2, 235-pounder suffered a hip injury this spring, but he’s expected to come back and be fine. With good size and nice pass rushing skills, he’s a good do-it-all veteran on the outside and is a tone-setting big hitter.

...And Jeremiah Green ranked 5th in examiner.com's list of the top 10 linebackers in the Mountain West Conference in 2012:

Green was thrown into the starting lineup last summer after an injury to DeAndre Boughton and the junior took full advantage of the opportunity. The 6-2, 230-pounder from Tulare (Calif.) Union High, had 49 tackles last year playing next to veteran linebackers James-Michael Johnson and Brandon Marshall. Two of Green’s tackles were for a loss. Used extensively in pass coverage, Green intercepted three passes and knocked down 10. He was named to the Butkus Award watch list this week. The award is given to the top linebacker in the nation.

Looks like the competition at the position just got a fair bit more fierce.  Look forward to hearing how next week's mini-camp in Virginia shakes down.