Ahead of their Labour Day Classic showdown on Monday afternoon with the Tiger-Cats. The Argos have added two intriguing American rookie free agents to their roster.
With recent injuries to their backfield and defensive line. The Boatmen are bringing on board RB Adam Cofield and DL Ali Fayad. Both players are pro rookies who were standout performers on the collegiate level.
Argonauts Add Reinforcements
Earlier this week, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie hinted at the possibility of the Argos adding reinforcements from south of the border. Injuries and depth issues have forced the team to expedite the process in that direction.
Toronto’s backfield is very thin. They have lost Andrew Harris for the season. The Argonauts’ are missing both of their fullbacks due to injury, and To compound matters, RB Javon Leake is expected to miss Monday’s LDC in Hamilton because of a hamstring injury. The addition of rookie runner Adam Cofield will help provide depth behind AJ Ouellette and rookie Daniel Adeboboye.
The 5’11 215-pound tailback, Cofield is a versatile runner and receiver who was overlooked in the NFL Draft process. Over the course of his college career at North Dakota State and Western Kentucky. Cofield accumulated over 2,000 total yards and 23 touchdowns.
Cofield also has a connection with the Toronto Argonauts. His father, Tim Cofield, was a three-time CFL All-Star defensive player and won a Grey Cup with the Boatmen in 1996.
Defensive linemen Ali Fayad was a superstar player at the collegiate level. The 2021 MAC Defensive Player of the Year had 40 tackles, 13 sacks, and 17 tackles for loss in his senior campaign at Western Michigan. Surprisingly, Fayad went undrafted despite his stellar efforts and was released by the Philadelphia Eagles this Spring.
Toronto’s front office has done a fantastic job adding American defensive line imports over the last two years. With the likes of Shawn Oakman, Dewayne Hendrix, and most recently, Boston College standout Brandon Barlow. With DE JaGared Davis on the shelf for six weeks. Fayad could find his way into Double Blue’s lineup reasonably soon.
For a full write-up on today’s signings. The Toronto Argonauts football club’s press release below goes into added detail on their latest acquisitions.
ARGOS INK TWO AMERICANS: RB ADAM COFIELD & DL ALI FAYAD
TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club announced today they have signed American RB Adam Cofield and American DL Ali Fayad.
Cofield, 5’11 and 215lbs, spent 2021 with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, where throughout 14 games, the running back rushed for 373 yards and four touchdowns with 22 receptions for 176 receiving yards. Before his time in Kentucky, the Missouri native attended North Dakota State, where he won three consecutive FCS National Championships. In 38 games with the Bison, Cofield rushed for over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. Cofield’s father is Tim Cofield, who was a three-time CFL All-Star and won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 1996.
Fayad, 23, played five seasons at Western Michigan (2017-2021), where he was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 after a 40 tackles, 13 sacks, and 17 tackles for loss campaign. The 6’2, 250lb lineman played in 52 career games for the Broncos and tallied 154 tackles, 51 for loss, 30 sacks, ten forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries while being named Second-Team All-MAC in 2019 and First-Team in 2021. The Detroit native was signed briefly with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
