HAMILTON — The entire makeup of the 2018 CFL Draft has changed in an instant as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have traded up for the #1 pick overall in a trade with the Montreal Alouettes.

In return, the Alouettes have received offensive guard Ryan Bomben and Hamilton’s second overall selection.

Earlier in the day, the Tiger-Cats traded up into the first round, landing the sixth overall pick in a trade with the Edmonton Eskimos. The Ticats also got a fifth-round pick (37th overall) in the deal, while the Eskimos got a second-round pick (10th overall) and third-round pick (20th overall) in exchange.

TRADE DETAILS

To Hamilton: 1st overall (1st round) pick in 2018, 31st overall (4th round) pick in 2018, 44th overall (6th round) pick in 2018, 2nd round pick in 2019.

To Montreal: OL Ryan Bomben, WR Jamal Robinson, 2nd overall pick (1st round) in 2018, 34th overall pick (4th round) in 2018, 56th overall (7th round) pick in 2018, rights to an undisclosed negotiation list player.

> View full Draft Priority order

> O’Leary: Breaking down the Als, Ticats trade

“We are extremely satisfied to allow Ryan to return home. We have once more solidified our Canadian content all while keeping the opportunity to draft a player that can help us immediately with the second overall pick,” declared Montreal Alouettes General Manager Kavis Reed.

Bomben returns to where it all started for him in the CFL, as the Alouettes claimed him in the fourth round (31st overall) in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft. The 30-year-old athlete spent the first five seasons of his career in Montreal, playing 72 games, including 33 as a starter. He also fooled opposing defences on a few occasions, as he caught eight passes for 52 yards, in addition to a major.

The former Guelph University Gryphon played 120 games in the CFL, including 80 as a starter. He also played six career playoff games. The Burlington, ON native has been named an East Division all-star for the past three seasons, (2015, 2016, 2017) and has been named the 2016 and 2017 Tiger-Cats most outstanding lineman. He was acquired by the Tiger-Cats in 2015.

Robinson served the final month of the 2017 season on the Tiger-Cats practice roster after spending parts of two seasons (2016 and 2017) with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Prior to turning pro, the 25-year-old wide receiver spent five years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In 52 career collegiate games with the Ragin’ Cajuns, the Slidell, LA native recorded 156 receptions for 2,653 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Jones confirms Manziel not the negotiation list player in deal

Mentioned in the final list of prospects and roster players swapped between the Alouettes and Tiger-Cats Wednesday afternoon. Some would wonder if the “unspecified negotiation list rights” belonged to Johnny Manziel, especially given the uncertainty at quarterback in Montreal, the connection with Als head coach Mike Sherman and the magnitude of the trade.

However, Tiger-Cats head coach June Jones quickly put that to rest on a Wednesday evening interview with TSN Radio in Hamilton.

“We still hold onto (Manziel’s) negotiation rights. It has nothing to do with what we did today,” Jones stated when pressed about the topic

More to come…