The Canadian Football League has officially kicked off and we have just finished the second week of action. While watching the past two weeks and enjoying the nine competitive teams this league has to offer, I couldn’t help but notice how many former Cleveland Browns were littered on rosters. I took a dive scouring each roster trying to find all of the former Browns and the list is below.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Justin Tuggle, DE, with Browns in 2016

Tuggle was not in Cleveland very long as he was only on the roster from March 11, 2016 until his release on September 3, 2016. Tuggle was an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State and actually saw action in 42 games during his stint with the Houston Texans from 2013-2015, but he did next to nothing as a Brown and has spent the last two seasons up North. Tuggle was with the Toronto Argonauts from 2017-2018 and now he has landed with Hamilton for 2019. It should be noted that Tuggle is a 2017 Grey Cup Champion.

Jamaal Westerman, DT, with Browns in 2014

If you thought Tuggle’s time in Cleveland was short, Westerman was only a Brown for a little over a month, after getting signed on July 24, 2014, he was released on August 30, 2014. Westerman is a well-traveled, multi-league journeyman spending time as a New York Jet, Miami Dolphin, Arizona Cardinal, Indianapolis Colt, Buffalo Bill and Pittsburgh Steeler before finally hitting his last NFL stop as a Brown.

Once making the transition to the CFL in 2015 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Westerman immediately made an impact and was even named a CFL West All-Star and because he is a native Canadian he was even eligible to win the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy, which he did in the same year. Westerman was in Winnipeg from 2015-2017 and spent a portion of the 2018 season with the Montreal Alouettes before ending up in his current Hamilton home.

Dylan Wynn, DT, with Browns 2015-2016

After going undrafted in 2015 out of Oregon State, Wynn landed on the Cleveland practice squad, but he was released once removed from the injury reserve in 2016. Like Westerman, Wynn thrived up North and immediately earned CFL East All-Star accolades in 2017. He spent 2017 and 2018 in Toronto before giving the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football a shot. After that league folded, Wynn wound back up in Canada, but now with Hamilton.

Montreal Alouettes

Marcus Cromartie, CB, with Browns in 2014

Cromartie was a Cleveland Brown for one day as he was signed to the practice squad on October 29, 2014 and was released almost immediately. After going undrafted from Wisconsin, Cromartie has bounced around the NFL and has spent time with the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions before entering his first CFL season this year with Montreal.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Lavar Edwards, DE, with Browns in 2017

This is a name most fans will recognize as Edwards only spent a brief time in Cleveland as he was signed on December 13, 2017 and was not brought back for 2018, but most fans will remember him due to his solid college career at LSU. Edwards was actually drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans before bouncing around the league. Edwards has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts before making his final NFL stop in Cleveland. Edwards has been in Saskatchewan since last season.

Solomon Elimimian, LB, with Browns in 2012

Elimimian has an awesome story, after going undrafted in 2008 out of Hawaii he was picked up by the Buffalo Bills and was released after a short time, but he then went to the CFL and dominated with the BC Lions. Elimimian won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 2010 and was a CFL All-Star in 2011 before getting another shot in the NFL. He was signed by Cleveland on September 1, 2012 and was quickly released on September 3, 2012, but he turned right around up North and dominated again for BC.

Elimimian has been in BC since 2012, before being recently signed by Saskatchewan before this season. Elimimian was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 2014 as well as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2014 and 2016. He has been a CFL All-Star four times and a CFL West All-Star five times.

Naaman Roosevelt, WR, with Browns in 2013

Roosevelt is another player that has carved a nice niche in the CFL. After going undrafted in 2010 out of Buffalo, Roosevelt was signed by the Buffalo Bills and spent three seasons there before being released. Cleveland then picked him up for the 2013 season and decided not to bring him back for 2014. He finished his NFL career with a stint as a Detriot Lion and again as a Bill before heading up North. Roosevelt has been in Saskatchewan since 2015 and was a CFL West All-Star in 2017.

Toronto Argonauts

Armanti Edwards, WR, with Browns in 2013

Most fans will also remember Edwards as one of college football’s most electric quarterbacks during his time at Appalachian State. He was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and was on the roster for four seasons before being released and ending up in Cleveland. The Browns signed Edwards on October 31, 2013, but he was quickly placed on IR in November and then they agreed to an injury settlement on December 23, 2013.

He had one last shot with the Chicago Bears in 2014. Edwards made his CFL debut in Saskatchewan in 2016, but was traded to Toronto in 2017 and he has never looked back.

Abdul Kanneh, DB, with Browns in 2013

Kanneh spent time with Cleveland during their training camp after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of New Mexico Highlands. After being released during the same training camp, Kanneh was with the Orlando Predators, who at the time were in the Arena Football League in 2014. After his AFL season, Kanneh went to the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks and spent three seasons with them from 2014-2016. During his time in Ottawa, Kanneh was a CFL All-Star in 2015 and an East All-Star in 2015 and 2016. He then had an injury-plagued 2017 season with Hamilton before being traded for nothing to Toronto in 2018 and he’s been there ever since.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Rasheed Bailey, WR, with Browns in 2017

Bailey was in Cleveland from August 5, 2017 to September 1, 2017, but that has been the story of his career. He has been on eight professional teams since going undrafted in 2015 out of Delaware Valley. Bailey has had short stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers. He was in BC for a portion of 2015 and is returning to the CFL this season with Winnipeg.

Geoff Gray, OL, with the Browns 2017-2018

Gray puts the man in Manitoba and slid all the way to the eighth pick of the 2017 CFL Draft due to concerns he would land in the NFL. Gray spent time with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets before he made it to Cleveland. The Browns signed Gray off of the Jets practice squad on December 13, 2017, but he was cut on August 28, 2018. Gray has been in Winnipeg since last season.

Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, with the Browns in 2016

It appears to be a theme that Cleveland is the last spot before Canada as Jeffcoat was a Brown from April 15, 2016 to August 1, 2016 before heading up North. Jeffcoat went undrafted in 2014 out of Texas and spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins before coming to Cleveland. He has been in Winnipeg since 2017 and has dominated enough to receive a few second looks in the NFL including a workout with the Cincinnati Bengals.