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About a week ago, social-media staffers of the Ottawa Redblacks tweeted 28th birthday greetings to Eric Fraser.

On Thursday, management of the Canadian Football League team stopped the five-year veteran as he headed into TD Place stadium to work out and told him he was out of a job.

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“I was more surprised by the timing, not surprised completely,” Fraser said afterward. “You play in the league long enough and you see things develop, see how things play out.

“I thought I would at least be in (training) camp, but this might work out better because I can try to get on another roster.”

Fraser spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, who had drafted him eighth overall in 2009, before the Redblacks selected him the CFL expansion draft in December 2013.

He began last season as the starting safety, but was eventually demoted. He finished the season tied for 18th on the team with 15 defensive tackles, but he was second with 12 tackles on special teams.