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The Toronto Argonauts continue their purge of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive line, by signing former All-Star Justin Hickman.

The Toronto Argonauts continued to rebuild their defence, by adding yet another former Hamilton Tiger-Cats player. As reported by Justin Dunk of 3DownNation, the Double Blue have signed Justin Hickman to a one-year deal.

Hickman becomes the third former Ti-Cats defensive lineman to come to Toronto, following in the footsteps of Bryan Hall and Brian Bulcke. In the process, the Argonauts appear primed to have one of the best front fours in the CFL this season.

The 30-year old brings some impressive statistics to the Argos, after recording 181 tackles, 36 sacks, seven forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 79 games for Hamilton. His best season came in 2011, when he tied for the league lead with 13 sacks and was named as a CFL All-Star.

Hickman’s performances during 2011, led to him signing a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately, after playing 12 games in 2012, he was waived after being injured during the following preseason.

The El Paso, Texas native spoke to argonauts.ca, to express his gratitude about joining the Argonauts: “I would like to thank Jim Barker and the Toronto Argonauts for allowing me to be a part of such a special year for the club.”

Hickman then turned his attention to preparing for the upcoming season: “I’m excited to get to work and start our journey beginning at training camp in May.”

General manager Jim Barker also spoke to argonauts.ca, to share his thoughts on the signing of the defensive end: “Justin is a great addition to our defensive line and locker room. He’s a proven player in our League and continues to perform at a high level year after year.”

Hickman played his college football at UCLA, where he was a Consensus All-American in 2006. He then signed for the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007, but was unable to make the team.

As an interesting side note, Hickman’s father also played in the CFL, spending four seasons with the B.C. Lions in the late 1970s. In addition, Donnie Hickman spent two years in the USFL and got the opportunity to block for Steve Young.

What are your thoughts about the addition of Justin Hickman? What do you expect from the Argonauts defence this season? Let us know in the comments section below.