Judge Traded to Stamps

In a move that suggests there have been plenty of discussions on both sides, the Toronto Argonauts have traded the playing right for Canadian LB Cam Judge to the Calgary Stampeders for the playing rights for Canadian S Royce Metchie. Both players become free agents next week.

In situations such as this, it would be unusual if both players didn’t end up signing a contract with their new teams, but stranger things have happened in the CFL.

Judge, who signed in Toronto with much fanfare a year ago, was never able to live up to the hype and regain the form which saw him finish as a runner-up for the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian award in 2019. He struggled with injuries in 2021 and finished the season with only 13 tackles.

Metchie’s 2021 season was arguably worse than Judge’s in that he was lost for the year following an arm injury back in September that required surgery. Before that, however, he looked like the player the Stampeders expected him to be following a breakout 2019 campaign – his second in the CFL.

The 25-year-old Metchie played halfback at Guelph before moving to safety as a senior, which turned out to be the perfect spot for him in the CFL. Calgary took Metchie 25th overall in the 2018 CFL Draft and he went on to start 17 games for them at safety a year later.

Metchie was born in Nigeria and grew up in Brampton, making him yet another GTA signing for the Argos who have really looked to increase their local presence over the past few years.

If Metchie signs with Toronto, the expectation is that he would start at safety to open the season.