Blue Bombers sign 6 players in 1 day, including all-stars Harris, Medlock

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed six playerson the first day of the CFL's free agency including all-stars inrunning back Andrew Harris andplacekickerJustinMedlock.

The Bombers announced Tuesday they havesigned a three-year deal with Harris, atwo-time CFL all-star with the B.C. Lions. Heis aborn-and-raisedWinnipeggerandan alumnus ofOak Park High School.

The 28-year-old running back was themost outstanding Canadian in the 2011 Grey Cup, when he ran all over the Bombers and led his team to a34-23 championship victory.

Medlock,32,broke into the CFL in 2009 with the Toronto Argonauts and made an immediate impact hittingseven field goals in a single game, tying theArgonauts'team record and coming up oneshort of the CFLrecord of eight.

In September 2015, he earned the distinction ofbeing the most accurate kicker in CFL history, making good on166 of 190 attempts (87.4 per cent) over his five-year career in the league.

• Justin Medlock, Tiger-Cats kicker, most accurate in CFL history

"They wanted me. I wanted to be there. I think it was a mutual thing," Medlock said of the Bombers on Tuesday.

"I don't think it was just one of those things that they just went above and beyond somebody else. I just think that we both kind of wanted it to work."

Bombers GM Kyle Walters called Medlock"a massive addition to our roster, and obviously in particular to our kicking game.

"His numbers throughout his career speak for themselves andwe're really excited to add him to our organization."

Twice named an East Division all-star, Medlockhas spent time in the NFL as well as with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos and Hamilton Tiger Cats.

Lirim Hajrullahu, who has been theBombers' kicker for the past two seasons, wasn't offered a contract after struggling in 2015. In oneparticularly bad game in October,Hajrullahumissedfour field goals and laterapologized to fans.

• Bombers kicker Lirim Hajrullahu apologizes to fans for Saturday's game

Harris, who moved from Winnipeg to B.C.after high school, played junior footballwith the Vancouver IslandRaiders, leading them to national championships in 2006, 2008and 2009.

Along the way, hebroke a number of British Columbia conference andCJFLrecords, including all-time touchdowns and scoring, and was named the mostoutstanding junior football player in the country in 2009.

He jumped straight to the CFL, skipping over the university ranks, by joining the Lions practice roster in 2009. Harris saw his first professional action in 2010 and before long was named the CFL's special teams player of the week.

He started the 2011 seasonas thebackup running back but took over as the starter by mid-season.

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The Bombers also announced the signingof defensive tackle Keith Shologan, who was withthe Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2008-2013;receiver Ryan Smith, whohad 72 catches for 1,150 yards and seven TDs over twoseasons with the Riders; running backPascal Lochard,whoplayed withthe B.C. Lions since being drafted in 2014; andoffensive lineman Jeff Keeping, who has played in the league for 11 years and was named an all-star in 2013.

"Jeff adds a veteran leadership role to not only our offensive line group, but our entire locker room," Bombers' general manager Kyle Walters said in a statement.

"He's a player who knows what it takes to win in this league, and is an asset for this organization both on and off the field."

A post-season veteran, Shologanhas also played in three Grey Cup games, winning in 2013. He was named the most valuable Canadian in the 2010 championship game despite the Riders' loss to Montreal.

Since 2013 he hadbeen with theOttawa Redblacks, after being signed in the CFL expansion draft.

The latest movesfurther beef up the Bombers, who have been making several moves in the lead-up to the2016 season.

In the past two weeks, the team hasaddedtwo-time CFL all-star receiver WestonDresslerand defensive back Macho Harris.

Both werecut loose by the Saskatchewan Roughriders last month after Chris Jones stepped in as the newhead coach and general manager.

Dressler has been a division all-star on four occasions,league all-star twice and was the CFL'smost outstanding rookie in 2008.

Harris, whojoinedthe Riders in 2012, has alsoplayed in the NFL for Philadelphia and Washington.