LAWRENCE, KS - October 28, 2023 - quarterback Jason Bean #9 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the game between Kansas and Oklahoma at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, KS. Photo by Jordan Reyes/Kansas Athletics
The Canadian Football League recently released a list of 10 names on each team’s negotiation list. This is a list of players whose rights are exclusively owned by a team.
A handful of current Boatmen have appeared on these public lists before: Chad Kelly, Dejon Allen, Javon Leake, Tarvarus McFadden and Deonta McMahon.
Argonauts.ca wanted to provide a little more information about the players on the Argos list. Here’s a look at the latest ten players, listed in alphabetical order.
Jason Bean: Quarterback, Kansas.
The 6’3” Texan just posted his second consecutive solid season with the Jayhawks. He wasn’t slotted to be the starter, but highly touted Jalon Daniels has battled injuries over the last two seasons. Bean threw for over 1,600 yards this year to set a career high while continuing to protect the football, once again completing over 60% of his passes.
In a game against Oklahoma State this year he passed for 410 yards and 5 touchdowns. Over the last two seasons he’s thrown 26 TD passes against just 8 interceptions. Not afraid to run, Bean carried the ball 41 times for 259 yards this year and has a total of nine rushing touchdowns in his three seasons with Kansas. KU has posted an 8-4 record this season and plays UNLV on Boxing Day.
Isaiah Bowser: Running Back, Central Florida.
Under head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, the Argos have shown a desire to add strong, downhill runners and Bowser fits perfectly into that mould. He also catches the ball well out of the backfield.
The running back transferred to UCF after beginning his career at Northwestern. In his graduate season he rushed for 799 yards with 16 touchdowns and was named Second Team All-ACC. Bowser signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent but was released before training camp opened.
Nolan Henderson: Quarterback, Delaware.
A quarterback with all the physical tools, Henderson is a quick decision maker with a rapid release. Blessed with a very strong arm, he threw for over 6,400 yards and 56 touchdowns – 32 in his final season – against just 14 interceptions at Delaware.
He was a two-time All-CAA selection with the Blue Hens. Despite having a season of NCAA eligibility remaining, Henderson entered the 2023 NFL Draft but was not selected. He signed a deal with Baltimore as an unrestricted free agent but was released in June.
Leonard Johnson: Defensive Back, Duke.
A physical player who also ran a 4.5-40 at his pro day. The Argos were hoping he would be heading north last year, but he continued to look for a job in the NFL. Johnson played 47 games at Duke, starting 39 of them and finishing his career with six interceptions, 10 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.
The 6’0”, 194-pound cornerback suffered an ACL injury leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, which may be the main reason he’s not in the NFL. He signed a contract this past season with the New York Giants but was waived in July with an injury settlement.
Xavier Malone: Receiver, Henderson State.
Malone is a player whose skill set is perfectly tailored to the CFL. A versatile receiver and returner who could be a weapon on a bigger field due to his combination of quickness and speed. Malone could not only find himself filling a role as a valuable receiver but has the tools to run sweeps and reverses.
At Henderson State, the 5’9” speedster racked up 1,382 yards on 67 catches in 2022, catching an eye-opening 15 touchdown passes. He played junior college ball at Northeast Mississippi Community College before transferring. This season Malone signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons but was released in October.
John Matocha: Quarterback, Colorado School of Mines.
It’s been said of Matocha that all he does is complete passes and win. Considered by many to be undersized for the NFL game at 5’11”, he’s Division II’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with an incredible 161 against 27 interceptions. His completion percentage this year was 71%. In his four seasons he’s thrown for 14,736 yards and accounted for 190 touchdowns, the most ever at any level of college football.
Matocha, a three-time conference MVP, won the Harlon Hill Trophy last year as the top D-II player in the country and he’s a finalist for the honour again this year.
He finished 50-7 in his career as a starter and led the 14-0 Orediggers to a second consecutive National Championship game, which they lost to Harding on Saturday, a game in which he passed for 270 yards and a touchdown.
It was while studying video on Matocha that assistant general manager Vince Magri discovered current Argos defensive back Mason Pierce.
Derek Parish: Defensive Line, Houston.
A highly talented pass rusher who likely falls into the “tweener” category in the NFL. Considered undersized as a pass rusher at 6’2”, 245 pounds, Parish is known for his high motor and relentlessness as a player, and his high character and work ethic off the field.
He was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 7th round of this year’s NFL Draft after an impressive career at the University of Houston, where he recorded 17 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. In one remarkable game in his final season against Texas Tech he recorded 4.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss. The Jaguars released him in October.
John Rhys Plumlee: Quarterback, Central Florida.
A two-sport athlete who also plays baseball for the Knights. As an outfielder he hit .286 with 10 home runs while leading the team with 18 stolen bases. On the gridiron, Plumlee set rushing records in his three seasons at Ole Miss – including in his freshman year rushing for 1,023 yards as a QB – before transferring.
At CFU he tied a school record by accounting for seven touchdowns in a game. He passed for 2,073 yards and 13 touchdowns in ’23, while adding 473 on the ground.
The Knights face Georgia Tech in a Bowl game on Friday night.
Jason Poe: Offensive Lineman, Mercer.
Undersized by NFL standards at 6’0’ 300 pounds, Poe is an exceptionally athletic offensive lineman who could not only play multiple positions on the offensive line but could perhaps line up as a fullback or even at tight end.
His pro day measurables were fantastic, running a sub-5.0 in the 40 and doing 34 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. The one measurable that hurts him is that his arms are short by NFL standards. He wasn’t drafted but spent 2022 with the San Francisco 49ers and 2023 with the New York Jets before being released in November.
Matt Sluka: Quarterback, Holy Cross.
He’s the winner of this year’s Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Award, and a two-time First Team All-Conference player. Sluka is a dynamic quarterback who can bring fans out of their seats with a deep ball or a run. So far, Sluka has passed for 5,916 yards with 59 touchdowns against just 15 interceptions. He’s rushed for 3,583 yards and 38 touchdowns.
The QB is nominated a second time for the Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS football. He has entered the transfer portal this year, so he could face tougher competition in 2024 as he has reportedly drawn interest from multiple Power Five schools.