Alouettes land quarterback Cody Fajardo on 2-year deal in free agency

Cody Fajardo has a new CFL home.

The move wasn't a surprise as former Alouettes quarterback Trevor Harris agreed to a deal last week with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Fajardo's former team.

Fajardo, 30, spent the past three seasons with Saskatchewan, leading the Riders to the West Division final in 2019 and '21. Montreal also secured him a reliable receiver as a CFL source said the Alouettes also signed veteran Greg Ellingson to a one-year deal Tuesday.

Fajardo threw for 3,360 yards last season in 17 regular-season games, which he played with a persistent knee ailment. Fajardo had 16 touchdown strikes but also threw a career-high 13 interceptions.

Ellingson, 34, had 38 catches for 598 yards and three TDs in eight regular-season games last year with Winnipeg. The six-foot-three, 211-pound American has cracked the 1,000-yard plateau five times during his nine-year CFL tenure.

Ellingson has 587 catches for 8,550 yards and 45 TDs in 125 career regular-season games with Hamilton, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

WATCH | Fajardo shines in August win over B.C.:

Meanwhile, the Grey-Cup champion Toronto Argonauts signed American defensive back Adarius Pickett.

The five-foot-11, 210-pound Pickett spent two seasons with Montreal. He appeared in 30 regular-season games, registering 96 tackles, 19 special-teams tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Before coming to the CFL, Pickett spent 2019-2020 in the NFL with New England, Chicago and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Also, the Calgary Stampeders signed American defensive end Julian Howsare. Contract details weren't immediately known.

Howsare, 30, joins the Stampeders after four seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

He appeared in 62 career regular-season