Photo courtesy: Callena Williams/Dallas Cowboys.
The Toronto Argonauts have signed Canadian offensive lineman Dakoda Shepley following a six-year run in the National Football League, per sources. As per 3DownNation reporter John Hodge, the deal will make Shepley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the CFL.
The Windsor, Ont. native been a free agent since he was released with an injury designation by the Dallas Cowboys in August.
The 31-year-old was originally selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the first round, fifth overall during the 2018 CFL Draft. He attended training camp with the New York Jets that same year but was waived after the preseason.
Shepley signed with the Riders in 2019 and played 18 regular-season games that year, becoming a full-time starter at guard. He helped the Roughriders finish first in the West Division with a 13-5 record as Cody Fajardo became a star at quarterback. The six-foot-five, 290-pound blocker opted out of the 2020 CFL season to pursue the NFL.
The move paid off for Shepley as he earned nearly $2 million USD with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts combined. He dressed in 16 regular-season NFL games: eight with Seattle, seven with Dallas, and one with San Francisco.
At the 2018 CFL combine, Shepley recorded 225 pounds on the bench press 27 times, ran a 5.15-second hand-timed 40-yard dash, 4.72-second shuttle, 8.01-second three-cone, recorded a 31-inch vertical jump, and an eight-foot, 9.5-inch broad jump. The performance drew interest from NFL teams, as did his attendance at Eastern Michigan’s pro day.
Shepley played four seasons at the University of British Columbia (2014-2017) where he started 31 of 32 regular-season games. While with the Thunderbirds, he lined up at left tackle and right guard, earning Canada West all-star honours in 2017. He played in the 2017 U Sports East-West Bowl and won 2015 Vanier Cup.