Justin Blackmon Might be Headed to … Canada?

The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League have acquired the rights to Justin Blackmon. Wait, what in the world does that mean? Well, according to Sportsnet, if Blackmon is ever reinstated by the NFL (this is a prerequisite), the Argonauts could apparently pick him up.

The Toronto Argonauts added Blackmon, the suspended Jaguars deep-threat who quickly became a draft bust after being taken fifth overall in 2012 by Jacksonville, to their “confidential” negotiation list earlier this month.

Under the “Ricky Williams rule” instituted nearly a decade ago, any player suspended by another professional football league (NFL, Arena) would be ineligible to play in the CFL, until that discipline is rescinded. Blackmon’s run in Jacksonville has been mired with discipline issues. He was twice suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy in 2013 and remains under “indefinite suspension” for reportedly failing more drug tests.

And I suppose this is all presuming the Jags (or other teams) don’t want him. That’s probably a pretty good presumption at this point.

I’m not sure I’ll ever get over how bizarre this entire Blackmon thing is. Of all people I expected to fall on his face in the pros for off the field stuff, he is not the one I would have picked. Still, Canada could be good for him like it’s been for another former big time WR who went to Oklahoma State.

“I’ve seen a couple of boys from Oklahoma State up here, and there are some still here,” Adarius Bowman told Robert Allen recently. “Canada has been a great life for me. I love it.

“With me it has always been about football but it has always been about life and growing as a man and growing up. I really identify with the people up here and I was able to establish myself. Wherever I can play I am going to play as hard as I can. Like anything, I loved Oklahoma State when I was there, I loved North Carolina when I was there, and I love Canada.

“I’ve adopted to my surroundings and it would be hard for me to walk away from up here because I want to give my best and I enjoy the people I play with and the lifestyle. I don’t really go back to the U.S. all that often.”