Toronto Argonauts Sign XFL Star Receiver
The Toronto Argonauts signed NFL and spring league veteran wide receiver Jeff Badet on Thursday.
Badet, 29, most recently spent time with the Vegas Vipers of the XFL, where he caught 34 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games, all of which led the team. The Vipers saw two other pass catchers sign on with NFL teams after the XFL season ended.
The 5-11, 183-pound speedster, who once clocked a 4.27 40-yard dash at Oklahoma pro day, is well-traveled, having two separate stints in the XFL with the Vipers and Arlington Renegades, the USFL with the Michigan Panthers, and the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Football Team.
Badet is the second former Las Vegas player signing on with the Argonauts after the XFL and USFL merged to form the United Football League. He joins teammate running back DeAndre Torrey, who signed in January.
A former member of the Oklahoma Sooners (2017) and Kentucky Wildcats (2013-2016), Badet brings an added speed element to the Argonauts receiving corps.
Receivers with 4.3 speed don't grow on trees and in the Canadian game, with a forward motion toward the line of scrimmage, if any American receiver with that kind of acceleration can learn the nuances of CFL route running and spacing, he can become a terror for opposing defenses.
As CFL fans witnessed firsthand last season, league Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly had no fear in striking defenses down the field. And did so with great success often.
Badet has endured a lot of adversity in his pro career, through injuries and otherwise. But if he gets a genuine shot and some luck, might be one of the best steals Toronto has had in signing American imports.
The Badet signing comes a day after Toronto re-upped 2023 breakout star receiver Damonte Coxie — another example of how the Boatmen have benefited from finding gems from down south.
