Eskimos release Mitchell on Cutdown Day
 Derrell Mitchell Canadian Press
6/24/2007 2:01:28 AM
(CP) - For the second time in three years, Derrell (Mookie) Mitchell finds himself looking for another job in the CFL.
On Saturday, Mitchell was released by the Edmonton Eskimos as CFL teams reduced their training camp rosters to the league-mandated 46 players by midnight ET. He joined the Eskimos in 2004 after being cut by the Toronto Argonauts, where Mitchell had spent the first seven years of his Canadian football career.
But Mitchell, who turns 36 in September, wasn't the only big-name player released by Edmonton. Running back Josh Ranek, a former 1,000-yard rusher with the Ottawa Renegades, was also cut by the Eskimos.
Mitchell, the CFL's top rookie while with Toronto in `97, started 15 games last season and finished with 70 catches for 892 yards and a touchdown. He won a Grey Cup with Edmonton in 2005, his second CFL championship. The first came with Toronto in `97.
''Mookie Mitchell is a future CFL Hall of Famer,'' said Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia. ''We won a lot of games and a championship with him.''
Ranek's release Friday came just five months after he signed with the team as a free agent.
Ranek, 29, played in 10 games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season, carrying 85 times for 343 yards and adding 26 receptions for 254 yards and three touchdowns.
The five-foot-eight, 205-pound South Dakota native spent the previous five seasons with Ottawa, rising to prominence in 2003 with a team-record 1,122 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He added 373 receiving yards and four scores and was a unanimous selection to the East all-star team.
The Toronto Argonauts released 17 players, including former York University running back Andre Durie, who was attempting to come back from a horrific knee injury suffered two years ago.
The five-foot-11, 195-pound Durie was a blue-chip pro prospect in 2005. But during a game versus Queen's on Sept. 12, 2005, Durie planted his left leg to make a cut when he felt something pop in his knee. Tests revealed he not only tore three ligaments, but also muscles around the joint knee and crushed a nerve that left Durie with no feeling in his lower leg.
Durie had surgery to repair the muscles, then began to rehabilitate them. Doctors didn't want to tackle repairing the ligament damage until Durie regained the feeling in his leg.
That didn't happen until last September, yet Durie was jogging less than four months later, and began sprinting in February. Durie was bypassed in the CFL Canadian college draft in last month but signed with Toronto as a free agent shortly afterwards.
On Saturday, he and former Queen's slotback Brad Smith, the son of Montreal Alouettes president Larry Smith, were among those released by the Argos. However, players who are cut could still find their way on a CFL club's practice roster.
The Argos will formally announce their practice roster Sunday.
Toronto also added tackle Jeff Keeping to the weekly injured list while quarterback Eric Crouch and receiver Chad Rempel were placed on the nine-week injured list.
That means the Argos will open the season with CFL veterans Damon Allen and Michael Bishop as well as former NFL starter Mike McMahon as their three quarterbacks. Toronto will kick off the 2007 season Thursday night at Rogers Centre against the Grey Cup-champion B.C. Lions.
The Calgary Stampeders were involved in two deals Saturday.
The Stampeders sent third-year defensive back Coby Rhinehart to Montreal for future considerations and also dealt running back Wes Cates to Saskatchewan for Canadian offensive lineman Rob Lazeo and a 2009 conditional draft pick.
The five-foot-11, 196-pound Rhinehart appeared in 30 games with Calgary, registering 106 tackles and eight interceptions.
The Montreal Alouettes released 10 players Friday, including seven-year veteran linebacker Donnavan Carter and rush end D.D. Achelonu.
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