The Oakland Raiders have signed Canadian Football League Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
The running back took to Twitter after he was signed:
Would like to thank everyone for their love and support on me and my new adventure thanks #Ridernation and thank @sskroughriders
- Kory #1Time Sheets (@Sheets24K) February 12, 2014
Sheets worked out for the Raiders during the last week of January but left the team facility without a contract, tweeting at the time, "Hungry not stupid" before following it up with "Sign for free nah."
Two of Oakland's running backs will be unrestricted free agents, though general manager Reggie McKenzie said he wanted to retain Rashad Jennings and expected Darren McFadden to test the market. The Raiders also have Latavius Murray, a sixth-round draft pick who spent the 2013 season on injured reserve, as well as Jeremy Stewart and Pro Bowl fullback Marcel Reece, who started one game at tailback last season.
The 5-11, 208-pound Sheets, meanwhile, has spent the past two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, rushing for a total of 2,875 yards on 516 carries for an average of 5.6 yards per carry with 23 touchdowns. He has also caught 86 passes for 781 yards and two scores. Sheets was named the Grey Cup MVP after rushing for a Grey Cup-record 197 yards, on 20 carries, with two TDs in the Roughriders' 45-23 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Nov. 24.
Sheets, who played college ball at Purdue and was the Boilermakers' second career-leading rusher and all-time rushing TD leader, was initially an undrafted free agent of the San Francisco 49ers in 2009 and was signed to their practice squad before being signed by the Miami Dolphins later that season.
He was with Miami in 2009 and 2010, appearing in two games, recording one carry for five yards. He then spent the 2011 season on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad before heading to Canada.