The Toronto Argonauts are keeping a close eye on Canadian defensive linemen Luigi Vilen and Paris Shand, who are both currently NFL free agents.
“We have a couple of young guys in the pipeline: Luigi Villian, who has been touring the NFL the last two years, and Paris Shand, who was drafted last year out of LSU,” director of player personnel Jim Barker said. 3DownNation.
“I've already called Luigi and Paris and they're not ready to sign yet, but you never know when things will change. They do enough auditions and they say, 'You know what? I need to play, I need to get on the field. That's what we're trying to preach to them: You need to, when you're young, get out there and play. You need to show what you can do, and that's what we hope happens with these guys.”
The Argonauts selected Vilen in the third round of the 2021 CFL Draft. Once a highly touted high school recruit, the Ottawa, Ontario native was coming off an unproductive collegiate career at the University of Michigan. However, the COVID-19 pandemic gave him an extra year of NCAA eligibility, and Wilen took full advantage by transferring to Wake Forest University, where he led the team with nine sacks, drawing increased interest from the NFL.
The six-foot-four, 252-pound defensive end has since played for the Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, appearing in five regular-season games and recording four tackles. He has been a free agent since July, when he was released by the Cowboys.
Shand was a second-round pick in the 2025 CFL Draft but ended up signing with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent. The six-foot-four, 268-pound guard attended training camp with the team but has been a free agent since being waived in late August.
The Toronto native played 49 collegiate games at the University of Arizona and Louisiana State University, recording 82 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three pass knockdowns, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He made nine starts for the Tigers in his two seasons with the team.
“Both of those guys, if you can get them, it changes your equation when you have (2025 CFL draft pick) Jeremiah Ojo (already under contract),” Barker said. “Are you making this a Canadian commercial? Those are the kinds of decisions you can't make (until they sign), but those are the kinds of things you discuss.”
The Toronto Argonauts finished third in the East Division standings in 2025 with a 5–13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Franchise quarterback Chad Kelly was unable to play the entire season due to a broken leg he suffered in the Eastern finals last year, losing to Nick Arbuckle, who threw for 4,370 yards, 26 touchdowns and 15 interceptions to be named to the team. Most Outstanding Player candidate.
The Argonauts ranked seventh in net offense, sixth in net defense and seventh in turnover differential of minus-eight. The club's leading rusher was Spencer Brown with 314 yards, the leading receiver was Dejon Brissett with 907 yards, and the leading tackler was Cameron Judge with 79 tackles. Toronto ranked ninth in attendance with an average attendance of 15,109, down 0.1 percent from the previous year.
