The Toronto Argonauts signed offensive lineman Dakota Shepley and defensive back James Cesar on Tuesday.
Dakoda Shepley is six foot five and weighs 290 pounds. The 31-year-old from Windsor, Ontario, was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the first round (5th pick) of the 2018 CFL Draft, but chose to sign with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent on May 4, 2018.
Shepley played in three preseason games for the Jets before they released him on August 31, 2018. He signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on March 19, 2019. In 2019, he started 18 games. They went 12-6 that season, losing to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Semi-Final. The Roughriders re-signed Shepley on November 27, 2019, but the season was cancelled due to COVID-19, and he opted out of his contract.
Shepley signed with the San Francisco 49ers on August 29, 2020. He also had stints with the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, and twice with the Dallas Cowboys. Shepley played in 16-career NFL regular-season games.
Collegiately, Shepley spent five seasons at the University of British Columbia (2013-17), playing right guard and right tackle in 42 games for the Thunderbirds. In his sophomore season, the Thunderbirds won the Vanier Cup in 2015. They finished the season with an 11-2 record, averaging 36.2 points per game, 443 yards per game, 316.9 passing yards per game, 143.3 rushing yards per game, and 47 touchdowns.
In 2017, he was named a Canada West All-Star after starting 10 games. UBC averaged 30.5 points per game, 434.9 yards per game, 312.6 passing yards per game, 142.7 rushing yards per game, and 39 touchdowns, finishing the season with an 8-3 record.
James Cesar is six foot and weighs 195 pounds. The 27-year-old from Detroit, Michigan, signed with the Vegas Knight Hawks in 2024. In 2024, he made 69 tackles (48 solos, 21 assists), 2.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and 15 pass breakups in 13 games. The Knight Hawks re-signed Cesar on November 26, 2024.
In 2025, Cesar was named First Team All-IFL after finishing the season with 132 (57 solos, 75 assists), four interceptions, 20 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two kick returns for five yards, and one touchdown in 19 games, helping the Knight Hawks win the 2025 IFL Championship over the Green Bay Blizzard. He had re-signed with the Knight Hawks on September 23, 2025.
Collegiately, Cesar spent one season at Ferris State University in 2019 with 31 tackles (19 solos, 12 assists), 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions, and seven pass breakups in 11 games for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs won the GLIAC Championship. Cesar was named the GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year.
Then, he transferred to Southern Illinois University (2016-21) with 101 tackles (78 solos, 23 assists), 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, 25 pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and 12 kick returns for 235 yards in 36 games for the Salukis. He was named First Team All-MVFC and First Team All-American by the AFCA. He finished his career ranking fourth in pass breakups at SIU.
