The B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers officially completed their blockbuster deal involving former CFL rushing leaders Monday.
The Lions sent Joe Smith, the league's leading rusher last season, to Winnipeg for Charles Roberts, a perennial 1,000-yard rusher in the CFL.
"Charles is a very talented player with an excellent football resume and I believe he will be an exciting addition to our team," Lions head coach/GM Wally Buono said in a statement.
The five-foot-six, 171-pound Roberts spent seven-plus seasons with Winnipeg, running for 9,987 career yards with the Bombers. That puts him fifth overall in CFL history and Roberts is poised to become just the fifth player ever to reach the 10,000-yard rushing plateau.
Roberts, a six-time East Division and CFL all-star, leaves Winnipeg as the club's career leader in rushing yards (9,987), carries (1,853), 1,000-yard seasons (six) and 100-yard games (37).
This season, Roberts has run for 517 yards on 111 carries (4.7-yard average) and four touchdowns. He also has 38 catches for 251 yards and seven punt returns for 70 yards.
"When you think about what Charles Roberts has meant to this franchise -- becoming the leading rusher in team history and a pivotal part of our two Grey Cup appearances this decade -- to a man, it was a very difficult decision," said Bombers GM Brendan Taman. "But this is also a business where we have to make this right decision for our football club.
"And while Charles has meant so much to this organization, it was time to turn the page. Joe Smith is a tremendous addition to our football team and going into the second half of the season, he will be looked upon to be an important contributor."
The six-foot-two, 224-pound Smith ran for a CFL-high 1,510 yards and 18 touchdowns last season but has appeared in just four games with B.C. in 2008, rushing for 236 yards on 55 carries. He had been supplanted by newcomer Stefan Logan as the Lions' starting tailback.
Smith was in his third season with B.C. and helped the Lions win the 2006 Grey Cup before leading the CFL in rushing last year.
With a report from CTV's Shawn Churchill.
