The Ottawa Redblacks have signed their first four players. Who exactly are they?

While the Ottawa Redblacks already took part in May's Canadian draft and is preparing for December's expansion draft, the first players officially under contract with the franchise didn't come from either source. Instead, general manager Marcel Desjardins and his front office staff have already taken advantage of the league allowing Ottawa to sign current free agents following the conclusion of the Grey Cup, inking four players this week who impressed at the team's U.S. free agent camps. (Unlike the camps most CFL teams run before the year, the Redblacks did these during the season.) Just who are these newest Redblacks, though, and how likely are they to make the team? Here's a breakdown of each, in the order they signed.

—DeMitrio Tyson, defensive end, 24, 6'2'', 275 pounds: Tyson played NCAA Division I FCS football at Jacksonville State in Alabama and did well there, making first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference in 2012 after a campaign where he notched 29 tackles and three sacks. He doesn't seem to have attracted much NFL interest though, and spent most of this year in the Arena Football League with the San Jose SaberCats. Still, given his youth and his impressive past performance, he would seem to have a reasonable shot to make this team.

—Nick Turnbull, defensive back, 32, 6'2'', 222 pounds: Turnbull would seem like a longer shot here given his age. While the CFL is a league where older players can often shine, much of that is thanks to experience with the differences inherent in Canadian football. Making the CFL as a 32-year-old is tough. Still, Turnbull has played at high levels, putting up a school-record 16 interceptions during his career with the Florida International University Panthers. FIU started as a I-AA team (current FCS) when Turnbull began there in 2002, and he made headlines for the impressive play and athleticism he showed as a redshirt freshman free safety; he then shone there for several further years and was one of the team's leaders during their transition to the higher FBS level in 2005. Here are some highlights of what he can do:

Following his college career, Turnbull had NFL stints with the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, and he played in the UFL from 2009 to 2011 with the Las Vegas Locomotives. He definitely has plenty of size and could be an intriguing defender. We'll see if he still has the kind of ability he showed at FIU, but while he's less likely to make this team than the younger signings, he might well have something left.

—Fred Rouse, wide receiver, 27, 6'4'', 200 pounds: Rouse is an intriguing prospect, and one who comes from a pool of players that often do well in the CFL; those with plenty of ability who bounced around from college to college (and may have been overlooked by the NFL as a result). Like Als' star Duron Carter and current Ticats' backup QB Jeremiah Masoli, Rouse started at a big school (Florida State, in his case) before stints with lower-profile ones (UTEP and Division II Concordia-Selma). He was a five-star Rivals recruit out of high school, but his collegiate career only led him to the UFL and brief stints with the Stampeders in 2011 and 2012. He has lots of athletic ability, though. Here's a touchdown pass he caught at Florida State:

If Rouse is able to adapt to the CFL game and show more than he did in his Stampeders' stints, he might well prove a valuable addition for Ottawa.

—Jerrell Gavins, defensive back, 5'8'', 25, 175 pounds: Gavins isn't the biggest DB out there, but he's quick, and he's played in high-profile situations, starring for Boise State over the last few years. He went to minicamp with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, then wound up in the AFL with the Tampa Bay Storm. Here's a fumble he returned for a touchdown in 2012 against UNLV:

A lot with Gavins will depend on how his instincts transfer to the CFL game. He's not a big defensive back, so he'll have to make the correct reads and get himself in great position to shut down passes or pick them off. He did well with Boise State, though, and he's got plenty of speed. He'll be worth watching in camp.