CALGARY — Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and receiver Dominique Rhymes want their shared history to be an advantage, for each other and their new team, as both men settle into becoming Calgary Stampeders.
The Stampeders acquired Adams in a trade with the B.C. Lions in November. Calgary and Adams, 32, quickly agreed to a restructured contract for this season and 2026.
Rhymes compiled over a 1,000 receiving yards for the Ottawa Redblacks last year, but he and Adams were Lions teammates for a season and a half after B.C. acquired the quarterback from the Montreal Alouettes on Aug. 31, 2022.
"When I got traded to B.C., he was probably the only person on that team who made me feel like I was part of the team," Adams said Tuesday as Stampeders' training camp.
"I get traded there, I get thrown into the starting spot right away. I don't know the offence, I'm struggling a little bit. The position at quarterback is different. Everyone, they love you when you're winning and then, everyone blames you when you're losing.
"He was the only one after a bad game, after anything, he would always be there by my side. I'll never forget that from him. For that, I owe him everything."
The Lions swung the deal with the Als because starting quarterback Nathan Rourke was injured.
Rourke's return to B.C. last season after his NFL stint essentially put Adams on the market, and Calgary was a motivated buyer.
Adams threw the ball to Rhymes over 100 times and for over 1,000 yards over the combined 2022 and 2023 seasons after the quarterback's arrival in Vancouver.
Rhymes sat out eight regular-season games in 2023 because of knee and foot injuries.
"We've been good brothers ever since then and, yeah, playing together in '23 really helps when we came here to Calgary," Rhymes said.
The 31-year-old receiver says Adams joining the Stamps was a compelling reason for him to sign with Calgary in February.
"I've had success with him in the past and history repeats itself," Rhymes said. "We challenge each other. If I'm not doing it right or catching the ball right, he'll let me know. If he's not throwing the ball, I'm going to let him know.
"We want to be great for our team. We have that relationship where we're not afraid to critique each other, because we know we want the best out of each other."
Adams asked Calgary's head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson in the off-season if the team could find a big receiver, and the Stampeders managed to reunite him with the six-foot-four, 215-pound Rhymes.
"We did want to surround Vernon with at least one guy he's familiar with, with size," Dickenson said. "There were some options out there and I didn't know if Dom was going to be available, but he was and happy to have him."
Adams and Rhymes put in advance work before training camp getting to know their other receivers by congregating in Houston with Reggie Begelton, Jalen Philpot, Daylen Baldwin and Tevin Jones.
"We're there for the week and speed training, receiver training, quarterback training," Adams said. "Just getting that timing down."
While Dickenson has several decisions to make before Saturday's roster cut-down day, there's less mystery at receiver because Philpot, Begelton and Rhymes are established veterans.
Calgary opens the regular season June 7 at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and former Stampeder quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell.
The Stampeders completed their pre-season early with Saturday's 31-4 win over the Edmonton Elks, so Dickenson says players still need to prove themselves in camp.
"We're using this still as heavy evaluation. I don't know if you noticed, but it was a very physical practice," the coach and GM said. "We put our pads on, we went after each other, and it was high tempo. That's when you usually separate things."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2025.
Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press
