Edmonton Eskimos RB Jerome Messam (L) accepts his award for CFL Most Outstanding Canadian during the Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards in Vancouver November 24, 2011.

Photograph by: Edmonton Journal, edmontonjournal.comEDMONTON – Jerome Messam is taking his talents to South Beach.A breakthrough season with the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos has led to the talented running back signing a deal with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.Eskimos general manager Eric Tillman confirmed the news late Saturday night.“Yes, it’s true. Jeff Ireland (Dolphins general manager) phoned me late afternoon and said they had decided to offer Jerome a contract, but their proposal would not include a signing bonus,” Tillman said.“We weren’t positive that proposal would be accepted, but in the past couple of hours, Darren Gill, Jerome’s agent, confirmed they had discussed the situation and would be accepting the offer from Miami.“Obviously, Jerome departs with our best wishes and our focus immediately shifts to free agency as a terrific opportunity to improve our club in the coming days.”Messam came to the Eskimos at the end of training camp in 2011 in a giveaway of a trade with the B.C. Lions, where he had worn out his welcome. Tillman gave up a fifth-round pick in the 2013 CFL draft for Messam, who appeared to come with his share of baggage. The 26-year-old had violated team policy during Lions training camp, forcing the trade and had gotten in a fist fight with then-teammate Paris Jackson in the 2010 season, cracking Jackson’s jaw. Also in 2010, he pleaded guilty to his involvement in an altercation in a London, Ont., nightclub that cost him a suspended sentence and a $250 fine.Messam stayed out of trouble in his season with the Eskimos and put together a brilliant campaign that saw him become the first Canadian running back in 12 years to break the 1,000-yard rushing mark. The six-foot-three, 245-pound Toronto product ran for 1,057 yards in 18 games, scoring six touchdowns. He had four games where he rushed for over 100 yards and had a season-best 139-yard, two-touchdown game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a 38-23 win on Sept. 16.His season came to a premature end in the West Division semifinal, when he tore his meniscus. He had the knee surgically repaired shortly after and visited Miami this week to meet with the Dolphins Messam was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Player in 2011 and was named a West Division all-star and a CFL all-star. With his departure, a running back becomes the team’s top priority when CFL free agency kicks off at 10 a.m. MT on Wednesday.