Redblacks look to retool for 2018 season
Redblacks expected to retool with younger, cheaper parts when free agency kicks off
The Ottawa Redblacks weren’t good enough in 2017, so count on several roster changes heading into the 2018 season.
Said Redblacks general manager Marcel Desjardins: “Put it this way, we’ve been 8-9-1 two years in a row, even though we won a Grey Cup (in 2016). Are we supposed to be content with that? No. We need to find better players. If that means we don’t have certain guys back, if we can’t afford certain guys, and if we feel we have a younger replacement who’s cheaper, that’s what makes the most sense.
“We’re never going to sit here and say we’re perfect with our decisions. Never. But we have to believe in what we see and what the plan is.”
The Redblacks stand to lose some key players from last year’s roster once free agency begins on Feb. 13, but so do all eight of the other teams.
With the collective bargaining agreement expiring just before the 2019 season begins, many players have been advised by their agents to sign one-year contracts, so next year could be a free-for-all.
With the importance of frontline Canadians, it makes sense for the Redblacks to prioritize getting deals done with players such as offensive lineman Alex Mateas, defensive lineman Zack Evans and receiver Jake Harty, but there are several others likely on the To-Do list as well.
The Redblacks would love to have receiver/returner Diontae Spencer back, but he’s had some workouts with National Football League clubs and likely wants to exhaust those opportunities before considering a return to the CFL.
Running back William Powell showed what he could do in the second half of the 2017 season, but he turns 30 in March and won’t get a whopping offer from the Redblacks or any other CFL team.
“We’re negotiating,” Desjardins said. “I’m not chasing. We’re not built to pay a running back a lot of money. If you want to be back, great, here’s the number.”
Linebacker Taylor Reed is another key contributor the Redblacks would love to have back, and there are others, of course, but the CFL salary cap is set at $5.2 million per team. The Redblacks gave quarterback Trevor Harris about $450,000 when they re-signed him last month. Receiver Brad Sinopoli also got large dollars to return. So what about the rest? “The cap dictates you have to move on from some players,” Desjardins said. “You sign Trevor, you sign Brad … and they get significant raises. So whatever buffer you had last year is gone.”
Even though they won the Grey Cup 14 months ago, the Redblacks know they have to get better.
“We’re not afraid to move on from someone,” Desjardins said. “If the value gets too high, we’re just going to say, ‘No hard feelings, but we’re going to move on.’ Our challenge is this: We’re investing so much money in quarterback, receiver and offensive line, it makes it pretty tough with all the other positions.
“You’re going to have an exception here and there, but, in general, you don’t have a lot of money to distribute. That’s why, maybe other than one guy, your DBs aren’t going to necessarily be highly paid. Your linebackers are going to be moderate to low. Your D-line Americans are going to be low, unless you have that difference maker.
“That’s the nature of the beast. We moved on from (2016 receivers) Chris Williams and Ernest Jackson because we got Diontae Spencer and Kenny Shaw for a lot less.”
SOME CONTACT ALLOWED
CFL meetings, originally scheduled for West Palm Beach last month, will be held from Jan. 9-11 in Banff, Alta.
One item that’s not on the agenda is the non-contact rule.
In September the CFL decided to stop contact in practice.
Said Desjardins: “It’s been adjusted since. The initial ruling was absolutely no contact. Now, if guys are injured, sometimes part of their return to play is contact.
“There’s still no contact within the team practice, but on the side, (injured players) can be doing some stuff to see if they’re good to go. Practice roster guys are also allowed to put pads on after practice for a limited number of reps.”
O-LINE COACH ADDED
The Redblacks have announced the signing of John McDonell as their new offensive line coach.
McDonell’s NCAA coaching career has spanned 30 years with other stops including Tulane, Stanford, Notre Dame and Purdue. tbaines@postmedia.com Twitter: @TimCBaines