WILL THE REDBLACKS MAKE A DEADLINE DEAL? NOT LIKELY
While it’s likely both the Montreal Alouettes and the Toronto Argonauts have a For Sale sign hung around some of their players, it doesn’t mean the Ottawa Redblacks will make a significant addition before the Canadian Football League trade deadline at 3:59 p.m. Wednesday.
When asked what the percentage of the Redblacks making a deal were, GM Marcel Desjardins said, “20-80 max. It’s unlikely. Even if a team agrees to trade somebody we feel like would help us, it’s still difficult to come to an agreement as to the worth of that.”
With four weeks remaining in the regular-season schedule, the Alouettes and Argonauts are out of playoff contention, so you’d have think they’re open for business, looking to acquire future assets. The Redblacks, in return, could give up draft picks (usually later ones) or negotiation-list players.
It’s not like trade deadline day is Christmas for the Redblacks and other contending teams.
They can’t just go out and get whatever they want. There is a $5.2-million CFL salary cap to stay within. Few big-ticket players ever change hands.
Asked if his team had the salary-cap space to make a move before the trade deadline, Desjardins smiled and said, “Maybe we do, maybe we don’t.”
There are players on the Argos and Als rosters who could help the Redblacks. Defensive back Matt Black is one guy who could provide depth on Ottawa’s back end. Black, 33, started 10 games for the Argos a season ago and came up with a huge interception in the Grey Cup win in Ottawa.
Argos receiver S.J. Green is a player the Redblacks were interested in pursuing a couple of years ago before he re-signed in Montreal.
Former Redblacks receiver Ernest Jackson, now with the Alouettes, is another name people will throw out there. But don’t hold your breath on either pass catcher ending up here.
It seems more likely that, if anything, the Redblacks will add a Canadian.
“I have reached out to multiple teams — I’d say going back several weeks — and asked about a number of players,” Desjardins said. “A lot of teams want to hang on to their players and I understand that. Sure, (I’d like to do something) if it makes us better. It depends on who the player is, it depends on whether it’s a Canadian versus it being an American. The bottom line is we’re always open to getting better, but I’m not going to mortgage the future.
“Our Canadian depth has taken a hit over the last several weeks. Ideally, that would be an area we’d like to upgrade. Whether that can happen or not is to be determined. I’m hopeful we can (do a deal), if the trade makes sense, but I’m not going to do something just to make a deal.”
Said Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell: “Usually the way it works out, nothing much happens. I think we have the talent here that we need to get it done. I think we’re in good shape. But if something else happens, so be it. The thing every CFL team would want this time of year would be Canadian depth. There’s only a finite amount of Canadian players when (other) guys get hurt.”
PLAYOFF PICTURE
The CFL sent out its weekly playoff scenario update on Tuesday.
With Montreal and Toronto mathematically eliminated, Ottawa and Hamilton are guaranteed home playoff games. The question is which of them will host the East Division semifinal with the other team getting a bye into the East final, which it will host. This marks the fourth consecutive season that Ottawa has guaranteed itself a home playoff game.
No matter what happens this weekend, when Ottawa plays in Edmonton and Hamilton plays in Toronto, East Division positioning cannot be finalized. Basically, Ottawa can wrap up first place with a win against either Edmonton or Toronto and a win in either game against Hamilton. A West Division team will cross over to the East semifinal for the third season in a row.
In the West, a Calgary win or Saskatchewan loss or tie would clinch first place for the Stampeders. A Saskatchewan win and a B.C. loss or tie would give Saskatchewan a home playoff date.
If the Roughriders lose all their remaining games, they could finish no worse than fourth, which would make them the crossover team.
For those wondering about the crossover, the CFL rule is: “If the fourth-place team in division A has more points, not tied, than the third-place team in division B, the fourth-place team will cross over to division B, replace the third-place team in division A, and compete against the second-place team of that division.”
A LOOK BACK
Asked to reflect on the 40-32 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday, when the Redblacks erased a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, Campbell said: “There are things we have to be better at. Football’s the ultimate team sport. The offence, defence and special teams can function together and make each other look good. It’s a function of the defence needing to get off the field when they have a chance to, the offence staying on the field or the special teams getting good field position.”
THE END AROUND
The Redblacks got their week started Monday with a Thanksgiving lunch for those players and family members who were in town. “We weren’t messing around,” Campbell said. “It was the real deal (full turkey dinner). It’s good to celebrate, get together for Thanksgiving. It’s good for our American guys to learn the advantages of living in both countries and being able to have two turkeys in one fall … The Redblacks added two players to their practice roster Tuesday: defensive lineman Don Oramasionwu (Manitoba) and defensive back Daryl Townsend (Windsor). Both moves are most likely for practice depth, as neither has played this season. The 32-year-old Oramasionwu was previously with Winnipeg (2009-11), Edmonton (201216) and Montreal (2017). The 33-year-old Townsend was with Montreal from 2011 to 2017 … Defensive lineman Ettore Lattanzio, who has been on the injured list all season, was back at practice Tuesday … Former Guelph Gryphons receiver Jacob Scarfone took some starting reps Tuesday.