On Thursday the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks announced their 2022 coaching staff. Staying on the staff from the 2021 CFL season is head coach Paul LaPolice, defensive coordinator Mike Benevides, special teams coordinator Bob Dyce, receivers coach Alex Suber, defensive backs coach Greg Knox, defensive line coach Carey Bailey and linebackers coach Patrick Bourgon. New to the staff is quarterbacks coach Will Arndt and offensive line coach Paul Charbonneau, but they are not new to Ottawa.
Arndt played for the Ottawa Redblacks as a quarterback in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He started in some games and finished his time as a Redblack with 940 passing yards, and three touchdowns. After leaving Ottawa, he spent training camp with the B.C Lions in 2021 prior to serving as an offensive assistant coach with the Edmonton Elks under Jaime Elizondo. He will take over for Steve Walsh as the Redblacks quarterbacks coach in 2022.
Also familiar with the city of Ottawa is Paul Charbonneau who is taking Bob Wylie’s position as the Redblacks’ offensive line coach. Charbonneau is actually originally from Ottawa, having grown up in Orleans. He has previously spent time with the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL in 2016 and 2017 but also has great experience at the collegiate level with Roosevelt University, Washington University and Lindenwood University-Belleville.
Now that they have a coaching staff, it is time that the Ottawa Redblacks’ front office, led by Shawn Burke, a newly hired general manager figures out who will be coached by this coaching staff come June 2022.
There are still a number of pending free agents still unsigned by the Ottawa Redblacks, with free agency opening on February 8th and the Draft approaching as well there is a real chance that the Redblacks roster will change significantly for the 2022 CFL season as compared to 2021.
NFL playoffs are here! On Saturday January 15th the 2022 Super Bowl playoffs will kickoff in Cincinnati with the Las Vegas Raiders taking on the Bengals. The 4:30 eastern game on Saturday will be one of six over the course of the weekend. We will watch the New England Patriots at the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Fransisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals at the Los Angeles Rams. Sure, there could be some lopsided games in front of us next weekend, but there is expected to be six very good football games to watch as each of the 14 teams in the playoffs eye the Vince Lombardi trophy. Of the games available to watch next weekend though, two of them will feature players from the city of Ottawa.
Representing the nation’s capital in the NFL are both Eli Ankou and Neville Gallimore. Ankou will play Saturday night on the Buffalo Bills defensive line against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. This will not be Ankou’s first time in the playoffs, having spent the 2017 playoff run with the Jacksonville Jaguars, defeating the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers prior to losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship. In 33 career games, spread across the NFL with the Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans and Buffalo Bills Eli Ankou has made 43 tackles, and 3 sacks including one on Tom Brady earlier this season.
In his first NFL playoff run though, is Ottawa’s Neville Gallimore who will suit up for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday against the San Fransisco 49ers. Gallimore missed the majority of the 2021 NFL season with a dislocated elbow, however his impact on the Dallas Cowboys defence has been huge since he’s returned to the line-up. In 4 starts to close out the season he’s made 13 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. He’s come a long way since he first picked up the game of football in Ottawa, and with the way the Dallas Cowboys have been playing this season, there is a very real chance that we see him represent the 613 in the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Really, if you wanted to watch closely in this year’s playoffs, there is a chance that both Ankou and Gallimore make it to the Super Bowl.
It may be a long shot, but it would make history, and it would put a major spotlight on the city of Ottawa. The football has grown so much in the city over the last decade-plus, and it would be a perfect way to show the entire world on the biggest stage in all of sports.
Seeing both Gallimore and Ankou in the Super Bowl would also be very inspiring, and would show all of the young athletes in Ottawa that they can achieve their goals as well. It is something that athletes have been doing from the 613 for some time now, and with there being success now by a few, it’s clear that there will only be more players in the same position as these two in the future. Maybe even the near future.
Eligible for this year’s NFL Draft are Ottawa-raised football players Jesse Luketa, Luiji Vilain, Chris Fournier, Patrice Rene, Liam Dobson and Katley Joseph. Of the list, the two that may have the biggest spotlight would be Jesse Luketa and Luiji Vilain, but that doesn’t mean the other 4 will not make it to the league as well. Luketa, coming out of Penn State will be attending the 2022 NFL Combine as well as the Reese’s Senior Bowl, exactly like Neville Gallimore did in 2020. Luiji Vilain is coming off of a 10 sack season at Wake Forest and spent the January 8th weekend in Texas at the College Gridiron Showcase.
Future years can also see Akheem Mesidor of West Virginia, Kervens Bonhomme of South Alabama, Jonathan Sutherland & Christian Veilleux of Penn State, Samuel Obiang of Texas State, Wesley Bailey & Rene Konga of Rutgers and more come out of Ottawa and make it to the NFL. The talent in the nation’s capital is only getting better, and with better coaching in the city now, compared to past years, having real football training programs, and good grassroots, it’s clear that the future is extremely bright.
Some names that have really made a big difference in the city already would be both Victor Tedondo and Jean Guillaume. Tedondo has built an empire in the city with Gridiron Academy, becoming a go to spot for football training while Guillaume has made a name for himself as a high school football coach and recruiting consultant in the city, helping athletes get to the next level. There have been a number of other coaches making waves in the city as well, like Donnie Ruiz and what he’s created at Capital City Academy, Iseah Montgiraud at Limitless Era, Eddie Brown at EB4 All-Star Performance and others. With these coaches, and programs making commitments to the athletes in the city, there has been a large growth of talent and passion for the game of football in the city of Ottawa, all starting with the grass roots.
There is a reason why both Neville Gallimore and Eli Ankou are where they are today, in the NFL playoffs. Of course, they are insanely talented athletes, but they also had good football upbringings. They had good coaching, and were placed in great opportunities at a young age. Ankou for example; training with Gridiron Academy, really set him up for success in his early teens. He may have been one of the first athletes to train with Tedondo, but the work that they put in installed a work mindset into Eli Ankou. He then continued doing everything he was taught on and off the football field, and executed it on the football field, doing so in Canada at St. Peter Catholic High School in Orleans, and then in the states at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware which set him up to go to UCLA, then the NFL.
With the future looking brighter than ever in the city of Ottawa for the game of football, it’s about time that the game is brought to everyone’s attention. The football community is quite big in the city, and it seems like people are starting to work together to get it to the level it deserves to be at, side by side with the football across the border, but there is still a lot more work to be done.
In 2022 to be a part of the football community in the city of Ottawa, be sure to tap into the game of football at all levels. Here in the nation’s capital we are fortunate to have football played at all levels. There is professional football with the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks, junior football with the Ottawa Sooners, University football with the Carleton Ravens and UOttawa Gee Gees, Competitive province-wide football, High School football and club football. As we continue to see names come from the city and enter the professional ranks, we also see these athletes representing Ottawa everywhere they go. Neville Gallimore represents the 613 through his brother’s company Trenchlife Apparel which he wears on a regular basis and posts about often, and Jesse Luketa has kept his social media username as “Ottawa’s Very Own” to let people know where he is from. More and more players are publicly putting on for the city while they reach new milestones in their football careers, they are proud of where they are from, and it would only help move the football community if all of Ottawa, all 1 million plus people were on board with uplifting football, and levelling up.
When Ottawa Redblacks fans, or CFL fans in general think about this year’s off-season transactions, and moves they’d like to see made by their team, they likely think first about the players that are to become free agents on their own team. They would circle some names that they’d like to see back with them, and then look at other teams’ free agent lists, circling names that would be good fits for them, but a lot of the time, fans forget about some players that may already be available as free agents. Well, the Ottawa Redblacks did not forget.
New general manager Shawn Burke signed Canadian offensive lineman Jacob Ruby on Monday. Ruby has been out of football since being released in August by the Edmonton Elks because of fake vaccination documents he presented to the team.
Of course, it is not a good look for Ruby in that situation, however he has now been granted a second chance at playing the game he loves, now with the Ottawa Redblacks.
After signing with the Redblacks, Ruby commented “I am extremely excited and proud to be an Ottawa REDBLACK, I want to thank Shawn Burke and Coach LaPolice for making this decision an easy one. I can’t wait to get to work for RNation. Go REDBLACKS!” Prior to coming to the Nation’s Capital Ruby has been in the CFL for 6 seasons, two with Montreal and four with Edmonton. He’s played in a total 63 regular season games over the 6 seasons and is expected to play the next 36 with the Redblacks, signing a 2 year deal with Ottawa.
The Ottawa Redblacks still have yet to re-sign other Canadian offensive linemen Mark Korte and Nolan MacMillan. Korte was considered to be one of the best players across the Redblacks roster in 2021. It would be a huge loss if he were to sign elsewhere, especially after the struggles the team faced up front. Whether or not Korte and MacMillan re-sign with the Redblacks within the next couple of weeks before CFL free agency opens up will likely decide what Burke and his front office do during free agency. If they do not return to Ottawa, they are expected to sign some big names for the offensive line.
Free agency opens at 12:00 PM eastern on February 8th.
In just one month, the CFL’s annual free agency period will open up. It will be the first time that the league’s Ottawa Redblacks will enter a free agency without their former general manager Marcel Desjardins. Outside of the 2015 CFL free agency period, in which the team signed a number of CFL stars like Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli, Ernest Jackson, Chris Williams and Sir Vincent Rogers, the Redblacks have typically been very quiet when it comes to free agency. The majority of their off-season moves have come when re-signing players and signing already available free agents coming out of university or NFL camps, but there is changes expected now that Shawn Burke has taken over as the organization’s general manager. The only questions though would be, what kind of changes will he make this off-season? And, when will changes be made?
Well, February 8th is when he and his staff, announced last week- Jeremy Snyder, Brendan Taman, Chad Hudson and Phillippe Moreau, will be able to sign any free agents across the CFL, however prior to that date there are some decisions to be made. According to CFL.ca there are still 32 players set to hit the open market in February from the Ottawa Redblacks. Among those 32 players are key contributors from the 2021 CFL season R.J Harris, Nate Behar, Kenny Stafford, Mark Korte, Nolan MacMillan, Avery Ellis, Stefan Charles, Davon Coleman, Micah Awe, Don Unamba, Antoine Pruneau, Abdul Kanneh and Randall Evans. Those names, along with some others like Anthony Coombs, Christophe Mulumba, Frank Beltre, Wesley Lewis and Timothy Flanders should all come up in discussions within the next couple of weeks in Ottawa’s front office, deciding whether or not they will return to the nation’s capital for the 2022 CFL season.
RJ Harris, photo by Jordan Zlomislic
Taking a look at what happened, and who made the biggest impacts during the 2021 CFL season it would be a no brainer to bring back at least one or two of the receivers who are to hit the market. R.J Harris, Nate Behar, and Kenny Stafford each had significant roles in the Redblacks’ offence last season, and would be very productive if brought back to Paul LaPolice’s offence in 2022. Also a key part to the offence in 2021 was Mark Korte on the offensive line. Yes the line wasn’t all that great over the course of the season, but Korte was a bright spot on it, having played every single position on it, and being a player that the team can rely on when it came to Bob Wylie’s offensive line. Nolan MacMillan, another Canadian offensive lineman is also set to become a free agent alongside Americans Tyler Catalina, Na’Ty Rodgers, Juwann Bushell Beatty, and Jamar McGloster. Shawn Burke is expected to address the offensive line situation in both free agency and the draft, but will need to see who he wants to bring back from 2021 as well. Who ever is under centre for the Ottawa Redblacks in 2022 will need time in the pocket and weapons to throw to, that is for sure.
As for the defensive side of the football, Mike Benevides’ defence was great in 2021. There were some weeks where they didn’t exceed their full potential, and may have played poorly, however when the starting unit was healthy, the defence was something that the Redblacks could lean on in 2021. The defence is what kept the Redblacks in games over the span of the 2021 CFL season. By bringing back the same crew that was in Ottawa for 2021, and bringing in some other pieces to improve it, the Redblacks, with Mike Benevides have a real shot at having the best defence in the CFL. To get there though, they must re-sign at least 3 or 4 of their big name pending free agents. Avery Ellis, Davon Coleman, Stefan Charles, Micah Awe, Don Unamba, Christophe Mulumba, Abdul Kanneh, Randall Evans and Antoine Pruneau are all set to hit the market on February 8th alongside some other Redblacks defensive stars, but R-Nation cannot see all of them leave the nation’s capital. If any of them would be listed as “must re-signs” for Burke’s staff, Davon Coleman, Avery Ellis, Micah Awe, and Abdul Kanneh would fit that description. There is plenty of talent across the CFL that will also become available on February 8th, and Burke should 100% acquire some outside talent as well, but the main focus right now should be the 32 pending free agents, starting with those named earlier.
Caleb Evans, photos by Jordan Zlomislic
It is clear that there is room to improve from the 2021 CFL season for the Ottawa Redblacks, and yes there are decisions to make when it comes to pending free agents coming from the Redblacks themselves and those across the league as well as the 2022 CFL Draft, but the biggest decision that Burke will make could be in house. The Ottawa Redblacks need to figure out who will be taking snaps for them in 2022. Will it be Caleb Evans? Or will it be Devlin Hodges? Or will it be someone else? Trevor Harris is a current free agent, while Jeremiah Masoli, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Dane Evans are pending free agents across the league. Could one of them come to Ottawa for the 2022 CFL season? Maybe. It will be a decision that needs to be made soon, though, because it can impact the entire roster that is built around the quarterback. By going with one of the players under contract now, it would be a lot cheaper, and would give Burke the chance to bring in all-star talent across the board for the 2022 CFL season.
What do you think will be done, and what should be done by the Ottawa Redblacks?
As the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks brought in their new front office, led by general manager Shawn Burke, now the second GM in franchise history, there have been a few members of the old front office that have received new opportunities outside of Ottawa.
Alongside Marcel Desjardins, who was the Redblacks’ general manager, OSEG also parted ways with both Jean-Marc Edme and Pier-Yves Lavergne. They both have since been hired by the Montreal Alouettes. Edme will serve as the Alouettes’ director of professional personnel while Pier-Yves Lavergne will be the Director of National scouting.
Thank you / Merci, PY!
We are grateful for your hard work and contributions to the REDBLACKS since 2016. All the best!
Nous vous sommes reconnaissants pour votre travail et vos contributions aux ROUGE et NOIR depuis 2016. Tous nos vœux de réussite! pic.twitter.com/efKJKRSseP
Both Lavergne and Edme had great careers in Ottawa, bringing in a number of great athletes for the Redblacks, and are bound to have success across the Ontario-Quebec border with the Montreal Alouettes. Lavergne, interestingly enough once suited up with the Ottawa Redblacks for a pre-season game in 2016 as a full back while still being on staff in the front office, and now at just 31 years old has an extremely bright future ahead of him. There is a great chance that he will become a general manager in the CFL sometime in his career, and that may be the case for Edme as well, with a lot of great football experience behind him at 41 years old himself.
On October 25th 2021 the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks and long time general manager Marcel Desjardins parted ways. Desjardins, who was with the Redblacks since day one in 2013 was the only general manager and the only man in charge that the franchise knew until Shawn Burke was brought in.
Burke was hired by the Redblacks just before Christmas, and although he’s yet to make any headline moves as the general manager of the Ottawa Redblacks, he has gotten himself his front office staff for the future.
Staying in Ottawa from the 2021 staff and previous years are both Jeremy Snyder and Phillippe Moreau. Snyder will serve as the team’s assistant general manager, and Moreau will be the professional/college scout. Along with them both, entering the nation’s capital with Shawn Burke will be Brendan Taman and Chad Hudson.
Jeremy Snyder at the Ottawa Redblacks end of season 2021 press conference photos by Paige Ryan
Brendan Taman has been working in the CFL since 1987. He’s spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Montreal Alouettes, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Taman will serve as the Redblacks’ director of professional personnel.
Chad Hudson has spent the last 13 years with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL after time spent with the Montreal Alouettes as well as the University of Regina’s football program. He’ll take on the role as director of Canadian scouting as well as football analytics.
Peter Power/CFL.ca
“We’re excited to move forward into next season with a passionate and experienced group of football minds in our front office,” said Burke in the Redblacks’ press release on Monday. “Jeremy and Philippe have been key pieces of the REDBLACKS family for several years, while Brendan and Chad will bring in a fresh outlook and decades of CFL experience to our family.”
By hiring both Taman and Hudson, the Redblacks have also announced that they’ve parted ways with Jean-Marc Edme and Pier-Yves Lavergne from their front office. The two former Redblacks’ staff members had large roles in Ottawa’s front office, Edme was known for bringing in a lot of talent, including Sherrod Baltimore and DeVonte Dedmon who are both looked at to be fan favourites in the nation’s capital. He and Lavergne will leave Ottawa after great careers in the city and a long future full of success ahead of them both.
On Friday December 17th the 2021-2022 NCAA bowl season kicked off with Coastal Carolina and Northern Illinois in the Tailgreeter Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida at Exploria Stadium. The game was just one of forty four scheduled through the National Championship on Monday January 10th. Each of the bowl games signify excellence and reward the teams on a great season, in which they have won 6 or more games.
Some of the teams that have been rewarded with a bowl game have a lot of talent on their rosters, including some Canadian talent. In the first bowl game of the NCAA’s bowl season, Coastal Carolina’s hybrid linebacker/safety Enock Makonzo, originally from Lachine, Quebec made 10 tackles and 2 tackles for loss in their 47-41 win over Northern Illinois.
Makonzo wasn’t the only Canadian to appear in a bowl game though, there were a number of others to make an appearance including West Virginia’s Canadian trio on defence. The West Virginia Mountaineers had Akheem Mesidor, Deshawn Stevens and Alonzo Addae representing Canada in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. Addae, who was drafted in the second round of the 2021 CFL Draft by the Ottawa Redblacks made four tackles in the game while Mesidor made two of his own. West Virginia ended up losing the game to Minnesota 18-6, but it was a good way to close out the 2021 NCAA season and move on to the future for each of the three Canadians.
The Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Michigan State Spartans also featured Canadian pass catcher Jared Wayne. A product of Peterborough, Ontario, Wayne caught one of Pitt’s 3 touchdowns in their loss to MSU.
On New Year’s Eve, the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl featured four Canadians, all from the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Rutgers University had defensive back Patrice Rene, nose tackle Rene Konga and pass rusher Wesley Bailey on their sideline while Wake Forest had pass rusher Luiji Vilain on theirs. Vilain had a breakout senior campaign in 2021, recording 9 sacks on the season, leading the Deamon Deacons. He and Wake Forest came away with the win, finishing the game with a 38-10 final score. Although he didn’t record any stats in the game, and neither did both Patrice Rene and Rene Konga, Wesley Bailey did, making 3 tackles and deflecting a pass.
Also from the nation’s capital are Penn State’s Christian Veilleux, Jesse Luketa and Jonathan Sutherland who were featured alongside other Canadians Malick Meiga and Theo Johnson against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. Arkansas came up on top at the end of the game, winning 24-10, but Luketa shined as he goes into the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February, making 9 tackles, including one for a loss in his final game with the Nittany Lions, Sutherland made 5 tackles from safety and Veilleux made an appearance, completing one pass for 3 yards and running for a 13 yard gain. Sutherland is to return to Penn State for 2022 and Veilleux will look to get a larger role in the offence.
Ole Miss’ Deane Leonard and Tavius Robinson featured in the All-State Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day as well. Edge rusher Tavius Robinson didn’t record any stats on the night, however Leonard was able to make 2 tackles and deflect two passes against Baylor. Baylor won the game 21-7, but it may have been the last look that NFL scouts got of both Leonard and Robinson as they both are draft eligible.
There are just two bowl games left on tap for football fans, including the national championship on Monday January 10th between Alabama and Georgia. Canadian receiver John Metchie is still out for Alabama with a torn ACL therefore there will not be any Canadians in the big game.
The last three calendar years haven’t been too great for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks, and thats on all aspects. In 2019, to kickoff the year, the Ottawa Redblacks lost star players Trevor Harris, William Powell, Diontae Spencer, Greg Ellingson, Sir Vincent Rogers, Kyries Hebert and Rico Murray to other teams. They were then forced to find replacements for each one of them and other players lost in free agency, however it wasn’t easy to do so. Their replacements started the 2019 CFL season strong, going 2-0, beating both the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders, but only won one of the next 16 games down the stretch. Ottawa went 3-15 in the 2019 CFL season, and missed the playoffs for the first time since their first season in the CFL back in 2014. It was a bad year for the Redblacks, and R-Nation was not thrilled at all.
Then move forward to 2020, it looked as if the Ottawa Redblacks finally had it all together, and were ready to get back into the hunt for a Grey Cup, having hired an experienced offensive head coach in Paul LaPolice and signing a young quarterback with a lot of potential in Nick Arbuckle. Unfortunately though, that new look that the Ottawa Redblacks brought in was never seen by the public. A global pandemic shut down the 2020 CFL season and created a lot of change. With some details in contracts having to be figured out, the Redblacks moved on from 26 year old quarterback Nick Arbuckle, and signed veteran quarterback Matt Nichols for the future. Arbuckle hadn’t even suited up in red and black for a CFL game yet, but the Redblacks were already moving on from him, and it doesn’t look like that was the right move. Nichols had a couple of good seasons with Paul LaPolice in Winnipeg, but the start to his season with the Redblacks in 2021 wasn’t anything close to those seasons he’s had in the past. He started the first four games of the season, completing 56 of 86 passes for 476 yards and threw three interceptions before being sidelined for Dominique Davis. Davis then played in three games, throwing for 674 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for a touchdown of his own prior to a hamstring injury which opened the door for young quarterbacks Caleb Evans and Devlin Hodges who may have futures in Ottawa.
2021 ended up being full of both positives and negatives for the Ottawa Redblacks, but with a 3-11 record to close out the season, and owning the second overall pick in the next draft, it looks to have had more negatives than positives. That makes up of three straight years of negativity for Ottawa Redblacks fans. A 3-15 season, a cancelled season and a 3-11 season. The goal is to flip it all around for the 2022 CFL season, to have a winning record and compete for the Grey Cup, but how will that be done?
Well, ownership has already started making changes by bringing in general manager Shawn Burke, and there has been a lot of players brought back from the 2021 season, but what still needs to be done, is bringing in a new look. The team that was in Ottawa for 2021 finished the season strong. It was filled with young talent in players like Caleb Evans, De’Lance Turner, Ryan Davis, DeVonte Dedmon, Jakub Szott, Dino Boyd, Praise Martin-Oguike, Kene Onyeka, and Brandin Dandridge that made an impact, and having those young players back in 2022 with the addition of proven veterans would be a recipe of success for the Ottawa Redblacks.
Some spots where the Redblacks can definitely improve in during the off-season for the 2022 season would be at the offensive line, receiver, and edge rusher positions. In 2021 Caleb Evans was a large bright spot for the Ottawa Redblacks. Coming in as a 23 year old, playing his first snaps of professional football, ending up winning his first start and throwing for 1,279 yards, running for 345 and scoring 8 offensive touchdowns in 7 starts. It would be a big decision, but maybe the best decision to build around him for the 2022 CFL season. Spending less money at the quarterback position would open up the opportunity to bring in better, and proven talent at the positions of need. First, Burke and his front office should think about bringing back pending free agents Mark Korte, Nolan MacMillan, Kenny Stafford, Nate Behar, R.J Harris, Avery Ellis, Micah Awe, Abdul Kanneh, Randall Evans and Don Unamba, but then also put together a list of free agents across the league that would fit well in Ottawa and make a splash in the nation’s capital.
Set to become a free agent in February around the league would be receivers Bryan Burnham, Duke Williams, Brandon Banks, Lucky Whitehead, Markeith Ambles, Ricky Collins Jr, Kenny Lawler, Darvin Adams, Steven Dunbar, Reggie Begelton, Josh Huff, Rasheed Bailey, DaVaris Daniels, Kamar Jorden, Jordan Williams-Lambert, Jake Wieneke, Greg Ellingson, and Kyran Moore. Each of those names, and some others would be big name pickups to add to the core Ottawa already has in place, and could have in place with R.J Harris, Ryan Davis, Jordan Smallwood, Nate Behar and Kenny Stafford. Offensive linemen Nolan MacMillan and Mark Korte are also pending free agents for the Redblacks, so bringing both of them back would be a great start for Shawn Burke’s rebuild of the offensive line. He can also sign offensive linemen Stanley Bryant, Brett Boyko, Tony Washington, Derek Dennis, Justin Renfrow, Kay Okafor, Josiah St John, Jemarcus Hardrick, Brandon Revenberg, Sean McEwen, Ryker Matthews, Cameron Jefferson and other CFL offensive linemen if they become available on February 8th when free agency opens.
The Ottawa Redblacks need to have players that help both Caleb Evans and De’Lance Turner for 2022 if those are the players they want in the backfield. Both of them shined when given a chance in 2021, but was hit hard with injuries and inconsistency up front to their offensive line. If they have a solid line in front of them, and if Evans has weapons around him, the young duo could have a very special season in 2022.
De’Lance Turner (right) with DeVonte Dedmon (left) at picture day photo from REDBLACKS twitter
As for the defensive side of the ball. A lot went right in 2021. The defence played their hearts out every week of the 2021 CFL season and kept the team in games when the offence couldn’t. With Abdul Kanneh, Micah Awe, Don Unamba, Avery Ellis, Davon Coleman, Stefan Charles, Randall Evans and Antoine Pruneau’s contracts all expiring come February, there will be a lot of big decisions to make for Mike Benevides’ guys, but what decisions will be the right ones?
Every great defence needs a good pass rush, good linebacking support and a good backfield. Right now under contract is Praise Martin-Oguike, Cleyon Laing and Kene Onyeka on the line, Avery Williams, Shaheed Salmon, Dwayne Norman, Adam Auclair and Dan Basambombo at linebacker and Sherrod Baltimore, Brandin Dandridge, Ranthony Texada, and Treshaun Abrahams Webster in the backfield for the 2022 CFL season. As it stands, Shawn Burke has some work to do. He will need to ensure that the pass rush improves, while he adds towards the linebacking core and the secondary. Bringing back Micah Awe would be crucial for the linebacking core, as he and Avery Williams combined for 165 tackles in 2021. Both Abdul Kanneh and Randall Evans should also be considered as must re-signs for Burke after the impacts they both made in Ottawa in 2021, but there are also a number of free agents available for him to sign that can make the Redblacks team better on defence for 2022 that he may consider.
In February, pass rushers Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat are set to become free agents in Winnipeg. If they are not able to afford them both, one will be on the market for another CFL team to sign. Ottawa, with just 30 sacks in 2021 is in need of a pass rush that can support their secondary. One of the Bombers’ stars would be a big sign for the Redblacks, and as would be other pending free agents Kwaku Boateng of Edmonton, David Menard of Montreal, A.C Leonard of Saskatchewan, Shawn Lemon of Calgary and Cordarro Law of Toronto.
Linebackers Jameer Thurman and Darnell Sankey are to be free agents from the Calgary Stampeders, while Toronto’s Henoc Muamba, Dexter Mcoil, and Cameron Judge, Hamilton’s Simoni Lawrence and Jevon Santos Knox, Winnipeg’s Adam Bighill and Kevin Brown, Saskatchewan’s Larry Dean, Deon Lacey and the Herdman twins all become free agents as well alongside Elks’ Derrick Moncrief. Linebacker is not a place of need for the Redblacks if they lock up Micah Awe, as they would still have Avery Williams, Jerod Fernandez, Adam Auclair, Shaheed Salmon and Dwayne Norman with him, however without Awe one or two of those names should be on a whiteboard at TD Place with a circle around it.
Micah Awe prior to a game at TD Place photo from Awe’s Twitter
At defensive back, like the linebacking core, if everyone is re-signed, it is not a place of need, but with Abdul Kanneh, Don Unamba, Randall Evans and Antoine Pruneau still unsigned, it wouldn’t hurt to look at some playmakers like Jonathan Rose, Tunde Adeleke, Royce Metchie, DaShaun Amos, Mercy Maston, Alden Darby, Robertson Daniel, and Jonathan Moxey in free agency. Sherrod Baltimore and Brandin Dandridge who are already under contract for 2022 are proven playmakers in Ottawa and can be lock down cornerbacks, but you need more than two good backs in the CFL, as it is a passing league.
Jonathan Rose with the Elks photo from 3DownNation
2021 officially comes to an end tonight, and 2022 will begin on Saturday. It has been a tough couple of years from 2019 through 2021, but will 2022 be any different? A few decisions from the front office will decide exactly that very soon.
Just before Christmas, the Ottawa Redblacks made a move that leaves a large impact on the entire CFL. Yes, they signed a couple of free agents including Canadians Will Corby and Shaiheem Charles-Brown, but the big move was hiring general manager Shawn Burke. Burke will be the second general manager in franchise history, after the firing of Marcel Desjardins, and he is excited for the opportunity, but why is that?
“What excites me is the ownership commitment level.” he told Jordan Zlomislic in his opening press conference as the Redblacks general manager, “And its not just a commitment about the OSEG family, its a commitment to the community and I’m passionate about that. I wouldn’t be in this business if it didn’t start with community relations. Its one of the things that I admire about Coach LaPo as he jumps head first into the community. I know both of us will make it a priority for our players and staff as well.”
He continued, “Its never lost on me what this league means to Canadians and as a proud Canadian I take that responsibility very, very highly. I want to help grow this league with others in this organization and you know we will be out in the community. It won’t be an ask, it will be a requirement, because thats what the CFL is about. Its what drew me in from day one in 2007 and its been a calling card of our league. Its what makes our league different.”
The CFL has not been the same for over two years now, having a 2020 cancelled season and a shortened 2021 season full of rules, making it a big year for the Ottawa Redblacks and the CFL in 2022. A big year for the first year as a general manager for Shawn Burke. He said, “This year was obviously a bit of a different year with the tier one and everything going on and I know it has an impact on our players. Our players love being a part of our communities. Its what makes it more true to what they fell in love with in high school and college. And you know, to bring that sense of community back hopefully in different times next year, will be exciting and will be a priority and I’m just happy to come to a city like Ottawa… and to be a part of this community.”
In the community that Burke will be entering in the nation’s capital, there has been a growth for football. For the last couple of years alone the number of Ottawa-raised players that have made it to the next level, whether that be U-Sports, NCAA, NFL or CFL has skyrocketed and its not like the football will be getting worse. Its just going to keep growing, and when asked about being a part of the football community in Ottawa, Burke acknowledged the growth of talent in the city and how he may like to get some local talent for the Ottawa Redblacks moving forward. “Its imperative, right?” he said, “You want to be in a community that embraces the sport of football. And, you know, when it comes to having players from this community, I think our league coast to coast has always been one that wants to identify with certain local demographics of players that succeeded and it gives, you know, however long ago, maybe 30 years ago someone like myself who think they are athletes, something to strive for and thats what’s important.”
Burke concluded, “I know there’s several Ottawa players that have been drafted to the NFL, that are going great things in the NCAA and its just a credit to the sporting community that Ottawa is, its proud in its sports tradition and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
This off-season is a perfect opportunity for Shawn Burke to connect with the city of Ottawa, not only by being a part of the community but even bringing in that local talent he’s talked about. Set to become free agents in February are Ottawa-raised, and Ottawa stars Tunde Adeleke and Jackson Bennett, who both played with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Burke’s former organization. Adeleke, former Carleton Raven has been a CFL in back to back seasons and has been in the Grey Cup game every single year he has played in the league, twice with Calgary and twice with Hamilton. With a potential hole in the defensive backfield, with Antoine Pruneau, Abdul Kanneh and Randall Evans each remaining as pending free agents, Adeleke, who is a ball hawk and an effective tackler, may be a great pickup for the Redblacks. Bennett on the other hand is, and has been a do it all player since he started playing football here in Ottawa. With the University of Ottawa Gee Gees he played nearly everywhere on the defensive side of the ball, and returned kicks. He was drafted as a linebacker, and moved to running back where he’s has some success with a small window of opportunity. Bennett and Adeleke are both going to be 26 years old when the 2022 CFL season kicks off, meaning that they have plenty of football left in them both, and why not play in back in their hometown.
Also available for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks this off-season, through the CFL Draft would be Ottawa’s Very Own Jesse Luketa if he is not picked up by an NFL team, which is very likely after his standout career at Penn State, ending at the Senior Bowl in February. Maine defensive back Katley Joseph, who played with the Cumberland Panthers, and St Matthews Tigers in Ottawa, University of Ottawa running back J.P Cimankinda who is looked at to be a Canadian version of NFL power back Derrick Henry, from the Redblacks’ backyard, University of Ottawa linebacker James Peter, receiver Dylan St Pierre and Carleton Ravens running back Nathan Carter as well as Penn State defensive back Jonathan Sutherland.
The Redblacks will draft 2nd, 11th, 20th (territorial), 22nd, 31st, 40th, 49th, 58th, and 67th overall in the 2022 CFL Draft. If he sticks to what he said in his opening press conference with the Ottawa Redblacks, R-Nation can expect a couple of locally raised players on his draft board come spring.
After bringing in both Chris Jones and Geroy Simon to lead their front office, it was announced that the CFL’s Edmonton Elks released twelve players to kickoff their off-season. On the list of now free agents was defensive back Jonathan Rose. Rose is coming off of a season in 2021 which he played in 13 of the Edmonton Elks’ 14 games, making a total 27 tackles and breaking up a few passes. With younger players like Trumaine Washington, Darius Williams and Nafees Lyon stepping up in the defensive backfield and veterans Jonathan Mincy Sr and Aaron Grymes with the Elks still, releasing Rose will open up opportunities for a younger corner in Edmonton, but will also open up an opportunity in the nation’s capital.
Photo: Nik Kowalski/3DownNation
Jonathan Rose, who is now 28 years old entered the CFL with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016 where he made a name for himself right off the bat. As a rookie, Rose won the Grey Cup with the Ottawa Redblacks, was named the Redblacks’ rookie of the year and a CFL eastern all-star, having made 59 tackles, a sack, an interception and forced a fumble. He then proceeded to make a large impact as the Redblacks number one defensive back over the next 37 games, making 107 tackles, 8 interceptions, forcing 5 fumbles and scoring two touchdowns prior to suffering a serious neck injury which sidelined him for 15 of the 18 games in 2019. The injury would have kept him out for the beginning of the 2020 CFL season as well if there would have been one, and with that into consideration, as well as the young talent the Ottawa Redblacks had going into the 2021 CFL season, they decided to part ways with him.
Looking at it now, though, there isn’t any major reason why the Redblacks should not bring him back to the nation’s capital.
Jonathan Rose with the Ottawa Redblacks photos from CFL.ca
What took him out of Ottawa in the first place was his injury, which he has since recovered from and played 13 games to prove that. He made a name for himself in the city of Ottawa, he made plays here already, and helped bring the Redblacks defence to two Grey Cups in 2016 and 2018. I don’t see why Shawn Burke and his crew wouldn’t want to see him help make that happen a third time.
Under contract for the Redblacks in 2022 are defensive backs Sherrod Baltimore, Brandin Dandridge, Justin Howell, Ranthony Texada and Treshaun Abrahams-Webster. The only two solidified starters for 2022 would be Baltimore and Dandridge. Outside of those two, Howell, Texada and Abrahams-Webster will likely be battling for a spot in the starting lineup during training camp, and it is expected that the Redblacks either bring back or bring in other starters for the defensive backfield. Among those they can bring back would be Antoine Pruneau, Abdul Kanneh, Randall Evans, Gump Hayes, Brad Muhammad, and Don Unamba.
Sherrod Baltimore and Brandin Dandridge at REDBLACKS practice photos by Jordan Zlomislic
Coming off of a 3-11 season in 2021, the Redblacks will look to make a splash in the off-season, ensuring that they are better in 2022. Doing so, bringing back both Abdul Kanneh and Randall Evans who made large impacts for the team when healthy in 2021, and signing Jonathan Rose, as well as a young defensive back with experience in the CFL already can make a huge impact for the Redblacks, especially if the front-seven improves as well.
With Rose being released prior to free agency, he is eligible to sign with any team anytime. Will it be the Ottawa Redblacks that sign him?
JZ MEDIA 