Who remains un-drafted/signed after the NFL draft? Will anyone take the CFL route? If so, who?

This CFL off-season has been very different due to the on-going spread of the coronavirus. The coronavirus (Covid-19) has forced a lot of things to be different this year, such as the draft, training camps, season games, and as we look more into it the Grey Cup will look different as well.

Eventhough a lot may be different than past years, there is still a lot that will be the same. Every year, CFL teams have the opportunity to sign free agents in different periods of time. Starting with the all-year round free agent signings, who are just available at the time, then the free agency period where they have the chance to sign players who’s contracted have gone up, the CFL un-drafted signing period for players that didn’t get drafted in the CFL draft and then there is the NFL un-drafted period in which teams have the chance to get hands on players who’ve gone un-signed following the NFL draft and are still available to CFL teams. All of these signing periods have gone normally this year and un-interupted and we are now a part of the NFL un-drafted period.

REDBLACKS re-sign Jonathan Rose - Ottawa REDBLACKS

Each off-season teams get players that have went un-drafted, in past years the Redblacks have been able to sign big name players like Sherrod Baltimore, Jonathan Rose, Dominique Rhymes and most recently DeVonte Dedmon. With the NFL draft being nearly a month past us, who ever is still available and un-signed should be able to take the CFL route, who could be the next Jonathan Rose or Dominique Rhymes? Check out the following players…

QBs Kelly Bryant and Shane Buechele

In the 2017 NCAAF season, these two quarterbacks were at the top of their game. Bryant was at 5th ranked Clemson and Buechele was with the Longhorns who at the time were ranked 23rd in the country and now they both have gone un-drafted and un-signed a full month after.

The two quarterbacks are without a doubt the best available at the moment and if a CFL team could get a hold of one of them they could be future stars in the league. On he stats side, Bryant has thrown for north of 5,000 yards and 31 TDs in the starting seasons between both Clemson and Missouri while Buechele, split over 8,000 yards and 62 TDs with both Texas and SMU within 3 seasons as a starting quarterback. Of the two, Kelly Bryant is by far the better running quarterback. Stats show that he’s rushed for well over 1,000 yards in his college career, getting a career high 665 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2017 while Buechele doesn’t even have 500 yards in his college career.

Clemson QB Kelly Bryant to Transfer After Being Replaced by Trevor ...

Once again, both of these quarterbacks are still available to NFL and CFL teams. They might be signed to an NFL team to play a role as a camp arm but if they were to be offered a CFL contract they have the opportunity to be a future starting QB in the league.

Hasise Dubois WR, Virgina

In this year’s NFL Draft the receivers group was very deep. Going from Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and Ceedee Lamb to Denzel Mims the receivers in the draft were very talented and many went un-drafted as well. One being Hasise Dubois, who had the 30th most receiving yards last year with 1,062 yards and 6 touchdowns. It was a shocker that the 6-foot-3 target hadn’t been drafted even with him beating out first rounder Henry Ruggs and second rounders Mims and Claypool in yards.

Hasise Dubois - Football - University of Virginia Athletics

The Redblacks have found success in the past with big body receivers like Rhymes, and Ellingson so if they were to sign Dubois he could be a future all-star in the CFL.

Riley Stapleton WR, JMU

Standing tall at 6-foot-5 Stapleton has shown off through the past three seasons at JMU, most recently getting 788 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 65 catches. With those totals he was able to get more yards than top prospects Ruggs, Hill, Callaway, Reagor and Thaddeus Moss. Although the opposing talent isn’t quite the same, he’s been able to put up big numbers in the CAA and given that the Redblacks and the CFL in general have a lot of players coming from there he might follow.

Riley Stapleton - Football - James Madison University Athletics

Along with his senior year, Riley Stapleton has had two other spectacular seasons, putting up north of 600 yards in both of them while catching 12 more touchdown passes on 103 receptions. The three seasons in total give him 168 catches, 2,099 yards and 22 TDs.

Donavan Hale WR, Indiana

Donavan Hale - Football - Indiana University Athletics

Indiana runs a pass first offense, in the 2019-20 season they had one thousand yard receiver and 3 with over 500 yards and then they even had Donavan Hale who had nearly 400 yards. Hale, a 6-foot-4 target didn’t have the primary role in the offense but he was always there as a reliable target against big time defenses.

As mentioned, the Hooisers offense had a lot of targets, leaving Hale as an after thought but against those big time defenses that were ranked in the country he had a career 30 receptions against going for 378 yards and 2 touchdowns. With the looks at those numbers and him having over 1,000 career receiving yards at Indiana he’s shown that he can play at the next level and with him going un-signed he could find himself in the CFL in a year or so.

Reggie Corbin RB, Illinois

Corbin is fast, agile, explosive and an all around running back. In past years, Redblacks’ coach has liked having versatile backs on his roster like Andrew Harris, Demski and Flanders, with the team already bringing in Flanders, having Corbin on the team also could benefit in major ways. The all-star runner fro Illinois measures at 5’10 200 lbs but has been able to move the ball for his team in the past years. Over the span of his career in University he’s rushed for north of 2,300 yards, most recently rushing for over 650.

In 2019 he rushed for 675 yards on 143 carries but as you look into his profile even deeper he rushed for nearly twice as many yards with 15 less carries. As a junior in the 2018 season he rushed for 1,085 yards on 128 carries, with an average 8.5 yards a carry.

As seen in the tape above, Corbin is a quick runner, if he were to have a CFL comparison it would be Don Jackson from Hamilton, but he has a chance to be even better. Stay tuned to see where he falls to.

Juwan Washington RB, SDSU

RB Juwan Washington among 13 Aztecs who get home game in Armed ...

Similar to Corbin, Juwan Washington could be compared to Don Jackson and plays a good role as a versatile running back. Washington, coming out of San Diego State has a career 2,500 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. Last year he rushed for an exact 500 yards but in his junior year in 2018 he rushed for one yard short of one thousand with 999 yards.

In that junior year he showed off, playing his best football and even ran well against the best opponents, running all over the 13th ranked Stanford (in 2018) with a career high 158 yards on 24 carries.

Sage Lewis LB, FIU

Coming out of Florida International, Lewis could’ve been one of the best linebackers available in the draft. If it hadn’t been for him not playing in the big games against bigger schools he could have been looked at to be picked early in the draft. At FIU he was able to make a total 307 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 fumbles, 3 interceptions and 13 knockdowns.

Sage Lewis - 2019 - Football - FIU Athletics

He didn’t get in all he prime time games, but the one he played against Miami in 2018 was a show. He flew across the field to make 9 tackles, leading the team. The nine tackles made against Miami in 2018 were to go with his career high 132 tackles that year. Its safe to say that he played his best football in 2018 and it was tough for him to match it the next season where he got 93 tackles.

He may have had 39 less tackles in 2019 than he did in 2018 but he was able to show more of what he was about as a linebacker. Getting one sack, 4 fumbles, 3 sacks and even 3 pass breakups. The CFL is a great league to welcome Sage Lewis, and if he can do what he did at FIU up north it will be easy to find him for NFL scouts.

Patrick Nelson S, SMU

Patrick Nelson Highlights vs Houston - YouTube

With the SMU Mustangs, safety Patrick Nelson was able to do everything he possibly can to help his team win games. He played his normal role as a safety and got a career 3 interceptions, but he went over and above playing different roles.

In his senior year, many would think the stats he was putting up were mistaken for a defensive lineman. Lining up at safety, many would’ve even thought Nelson looked like Troy Polamalu going out and sacking the quarterback a total 12.5 times.

His 12.5 sacks later added towards his career totals of 283 tackles, 15 sacs, 3 interceptions, 6 passes defended and 2 fumble recoveries. Looking at his numbers, you’d wonder why he didn’t get drafted. Sure he’s not playing against Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawernce back to back games like other guys but his talent is there and he’s got a bright future ahead of him. With comparisons of Jovon Johnson in him, his future may lead towards the CFL, will it be the Ottawa Redblacks? Stay tuned.

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Ottawa Redblacks add to their Canadian defensive back group, signs former Stampeder Dagogo Maxwell

Over the past couple seasons the Ottawa Redblacks have been able to go out and get a group of Canadian defensive players, on Wednesday they were able to add to their Canadian class.

2018 CFL Mock Draft | The Ratio Breaker

By signing defensive back Dagogo Maxwell, the Redblacks defensive backfield has Canadians, Dagogo Maxwell, Antoine Pruneau, Justin Howell, JP Bolduc, Nate Hamlin, and rookies Adam Auclair and Treshaun Abrahams-Webster.

Dagogo most recently played for the Calgary Stampeders after being selected in the 5th round out of UBC in 2019. He appeared in 6 games last season getting playing time mainly on special teams where he had 6 tackles.

With that said, he is going to play a big role on the Redblacks special teams but he could even get back on the defensive side of the ball where he shined at UBC. In 2017 he had 52 defensive tackles, seven knockdowns and one interception for the UBC Thunderbirds.

For more on Dagogo Maxwell and other Redblacks players, visit https://lilzbigr.blog/

“It was a blessing” says Joey Elliott as he looks back at his journey from Redblacks’ QB to NFL scout

Every year the Ottawa Redblacks bring in a number of players to play a variety of roles for the team. In 2014 they brought in quarterback Joey Elliott. He was signed mid-way through the season to replace injured quarterback Thomas Demarco but he ended up doing more than filling the hole on the depth chart. After half of a season on the Redblacks’ roster, Elliott was looked at as a scout for the team, covering the Midwest region. 


His football journey had a lot of stops before getting to Ottawa, starting at Purdue University. With the Boilermakers Elliott kick started his football career, getting playing time in his senior season where he earned a spot on the famous list of Purdue quarterbacks. “It’s an honor to be on that list. I grew up watching Kyle Orton and Drew Brees. Going in and competing at Purdue I really learned a lot about hard work and dedication.”

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Elliott with Brees at Purdue

Elliott didn’t have the opportunity to play with Brees at Purdue but being put into the same category of Purdue quarterbacks he has had the chance to meet the star quarterback he says, “Drew is a very unique individual. Everything you see online about him is exactly who he is…He’s a great human, great father, a great leader and he always gives back. He gives his phone number to everyone and does a good job to help guide the younger guys into success.”

Elliott at Purdue

Since Elliott only started the one year in University he wasn’t given a lot of NFL looks and only got one small chance in the league, in 2010 with the Philadelphia Eagles. “I was only there for a couple days. It was a cup of coffee in the NFL really but I had some cool experiences.” In the time he spent there he was in the same quarterback room as Michael Vick, “Vick is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen and he can pick up and excel at anything.” He tells a short story, “I went golfing with him actually. It was one of his first times going on the course and we played 9 holes. On 9 he scored in the mid 60s, which got him pretty annoyed so he ended up going to a range to hit balls and practice a little. The next week we went out again and he shot like a 52. He dropped almost 12 strokes by just going to the range once. That is impressive.”

Joey Elliott at practice in Philadelphia

With that being his only NFL opportunity, learning from future hall of fame coach Andy Reid and having that chance to be with Michael Vick he made the most of it, using that experience to help with his future. That future being in the CFL. 

He moved to Canada midway through the 2010 CFL season where he ended up on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Being coached by current Redblack Paul LaPolice he comments, “I actually had just got off a flight from training with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers when I was called so it wasn’t expected at all but after we got all of the paperwork sorted out, it was a really cool experience… I got to play 2 games at the end of that rookie year and then more in the next couple of years so overall the time I had there in Winnipeg was great.” 

Elliott with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

With the Blue Bombers he appeared in over 20 games, throwing nearly 400 passes for a total of 2,634 yards and 7 touchdowns through the three seasons. He then made his way to other teams, the BC Lions first but most importantly got in with the Ottawa Redblacks. 

After a short lived opportunity with the Lions the previous season, the Ottawa Redblacks were happy to bring in Joey Elliott to backup Henry Burris for the remainder of the 2014 season while Thomas Demarco sat on the 6-game injured list. Him being a backup quarterback on that roster wasn’t their only thoughts when they brought Elliott in actually. He played a role on that team to help the younger quarterbacks. To explain, he says, “When I was signed by Ottawa they told me that I was there to backup Burris and if they made a run for the playoffs I might get to play but then they also approached the idea of developing the young talent they had. I spent a lot of time with them (younger quarterbacks on the team) after meetings and practices. Reviewed game plans, and made sure they had all of their checks in balance. I really tried to help accelerate the game for them and help them get better which I wish I had when I was a rookie in the league.”

Joey Elliott for Ottawa Redblacks

Watching what he had done with both Danny O’Brien and Alex Carder that year and the success he had in developing the two quarterbacks, the Ottawa Redblacks’ front office wanted to have Elliott return to the team but with a new role, “My contract was up after the one year and in my exit meeting with the team they asked me if I would be interested in taking a coaching or scouting job the next year. I said yes and a few months later they brought in Jason Maas to originally coach the quarterbacks which I would’ve done and then they offered me a job as a scout for the team.” says Elliott, “That transition was a different experience for me. Going from player to scout first, you see the game differently but then the feedback is much different. As a quarterback, after every pass you’re given feedback by a coach but as a scout, you’re watching film, taking notes all day and there’s barely any feedback. There are some when you get talking more but it’s much different than being a player. Overall seeing where I am now, it ended up working out great.”

Elliott among other Redblacks’ quarterbacks, Henry Burris, Danny O’Brien and Alex Carder

Almost after a full year as a part of the Redblacks’ scouting department a job opened up in Indianapolis, in a heartbeat he took the job in a heartbeat. “As a kid from Indiana, it was a blessing to have this opportunity come to me. Jim Irsay has done a great job in building such a great organization that has such high standards and the love of football that he has is awesome. I am beyond blessed to be a part of his team.”

Joey Elliott is currently and has been a pro scout of the Indianapolis Colts since leaving Ottawa

Now that Elliott has seen all levels of the game, and made his way from the Redblacks to the Colts he looks back at what helped him get there.

Joey Elliott with his wife Danielle, son Jack and daughter Bryn after a Colts game

“If I were to give anyone credit from helping me get where I am today it would be my wife. Through my career as a player and now a scout, she has had a lot of faith in me. I learned in my career that you believe in your abilities until your phone stops ringing and as a free agent you’re just waiting. When my phone stopped ringing before I’ve gone through long lengths of time just waiting and of course my wife has always been there… She really did a great job of keeping me positive during my career, being my backbone and supporting me. Challenging me to do more. When I look back at it all, I can’t thank her enough for helping me get to where I am now with the Colts.”

Elliott’s son, Jack getting into football, mostly with the Colts

Getting to where he is now, a part of the Indianapolis Colts organization, Joey Elliott is a pro scout, a role in which he overlooks all professional leagues and takes notes on potential Colts players. Over the years, the Redblacks have seen a number of players go the NFL route, most successfully, Diontae Spencer and Brett Maher and maybe if a player on the Redblacks’ does well and opens eyes of NFL player personnel, Elliott might bring it to the attention of the Colts. 

For more stories on former and current Ottawa Redblacks players like Joey Elliott, checkout https://lilzbigr.blog/ 

“He has the skill to play at the NFL level” NFL receiver Rashard Davis reflects on rivalry matchups against current CFL players and tells his NFL stories

Through the past few NFL seasons there have been some magnificent story-lines. Whether it’s the pre-season or the playoffs, everyone loves a good football story and current Tennessee Titans’ receiver Rashard Davis has been in a number of NFL stories in his career.

In just his 3 year career, the 24 year old receiver and return specialist has made a name for himself, getting on rosters with the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans but before making his way into the NFL he had a historic career at James Madison University, an NCAA D1 AA school. When asked about his time there, “My time at JMU was a really great experience. I’d say it’s unforgettable. Going through the seasons I played there it was fun to be there, and I built a lot of relationships that I will have for my whole life.” He says, “I do wish that maybe I did more while I was there because it did fly by real fast.”

During the time he spent at JMU, Davis made sure people knew his name, being acknowledged as the CAA’s special teams player of the year in 2016 while leading his team to win the 2016 National Championship. “That season was so special. The guys on the team were awesome, I really think that that was the closest group of teammates we had there and to have the final whistle blow and the confetti shoot onto the field, it was a really humbling experience.” He commented, “Each one of use worked so hard and being able to get to that point. It’s something I wish I could relive for sure.”

Winning the CAA National Championship in 2016 will forever be one of Davis’ favorite memories as an athlete but to get to the big game he and his JMU Dukes had to fight through some serious contenders. Looking back at his time at JMU, he actually had to play against CFL stars like DeVonte Dedmon, RJ Harris, Sherrod Baltimore, Micah Wright, Christophe Mulamba, Redblacks’ newcomers David Jones and Joe Walker. When asked about these match-ups, “He (DeVonte Dedmon) was a great player and really still is. At JMU I played against him a lot, being in the same division and all we had some good battles against William & Mary. Every-time we played, he made some big plays and put his team in a position to win. With that said, now that I’ve seen more players around the NFL and at this level I think if his opportunity comes he can make his was to the NFL. He has the skill to play at this (the NFL) level and he can for sure get there in my opinion.” He separately mentions, “Even playing against RJ (Harris), he was a threat to every defense he played and in all he is a big time player and seeing what he’s done so far in Canada he could be a big name.”

Also with the Redblacks now and a player that Davis played against a number of times with JMU is receiver/quarterback Joe Walker. “So when I played against Joe, he was still a quarterback and he didn’t make his transition to receiver yet. Playing against a quarterback version of him was really entertaining. On the sidelines watching him it was like we were watching Lamar Jackson at some points of the game. If I’m not wrong, he did have a good camp with the Bears last year and I was actually surprised he didn’t make the roster because he is a hell of a player.”

Of course all that was done in his college years but since leaving James Madison, Davis has put together a solid career in the NFL. He was first signed as an un-drafted free agent in 2017 with the Philadelphia Eagles Davis says, “It was humbling to have that opportunity. It’s every kids dream growing up and to live to that was great but I realized that the opportunity wasn’t given to me right then and there so I knew I still had work to put in. I didn’t want to settle in because I know that would be a mistake. I used that first training camp to learn and work hard to get where I wanted to be and it paid off.” His hard work did pay off and he ended up making the Eagles practice roster where he would spend the 2017 season but it wasn’t the easiest transition, “I think it was in my first pre-season game with the Eagles, and I returned a punt later in the game. When I caught the ball there was these big guys running full speed at me. When I was in college I was able to run around for a little bit before the punt team came so I was a little shaken up and just had to run. It wasn’t like I was hit hard or anything but it showed me just how different the NFL is compared to College or High School.”

Making the roster with the Eagles in 2017 gave Davis a very interesting rookie season to work with, in a good way. Unfortunately he didn’t get any game action that year but he was able to be a part of a historic Super Bowl run. In the 2017 season, as many know the Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz got injured in week 14. Many would’ve thought that this would’ve been the end to the team’s playoff run, but it could’ve been just what they needed. With veteran quarterback Nick Foles the team finished the regular season 13-3 at the top of the NFC East and they were just starting their Super Bowl run. Being without their starting quarterback in the NFL playoffs made them a true underdog in every match up they were in. As the true underdog of the 2017 playoffs the Eagles made sure not to look back when they started their playoff run. Beating the Falcons in the divisional round and then the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship, the league was shook by how far they had gotten but like the first two games, they didn’t look back.

The Eagles defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to be Super Bowl champions and JMU star Rashard Davis was able to experience it all, “That year was really cool. Before getting there I heard from a few veteran guys telling me how in the NFL players play for themselves and not for the team but when that year was like the whole opposite of that. We weren’t looked at to be a really good football team or given a lot of attention so that gave us some motivation and we worked as a team to win games. We worked so much as a team it felt like a family and that really played a role in our success an helped us rally together and win some games including the Super Bowl.” Davis mentions, “It (the super bowl experience) was honestly so dope. For me, I was on the practice squad so I didn’t have to worry about playing so I wasn’t really nervous all week which helped me enjoy it more. Most of the events that week for us was at Mall of America in Minnesota so we had a lot of fun exploring that mall doing different games and media stuff. Out of all that happened that week, I thought it was cool to see the fans because it wasn’t just Eagles or Patriots fans, it was everybody and then the media side of things was cool to see how they went about doing that. Even when all of the families got there for the pre-game reception we had the Migos around. It was a lot of fun, definitely something I’d love to experience again.”

As Davis recaps his experience before the game he later goes on to reminisce how the game went. One of the biggest plays of the 2017 Super Bowl and one that is known by every football fan is the Philly Special, “We weren’t even suppose to run it that game. At practices all week, never did we run that play because we were originally going to run it against the Falcons in the Divisional round, that doesn’t happen so we practice more and plan on doing it against the Vikings but after we didn’t run it either of those games we didn’t think about it all week, we thought it wouldn’t be a good play for the big game.” But they did run it against the Patriots when the game was on the line in the Super Bowl, “It was just one of those things really. Nick (Foles) came over to Doug (Pederson) and being on the sidelines we didn’t really know what they were talking about. Then he runs onto the field and we see that he’s not lining up at QB, and that got us all excited. After he made the catch it was hype on the sidelines because it was so unexpected. I start waving my towel around over my head. It was just a now or never situation and we did it.”

The Philly Special and the rest of the game going well for the Eagles, Davis was able to call himself a Super Bowl Champion, “For me, yes we had the lead going into the last minute or so of the game but I knew the game wasn’t over yet and the whole sideline knew too. We’ve seen what Brady has done before. The game isn’t over until the clock says it is when you’re playing him so once BG (Brandon Graham) had that sack and we knocked down that last Hail Mary, that was when the celebration started. I went running on to the field, it was hype to celebrate with each other. It was hard to take it all in at once because it’s such a big accomplishment.”

The celebration at the stadium after the game was crazy as it sounds like but nothing will ever touch the craziness of the Super Bowl parade in Philly. “For one, it was cold that day. I think I wore the small long sleeve that says Super Bowl Champs but it wasn’t enough for me but I think the fans helped us out big time with that. As our parade kept going down the streets they threw beers at us like crazy so I wasn’t so cold by the end of the day. Everyone was celebrating, seeing the coaches have that much fun was really cool too but out of all of it, the city definitely had a good time.” He goes to say, “Just looking at it now, when I go into Philly now, there are parts of the city that don’t look the same. People were on trees, buildings and even on top of some light poles and all that. The fans has a party of a lifetime for sure and I’m happy to have some of it captured on my GoPro, so when times are tough I can watch that parade to relive the experience.”

Just to hear the Super Bowl stories he has from that 2017 season, its hard to top them for sure but in that same year he was able to meet his childhood idol Kobe Bryant. When they traveled to Los Angeles, Kobe being from the Philadelphia area made sure to see the team for a while. Davis relives the experience, “So when we were there to play the Rams. We were there for a week to get adapted to the time change and all and he ended up spending a day with us going to our hotel for team meetings and then he even came to see our practice. Kobe was my favorite basketball player growing up, and to meet him was really cool. He let us ask him questions, not just about his career but about life too. He didn’t treat us like the fans we are inside, he was so down to earth with all of us and he made us feel like family really. Now that he’s passed away its one of those things that I’ll cherish for my whole life.”

Seeing his two years with the Eagles, its obvious that he had a great time and learned a lot in the time there but that was just one of a few teams he’s been able to play with over the past couple of seasons. Just after his time in Philadelphia and before being signed by Tennessee he actually spent time with both the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs. Out of the two, he had the longer stint with the Chiefs were he actually played in a few pre-season games. When asked about that training camp with KC he mentions, “That was a really cool experience for me. Unfortunately I couldn’t make the roster or anything like that but I was happy they brought me in. Being coached by Andy Reid and catching passes from Patrick Mahomes, being in the same locker room as Tyreek Hill those are all future hall of famers when its all said and done so I think I made the most of my time there with the Chiefs.”

After being cut by the Chiefs after the pre-season Davis was signed by the Titans midway through the 2019-20 season. With the Titans it was unsure he’d get a lot of playing time once he was signed but after a couple of weeks on the practice roster he was promoted to the active roster where he was able to get his first career catch worth 16 yards against the Texans. “When I was promoted to the active roster, it felt so good. I had that opportunity that I was working so hard for and on top of all of that I even got to catch a pass. Being on a practice squad for nearly 3 years I didn’t see much action and then to have that I was excited to have more.”

Getting more action is exactly what happened for Rashard Davis and it came in what could be one of the best playoff runs in NFL history. Its not quite as good as his run with the Eagles but the 9-7 Titans had the best storyline of the 2019 playoffs. “That playoff was special. I feel like it was almost better than the one with the Eagles because I was involved with it, actually playing in one of the games. We were without a doubt the underdogs. Nobody expected us to win a game, and putting us against Brady was awesome.” Davis comments, “Unlike the first time I played Brady in the playoffs in this game I returned a few punts and to be in that big of a game was humbling for me. It was humbling but I knew that I had to work hard that week. Now that I say that I might realize I didn’t work too hard as Derrick took most of the work.”

Like he mentions in his previous quote, Titans running back took on every defense coming his way in that playoff run, rushing for well over 400 yards in the three games. “When we watch him play in college at Alabama he was for sure a stud. Watching him in the NFL on TV he’s an absolute beast but when you see him in person and stand next to him he is a huge running back.” Davis explains, “That playoff run was awesome to be a part of. Watching the damage he did on defenses, beating the Super Bowl favorites in the Ravens. We showed just how good of a team we could be.”

That playoff run by the Titans really showed just how much of a ‘run heavy’ team that they are with Derrick Henry and given that they can gain close to 200 yards a game on the ground they don’t seem to need any big name weapons for Tannehill which means Rashard Davis has a chance to fill in at receiver. When asked about the situation he goes on to say, “I feel like every team I’ve been with so far I have had a good position with and I’ve always had room to grow into a starting role but as you look closer into it this could be the best situation of them all. We do have some ballers on the team in A.J (Brown), Corey Davis, (Adam) Humphries, Tajae (Sharpe) and Kalif (Raymond) but I do have that situation in which I can make the team which really makes me excited and I’m motivated to make the active roster so right now I’m working hard to maybe get in that position.”

All in all, Rashard Davis is a heck of a football player and has a real shot at making the 2020 Tennessee Titans active roster. With the plays he’s made in his career and the awesome moments he’s been able to experience there is no doubt that he would be a great fit on the NFL team. With the connections he has with the players mentioned on the Redblacks team you might even see him at TD Place for a game in the near future to cheer on his former college rivals.

For more football news, mostly CFL checkout https://lilzbigr.blog/

Ottawa Redblacks’ offense, don’t forget about Rafael Araujo-Lopes

In the 2019 CFL season, the Ottawa Redblacks went 3-15, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 inaugural year. Even-though they weren’t able to make their way to the Grey Cup like the fans are used to, the Redblacks’ roster was filled with talent. Whether it was returning veterans like Brad Sinopoli or younger stars like John Crockett, the team discovered a lot of great players that could make an impact in the future.

Right now its still up in the air when the next CFL season will be played but when the Ottawa Redblacks are back in action they’ll be able to count on Rafael Araujo-Lopes. After being signed mid-season by Ottawa Araujo-Lopes was able to play in two CFL games out of the slot. Taking over for the injured Caleb Holley, Lopes had 6 catches on 8 targets going for 57 yards while even rushing the ball for 5 yards on two carries. In the two games played, he even took part on special teams to take over for DeVonte Dedmon while he was hurt. Taking on the return role he returned 3 punts and 4 kickoffs for a total 117 yards.

Ottawa Redblacks WR Rafael Araujo-Lopes: Errol McGihon/Postmedia

Unfortunately Araujo-Lopes suffered a couple injuries last season and was only able to play in those two games but as you look more into his stats he put up in those 120 minutes of football, he had shown a lot of potential. With 15 touches (7.5/game) he was able to gain an all-purpose 229 yards (114.5/game) which gives him just over 15 yards per touch.

Getting those kinds of numbers isn’t something he is new to. Before coming to the CFL Lopes, the Florida native played 3 seasons at the University of Pittsburgh. At Pitt, Lopes was a playmaker on offense and special teams, playing 39 games and gaining over 1,000 all-purpose yards.

Looking more in depth… Lopes touched the ball, whether it was a catch, run or return 124 times, turning it into 1,293 yards and 7 touchdowns. Splitting that into the 3 seasons, he averaged 431 all-purpose yards a season and over 10 yards a touch. His best season of them all was in 2017 when he led the University in receiving; he caught for 531 yards on 43 receptions that year.

As seen from the numbers he put up both last season and in University, the 24 year old receiver has a shot at being a starter in the Redblacks offense. He plays a similar role as both Nic Demski and Anthony Coombs, so if you really want to know what he’ll be doing. Watch what they’ve done over the last couple of seasons in the CFL because it looks like Araujo-Lopes, when Dedmon is off the field will be doing a lot for the Redblacks in the future.

For more on Rafael Araujo-Lopes and other Redblacks players, visit https://lilzbigr.blog/

Attending the Ottawa Redblacks watch party tomorrow on Zoom? Be prepared!

The Ottawa Redblacks and its season ticket holders will all come together tomorrow night as we relive history. Both the CFL and TSN have partnered up to replay some of our favorite games from the last couple of years and of course they have to show the 104th Grey Cup. Tomorrow, Friday Ma 15th, TSN1 will be showing the big Ottawa Redblacks Grey Cup win, and you can watch it with some of the players from the 2016 team!

Chris Hofley, known as the Redblacks’ “media guy” will be hosting a Zoom call in which all of the season seat holders will be invited. The Zoom meeting will have some players, coaches and reporters that were a part of the 2016 season and the Grey Cup.

If you will be tuning in to the game, or even on the Zoom meeting, you might want to watch some videos to get you in the spirit!

Thanks to ‘RNation Webmaster’ you can watch the 2016 East Final against the Edmonton Eskimos. Many remember it as the snow bowl, and if you’re interested in watching how the Redblacks go into the Grey Cup, I’d recommend watching it before heading on tomorrow’s Zoom call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVgYu82Q5A

Also available to watch on YouTube is the Ottawa Redblacks’ 2016 Journey to the Grey Cup from TSN!

Ottawa Redblacks sign former Alouettes offensive lineman Na’Ty Rodgers to a one-year deal

After a quiet couple of weeks following the CFL Draft on April 30th, the Ottawa Redblacks have put themselves back into the news column. While the world stays in lock down during these tough times, the Redblacks front office led by GM Marcel Desjardins are making sure their roster is set for when the season is played.

A part of the off-season, the Redblacks just recently brought in Na’Ty Rodgers. Rodgers, and offensive lineman from the University of Houston will be making his third appearance in the CFL after a 2018 campaign with the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 2018, Rodgers played in 10 of the Alouettes’ 18 games and even got on two XFL rosters in the 2020 season.

If he is given enough looks early in 2020 training camp, the Maryland native could find himself as a starter on the Ottawa Redblacks’ offensive line.

Stay tuned for more on Na’Ty Rodgers and the rest of the Ottawa Redblacks at https://lilzbigr.blog/

Ottawa Redblacks’ receivers coach Alex Suber reflects on his playing career and touches on the new role in the CFL

This off-season has been full of moves for the Ottawa Redblacks. Coming off of a 3-15 season the team knew they’d have to make a change to be able to get back in the running and it all started with the coaching staff. After bringing in Paul LaPolice as the team’s head coach they started bringing in a group of coaches; one being Alex Suber. Suber was brought in as the Ottawa Redblacks receivers coach in December and shows excitement towards his new role, “I started my playing career in 2010 with the ‘Bombers so being able to start coaching in the league 10 years later is really cool for me and I’m super excited to get started in Ottawa this year.”

As Suber mentions in the previous quote he isn’t new to the league. Before becoming a coach with the Ottawa Redblacks Suber established a solid CFL career as a defensive back. Playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Rough Riders Suber was able to play 6 seasons in the CFL, racking up a total 249 tackles, 4 interceptions, 6 fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown. When asked about his career he comments, “My time in the CFL was great. I came in to the league without much knowledge on in, I pretty much thought it was going be really easy to play in but after I came into it and realized what it was all about I gained a lot of respect for it and had an overall great career. Meeting some great people and playing in some big games, it was awesome.”

He started his career off in Winnipeg, then went to play for Toronto before finishing his career in Saskatchewan and when he recaps his time with all of the teams he mentions, “I loved every minute of my career but by far the favorite moments would be with Winnipeg. Going to the Grey Cup was one of the coolest things. I flew my family out to watch and for me it was awesome to see them enjoy being there and everything because we worked so hard to get to that point and it really was cool to live through that. Other than that, being in Toronto was cool. It was really a mini New York city so it was fun to see that part of the country and then when I was in Saskatchewan, I wasn’t there for long but I got the best look at the CFL from that perspective. I saw the fans they had for Saskatchewan and it was fun to be there.”

As he looks onto his new career in the CFL as a coach, he’ll be reuniting with a couple of people that he met before in those cities. Suber goes on to say, “I’m really excited to come to coach the Ottawa Redblacks and what comes into that would be the familiarity I have with the guys there. I went there in February for a couple weeks to get to know the coaches on the staff and we really bonded but even before I was able to play for a couple of the coaches that I will be coaching for.”

When digging deeper, “In my career I was able to play for Paul LaPolice in Winnipeg and as a defensive back, playing against his offense everyday at practice I learned to know how good of an offensive mind he is and as I stay watching the CFL after I retired I see that he’s still up there and theres no surprise about that so now that I’m going to be coaching on his offense, it makes me really excited.” He says, “Also with the Blue-Bombers I was coached by a staff that had Bob Wylie who will be the offensive line coach and I’m super excited to be with him again. As everyone knows he is a true character on the staff and he has a lot of experience in the CFL and NFL as a coach so that makes it even better. Bob Dyce too. In my last year in the league I was with the Rough Riders when Dyce was the intern coach and I saw first hand how smart of a coach he is.”

Suber may be new to coaching the CFL, but he’s not so new to being a coach in general. Before being brought in by Ottawa he was able to get a defensive co-ordiantor gig with Lyon College, and he took on a challenge to be a receivers coach with Murray State. “After I left the game as a player, I knew I wanted to be a coach. Even when I was playing still I took an off-season to coach a high-school team in Florida, close to home and so when I retired I coached them again before I applied to coach the next level and that was really cool.” Suber mentioned, “I really fell in love with coaching because of the people you meet through it. For every player on every team there is a story and getting to know those stories is really cool. As a college coach I really enjoyed the recruiting process really because I was talking to families and telling them how coming to Murray State or Lyon College was going to be the best decision and really how we were going to take care of their kid so I really liked that part of coaching and now that I’m in the CFL I think its going to be cool to see the guys because I can really relate to them as a former player.”

Relating to his players is something coach Suber will be able to do and he’ll even be able to help the receivers with the experience he has as a defensive back. He comments, “As a former defensive back in the CFL I feel like I know a lot of what goes on between a db and a receiver and when I am in Ottawa to coach the receivers group, I hope to help them with the knowledge I have.” Also he said, “Out of all of the things I think I can help teach them, I think the zone/man coverages could be big. I know they’ve learned a lot about it in the past like everyone else, but as a defensive back maybe I can help even more.”

In Ottawa Suber will be able to coach a good group of receivers, “When I’m there, I’m excited to be coaching the guys and there’s a great room of guys. Sinopoli is very experienced, Harris I feel is on the come up and when you look at Coombs and Dedmon, that is two very versatile players. Even not on that list is Saunders who I feel is a great addition by Marcel and the group there and I’m happy to have him in the receivers group really. Then there’s even a lot of younger guys on the team that could make an impact. In total, I think we have a great group and I’m excited to be there!”

Didn’t draft offense? Take a look at the Otawa Redblacks’ Canadian skill position players heading into the future

Although there is a lot of uncertainty around the 2020 CFL season and if it happens but when the day comes and the Ottawa Redblacks step on the field, they should be more than ready to get back in the grey cup run. After a Grey Cup loss in 2018, the team took a big change losing some of their biggest offensive weapons to free agency which led to them losing 15 games and missing the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. Names like Diontae Spencer, Greg Ellingson, and William Powell are tough to replace and with that said, many are unsure they will ever be replaced but after making a splash in this year’s free agency period the Ottawa Redblacks might have put themselves in a position to win games offensively once again.

Photo: Esks.com

In this year’s CFL off-season the Ottawa Redblacks focused mainly on the defensive side of the ball. Signing big names like Cleyon Laing, Abdul Kanneh, Don Unamba and then drafting Adam Auclair in the first round it is clear that they improved on defense, but how are they suppose to win offensively with all these defensive players? Well, even-though they weren’t as advertised as the other moves this off-season the Redblacks did bring in a group of offensive guys that are ready to make an impact in the team’s future.

At receiver, the Ottawa Redblacks already have a big name Canadian in Brad Sinopoli but they were even able to get their hands on veteran slot-back Anthony Coombs. Coombs, other than Arbuckle may be the biggest offensive acquisition of the off-season as he has a productive six seasons behind him.

Geoff Robins/CFL.ca

Signing a one-year contract with Ottawa, Coombs will be a good veteran presence for younger Canadians that were even signed this off-season, starting with Malcolm Williams. Williams isn’t exactly the youngest of the bunch but he still has some good football years left in him. In just 3 seasons in the CFL, the 26 year old has proven to be a Canadian game changer, winning not one but two Grey Cups while even catching for over 300 yards. Like Coombs, Williams has a good amount of experience behind him in the three years, playing in 29 games he might be able to show younger guys how to excel in this league as he has won two Grey Cups in the three years in the CFL.

Malcom Williams (Photo: Johany Jutras)

The veteran presence of Sinopoli, Coombs and Williams can play a big role for the future of newly signed receiver James Tyrrell. Tyrrell, the rookie receiver brought in just in December will likely be on the practice squad to start the 2020 season, but if he is given the opportunity to play he might be able to slide in as a good Canadian playmaker on the team.

Also a couple of Canadian playmakers that have already been with the Redblacks for a few years now would be both Brendan Gillanders and Marco Dubois. At running back and on special teams, Gillanders has been a key part to the Redblacks team and many would’ve thought he was going to be big on offense last year after losing Powell but maybe his time is now. Coming back for the 2020 season (or future depending on covid-19) Gillanders will be in the backfield with both John Crockett and Timothy Flanders having the chance to be a big piece to the team as one of the seven potential Canadian starters, so even-though the Redblacks didn’t go out and draft a running back like Pellerin or Johnson the team is well off with the 29 year old Canadian.

Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca

As mentioned earlier, the team also has Marco Dubois. Dubois has been with the Redblacks after being drafted by them in the 2018 CFL Draft and has been all over the place on the offensive depth chart since. Playing from the slot, at tight end and even at the full-back position, Dubois in the two years has been able to catch 8 passes for 55 yards and his most memorable 2018 East Final touchdown. He doesn’t have the flashiest numbers on the offense but he has been a key player on the special teams unit making 6 tackles and some big blocks in the past year and at just 24 years old he could finally play just as big as a role on the offense. Playing on the offense is something he is used to and is a reason why he was brought in by Ottawa, so his 6-foot-4 height and time with the Redblacks over the past two seasons could help him transform into a big time player for the Redblacks in the future.

Yes, all of these players have the potential to play big roles for the Redblacks, but will they? Well, that’s still undecided. The team already has a group of talented Americans on the offense with R.J Harris, Jalen Saunders and John Crockett so fitting into starting spots could be tough but if they prove themselves from their backup positions or working hard on the practice squad they just might be able to live to that potential, so stay tuned and look out for the Redblacks’ Canadian talent.

Former Ottawa Redblacks offensive co-ordinator Jaime Elizondo, the next Ottawa Gee Gees head coach?

Following the 2018 Grey Cup loss, the Ottawa Redblacks lost a lot of big names from the organization. Starting with Trevor Harris, Diontae Spencer and Rico Murray and then finishing the trail of departures with OC Jaime Elizondo. Elizondo was with the Redblacks for 3 seasons, winning the Grey Cup in 2016 and making an impact on the offense to get to the playoffs three consecutive years. After quitting his job with the Redblacks because they had declined him to interview for head coaching jobs Elizondo quickly was able to get on a team’s staff. Although he wouldn’t be coaching right off the bat Elizondo took a leap of faith, heading down south to coach with the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers as an offensive co-ordiantor on former Argos’ head coach, Marc Trestman’s staff.

As we all in the football world know, the XFL just recently folded without getting a full season played and Elizondo is now available once again. Being a “free agent” coach, Jaime Elizondo has shown his love for the Canadian football game and requested to be the next Ottawa Gee Gees’ football head coach. This coaching job would not only bring him back to the Canadian game, but to the city of Ottawa.

Leaving the CFL after the 2018 season may be a regret of Elizondo’s and many still question why he went off to the XFL but if he ends up getting on U Ottawa’s staff or another Canadian team’s staff he might be able to make his way back to a CFL coaching staff.