[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Marshall Ferguson CFL.ca @TSN_Marsh The Ottawa REDBLACKS just had one of the most memorable seasons I can remember in recent CFL lore. “WHAT?! They were just another playoff loser, vanquished by the eventual champion Argonauts.” I know, it seems like hyperbole but hear me out. They went 7-1-1 at home which for a team who went years without consistent home success was massive. They traded for and signed their franchise quarterback in Dru Brown only to see him ride the wave of inevitable ups and downs through a long season which required Jeremiah Masoli and Dustin Crum to play in spot duty. RELATED » 5 reasons Bob Dyce, REDBLACKS are excited for 2025 » Six is Back: REDBLACKS sign Adarius Pickett to one-year extension » Just In Time: REDBLACKS, Hardy agree to one-year extension » REDBLACKS, Addison agree to one-year contract extension » Buy tickets for the 2025 season » View the 2025 schedule here » Subscribe to the CFL’s official YouTube channel » Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates They also had one of the CFL’s best rushing attacks for a short lived time before transitioning towards a combination of fresh faced ball carriers and savvy veteran leaders. The offensive line came together as the year progressed and the defence saw a new hero in Michael Wakefield step up to aid the rushing prowess of Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Bryce Carter , while the back end saw Damon Webb emerge as a star and the linebackers were great when healthy, which wasn’t nearly often enough. All of this led to a 7-2-1 start before tasting victory just once after September 7, losing home field in the Eastern Semi Final and falling to an explosive Argos passing attack as Toronto romped their way to glory. As I sit here reminiscing about the wild journey of the 2024 REDBLACKS, I’m also a broken Buffalo Bills fan who has been listening to radio hosts, callers and my own internal radio show for three days, all of whom are wondering “does Buffalo just run it back and hope for better, or need to do something drastic to get over a Chiefs sized hump?” In Ottawa you could ask the same. With so many data points to work off of, the overall summation of the organization’s direction is difficult to nail down and undoubtedly some will wish for great change. Many of those wishing for an overhaul are usually the ones who wish to fire entire coaching staffs after an 0-2 start as well for what that’s worth. The question in front of general manager Shawn Burke after the playoff loss in Toronto was where to take his control of the organization, and what statement his moves would make. Reading between the lines on Burke & Co. decision making this off-season it’s clear they believe they are much closer to a Grey Cup championship than the second half of the 2024 season suggests. It began with a vote of confidence in much of the coaching staff, followed by core pieces like fullback Marco Dubois , offensive line Zack Pelehos and defensive back Justin Howell being brought back in quick order. Then came the pairing of receivers Justin Hardy and Bralon Addison who were both retained to compliment a running game which signed running back William Stanback fresh off his BC release. On special teams Richie Leone stays put to keep flipping field position while the defence locked up their two most important linebackers in Adarius Pickett and Jovan Santos-Knox . Move after move after move confirms that Ottawa believes in their core, leadership and principles that got them to that fast start and strong home field advantage. There are names still lingering though as the free agency communication window sets to blow open in a few short days. Losing Damon Webb would be a massive blow to the progress of Ottawa’s secondary, DeVonte Dedmon remains one of the best returners in the league and Cyrille Hogan-Saindon remains unsigned despite proving his worth at a bevy of alignments and assignments through three years (already?!) in Ottawa. Oh, then there’s that little question of Jeremiah Masoli and where he slots into the bigger picture. An injury forced conundrum the likes of which no CFL team could have imagined when bringing Masoli over from Hamilton to lead the charge at TD Place a few years ago. There are answers left to be found for Ottawa, but the off-season temperament and checking of boxes suggests everyone in house has a plan and wants to continue building in 2025. Where it takes them? We’ll all find out together this summer. Get all the top stories from across the league delivered to your inbox.
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