Last week\u2019s MMQB started our look ahead to some of the off-season\u2019s most important issues.<\/p>\n
We focused on the five West Division teams last Monday<\/a>, which means we\u2019re turning our focus out East one week later.<\/p>\n From coaching changes to free agency, which is now less than a month away, we\u2019ve got one pressing question for each East Division squad.<\/p>\n RELATED MONTREAL ALOUETTES<\/p>\n What will a full season of Davis Alexander look like?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Despite a lingering lower body injury that limited him to just seven regular season starts, 2025 still served as Davis Alexander\u2019s arrival as a top starting quarterback. While going 7-0 at the helm, Alexander completed 72.5 per cent of his passes for 2,024 yards and 10 touchdowns and tied for second overall with a 110.7 passer rating.<\/p>\n With an entire winter to recover from the injury, which he played through at the 112th Grey Cup, I\u2019m excited to see how Alexander takes it to the next level over the course of a full campaign. Alexander is an explosive and dynamic pivot who can extend plays with his legs and push the ball downfield. But it\u2019s his swagger that sets him apart, because it truly sets the tone for his team. A healthy Alexander all season only strengthens Montreal\u2019s case as an East Division frontrunner.<\/p>\n HAMILTON TIGER-CATS<\/p>\n Is there a big defensive addition coming?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We know how prolific the Ticats were last season with the ball. But for whatever reason, and despite having top players at individual positions, Hamilton\u2019s defensive outputs weren\u2019t as strong. The Tiger-Cats finished in the league\u2019s bottom half in opposition net offence, points against, and both rushing and passing yards against.<\/p>\n As such, it\u2019ll be interesting to see if president of football operations Orlondo Steinauer has a free agent defensive splash in his back pocket. Hamilton has made noise already with the recent release of defensive tackle Casey Sayles<\/a> and the team has free agent decisions to make on a few defensive pieces like Jonathan Moxey and Julian Howsare<\/a>. Even still, it wouldn\u2019t be a shock if we saw the Ticats make some noise with a notable name next month.<\/p>\n TORONTO ARGONAUTS<\/p>\n How will Mike Miller shape the team?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Argos have a new head coach for the first time in more than five years. And after a solid search, general manager Michael Clemons selected Mike Miller as the right man for the job. And it\u2019s not like Pinball doesn\u2019t have a good eye. It was Clemons who zeroed in on then Calgary quarterbacks coach Ryan Dinwiddie in 2019. That\u2019s the same title Miller has held in Toronto the last four seasons.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a long time coming for Miller. Going on almost 30 years in coaching, Miller has been in numerous roles on teams spanning the CFL, NCAA, NFL, NFL Europe, and the XFL. But he\u2019s never been a head coach until now. And that can be an exciting proposition. From Dinwiddie to Marc Trestman, Mike O\u2019Shea, and Corey Mace, first time head coaches have had plenty of CFL success in recent years. I\u2019m excited to see how Miller goes about shaping an Argonauts team looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs last year.<\/p>\n OTTAWA REDBLACKS<\/p>\n What does the Ryan Dinwiddie effect look like?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking of Ryan Dinwiddie, his new team is also looking for a return to the post-season. Now Ottawa\u2019s head coach and general manager, Dinwiddie comes to the nation\u2019s capital looking for success similar to what he enjoyed in Toronto. Prior to 2025, Dinwiddie had led the Argos to four straight trips to the Eastern Final with a pair of Grey Cup wins as part of that run. That streak started in his first year, which is history the REDBLACKS would love to see repeated.<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a03 top pending free agents from every East Division team<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a03 top pending free agents from every West Division team<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0CFL.ca\u2019s top 30 pending free agents<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Official 2026 Free Agent Tracker<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a03 potential landing spots for Julian Howsare<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Subscribe to the CFL\u2019s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates<\/a><\/p>\n