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<\/p>\nWith a busy off-season nearing an end, it\u2019s full steam ahead for the Ottawa REDBLACKS with the opening of training camp just around the corner.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s one big item remaining on their off-season menu \u2013 the CFL Draft April 28, with the REDBLACKS possessing the No. 1 overall pick. While selecting first may not be the same as it is in other professional leagues (some of the CFL\u2019s top-rated players will either be drafted by or sign as free agents with NFL teams), it\u2019s still a big deal.<\/p>\n
Looking beyond the draft, rookie camp opens May 6, with training camp kicking into full gear May 10. After a couple of pre-season games (in Montreal May 22, and at home to the Alouettes May 29), the REDBLACKS open their regular season June 6 at home vs. the Edmonton Elks.<\/p>\n
Any conversation about the 2026 REDBLACKS needs to start with a new head coach. Ryan Dinwiddie, whose impressive resume includes winning two Grey Cup championships with the Toronto Argonauts (2022 and 2024). Dinwiddie also added the title of general manager when he joined the REDBLACKS in what has to be considered a terrific hire for Ottawa.<\/p>\n
Dinwiddie (who will also be the team\u2019s offensive play caller) has assembled an impressive coaching staff. Returning from last year are defensive co-ordinator William Fields, Mike Gibson (offensive line) and Nate Taylor (assistant special teams co-ordinator and quality control). The additions are: Jeff Reinebold (special teams co-ordinator), Drew Tate (quarterbacks), Pete Costanza (receivers), Evan Harrington (running backs), Phillip Daniels (defensive line) and Damaso Munoz (linebackers).<\/p>\n
And that brings us to how this team is looking and where it\u2019s heading.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look back at the recent CFL Combine, which helps set the stage for the draft. It\u2019s an opportunity for teams to get a closer look at many of the top available prospects \u2013 on and off the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to take everything you see over two days and not look at what you\u2019ve already seen on film and what\u2019s been done,\u201d said REDBLACKS vice-president of football operations Shawn Burke. \u201cBut it\u2019s a chance to talk to them 1-on-1 and get to know them a bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if the REDBLACKS have decided who they will select at No. 1, Burke said: \u201cI don\u2019t think you ever go into the combine with a preconceived notion of who you are going to pick because of the nature of the draft; some guys will be taken away and maybe fall down a bit because of the NFL Draft. (Defensive end) Akheem Mesidor is the No. 1 player on the (CFL Draft) board, but the reality is he will be a high NFL draft pick. You\u2019re likely to take a guy who\u2019ll be in your lineup or you trade the pick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s backtrack a bit more, into February\u2019s free-agency period. The REDBLACKS had an impressive haul that included linebackers A.J. Allen, Nyles Morgan, Michael Brodrique and Brian Cole II, defensive backs C.J. Reavis and Demerio Houston, quarterback Jake Maier, defensive linemen Habakkuk Baldanado and Dylan Wynn, offensive lineman Martez Ivey and receiver Ayden Eberhardt.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While Burke prefers to talk about the free-agent class as a whole, one guy to keep an eye on is Baldanado.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe felt Baldonado (four sacks with Saskatchewan in 2025) was one of the league\u2019s best pass rushers in the last third of last season when he got an opportunity to play because of injuries,\u201d said Burke.<\/p>\n
And \u2026 \u201cI\u2019m excited to have Dylan Wynn on this team. He brings a lot to any team on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Offensive line is one area where the REDBLACKS will need to step up. Last year\u2019s starting unit played just one game together, largely because of injuries to Zack Pelehos and Peter Godber. While those two return healthy, others like Ivey, Sam Carson and Gregor MacKellar could also push for playing\u00a0time.<\/p>\n
The REDBLACKS also wanted to add some explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball. Bell (1,038 rushing yards with five touchdowns last year in Hamilton) and Eberhardt (863 yards in catches last year with the BC Lions) add to the team\u2019s offensive firepower. The return of 6-foot-6 receiver Nick Mardner, who missed last season because of a knee injury, should also provide a boost.<\/p>\n
Another guy to keep on an eye on is speedy receiver Andy Isabella, a former second-round NFL Draft pick (2019, Arizona).<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s Maier, who, at\u00a0times, was the starting QB over five CFL seasons in Calgary and Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought in who we believed was the best backup quarterback available,\u201d said Burke. \u201cWe feel we can win games with him or with Dru (Brown). Dru is our No. 1, but it\u2019s still a competition \u2013 we\u2019re trying to win football games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown has shown glimpses of who and what he can be. Hampered by injuries, he threw for 2,389 yards a year ago. But what the gunslinger did in the final three games of Ottawa\u2019s 2024 season is very much on Burke\u2019s mind. After throwing for 400 yards against the Argos, Brown upped that with 445 yards against the Ticats. The semi-final game \u2013 a 58-38 loss to Toronto \u2013 was tight into the final three minutes. Brown completed 46 passes for 487 yards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know what Dru is capable of doing,\u201d said Burke. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen that level of competitiveness and his preparation is second to none.\u201d<\/p>\n
The REDBLACKS won four games in 2025, but the season before they finished 9-8-1, including a sensational record of 7-1-1 at home. The feeling around the league is the REDBLACKS will be much improved.<\/p>\n
What kind of changes to the lineup could we see?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our job to bring in new players to push and replace some of the veterans,\u201d said Burke. \u201cIt\u2019s the veterans\u2019 job to prove it\u2019s not (the newcomers\u2019)\u00a0time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the feeling heading into training camp?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s excitement,\u201d said Burke. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had the team on the field since October and you want to get back out there. We\u2019ve put 2025 behind us. You have to debrief, evaluate and learn.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether you won the Grey Cup or you\u2019re the last-place team, years don\u2019t carry over. As soon as you\u2019re done one season, it\u2019s all about next year. If you talked to all nine GMs, I\u2019m sure you\u2019d hear a lot of optimism about 2026. Let\u2019s put it this way, we were active for a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With a busy off-season nearing an end, it\u2019s full steam ahead for the Ottawa REDBLACKS with the opening…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":595216,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-595215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=595215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/595215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/595216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=595215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=595215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=595215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}