After two straight sub-.500 seasons that saw Calgary\u2019s streak of consecutive playoff appearances snapped at 19, the team bounced back in a big way in 2025. The Stamps finished 11-7 and earned a spot in the Western Semi-Final where they lost in last minute fashion to the BC Lions.<\/p>\n
RELATED \u00a0<\/p>\n Last year set the Stampeders back on course. And as we continue highlighting one preseason storyline for each CFL team, building on a bounce back 2025 is where we land for Calgary.<\/p>\n Knowing the Stamps are set to host the 113th Grey Cup only adds urgency on the outside. But inside the locker room, it\u2019s all about focusing on what\u2019s in front of them. That\u2019s the path to getting to a better place, according to head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson.<\/p>\n \u201cI know November 15th I want to be coming out of that locker room with the guys,\u201d Dickenson said on day one of training camp<\/a>. \u201cIn order to look forward, you\u2019ve got to kinda look where we\u2019re at. For us, let\u2019s make sure we handle today.\u201d<\/p>\n Multiple key pieces were put in place last season and Calgary is confident they\u2019re the right ones to keep building. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. leads a pack of crucial returnees that also includes Dedrick Mills<\/a>, Clarence Hicks<\/a>, Reggie Begelton<\/a>, Marquel Lee<\/a>, and Derrick Moncrief.<\/p>\n Starting Monday afternoon, the Stamps get to work on taking that next step in 2026.<\/p>\n THE DINWIDDIE ERA BEGINS<\/p>\n The story for Ottawa, who open their preseason Friday night in Montreal, is also about taking steps. But the REDBLACKS already took a huge leap in December when they hired Ryan Dinwiddie as their new head coach and general manager.<\/p>\n And with training camp now underway, we get to start seeing how this bet pays off.<\/p>\n It felt like a good bet the minute we heard the somewhat surprising news Dinwiddie was joining Ottawa after an extremely successful tenure with the Argonauts. Dinwiddie compiled a 51-35 record over five seasons in Toronto to go along with two Grey Cup wins and four Eastern Final appearances.<\/p>\n What will the Ottawa REDBLACKS look like in 2026 with Ryan Dinwiddie leading the chart? (Timothy Matwey\/CFL.ca)<\/p>\n I\u2019m fascinated to see how Dinwiddie\u2019s coaching influence impacts the REDBLACKS. For instance, it\u2019ll be interesting to watch Dru Brown<\/a> perform in tandem with Dinwiddie, who\u2019s reputation as a quarterback savant is well established. Brown was only able to start nine of Ottawa\u2019s 18 games last season, but now working with Dinwiddie, it won\u2019t come as a surprise anyone if he returns to 2024 form when he went 8-6-1 as a starter.<\/p>\n Dinwiddie the general manager has been hard at work, too. He\u2019s added the likes of C.J. Reavis, A.J. Allen, and Ayden Eberhardt<\/a> in free agency to help bolster a REDBLACKS squad that finished 4-14 last year. Knowing how quickly he turned things around in Toronto, it feels like Ottawa has the right guy to get where they want to go.<\/p>\n THE RECEIVER RUNDOWN<\/p>\n Our MMQB positional rankings are coming along nicely, as we added cornerback to the list last week. Here\u2019s where we\u2019re at so far:<\/p>\n And sticking with the high-profile theme, this week we\u2019re shining the spotlight on the receivers.<\/p>\n Perhaps the league\u2019s most stacked position, I know I left a significant number of worthy names off this list.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the nature of whittling an extremely deep position down to just three.<\/p>\n 1. KEON HATCHER SR., BC LIONS<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n After having parts of two seasons impacted by an Achilles injury, Keon Hatcher Sr. emphatically reclaimed his spot as one of the league\u2019s elite in 2025. Hatcher led the CFL last year with 1,688 receiving yards to go along with nine touchdowns.<\/p>\n
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