OTTAWA REDBLACKS
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
TORONTO ARGONAUTS FOOTBALL CLUB
GREY CUP CHAMPIONS: 1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017, 2022
The Redblacks have signed William Powell for the 2017 season despite his missing all of 2016. He looked great in limited action in 2015.
http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2017/...illiam-powell/The Ottawa REDBLACKS have re-signed international running back William Powell for the 2017 season.
Despite an injury suffered in training camp that forced the American to miss Ottawa’s Grey Cup run in 2016, his success with the REDBLACKS in the latter half of 2015 made Powell someone GM Marcel Desjardins wanted to keep in the fold.
“It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to have him on the field with us last year but we know what he can do and the type of player he is and we’re looking forward to having him back,” said Desjardins.
In seven appearances with the REDBLACKS in 2015, Powell carried the ball 76 times for 447 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Before coming to Ottawa, the 28-year-old spent time on NFL rosters with Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia and Arizona.
The REDBLACKS also announced Tuesday the signing of six-foot, 224-lbs American linebacker Darien Harris for the upcoming season.
After two consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons with the Redblacks, Ottawa has extended receiver Greg Ellington through 2018.
http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2017/...ack-redblacks/REDBLACKS receiver Greg Ellingson has signed a contract extension that will keep him in the Nation’s Capital for the next two seasons, the club announced Friday.
The signing ensures that another key piece of the REDBLACKS Grey Cup-winning offence will be back in the fold as they look to defend their title in a year in which Ottawa will play host to the championship game.
“Greg is an integral part of our offence and we’re very pleased to have a player of his caliber, experience and character in the REDBLACKS organization for another two years,” said REDBLACKS GM Marcel Desjardins. “Trevor and Greg have a good relationship and this continuity will only benefit our offence.”
Redblack coaches and management are ticked off about their 2017 schedule. Maybe they should talk to the Argos about some of the schedules that they have had to endure in the last few years to get some perspective on life in the CFL.
http://www.ottawasun.com/2017/02/07/...ary-stampedersThe Ottawa Redblacks are steaming mad after seeing the CFL schedule which was released early Tuesday afternoon.
The schedule sees the Redblacks open with a home-and-home series with the Calgary Stampeders, a Grey Cup rematch (Ottawa won the national championship 39-33 in overtime).
But what’s got Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins worked up is a three-game stretch where his team plays three games between July 14-24 (with four days between each of the games) and a couple of other quick turnarounds. Ottawa also doesn’t have a bye until the final three weeks of the season – with the Redblacks getting Weeks and 20 off.
With their final game of the regular season on Oct. 27 at home against Hamilton, that could leave a significant gap between their final game and their first playoff game (the East semi-final is Nov. 12, with the first-place teams getting a bye to the No. 19 final). Hypothetical situation – the Redblacks take first place in the East and automatically advance to the division championship game. Going in, they will have played one game in 37 days. You can understand why the Redblacks would be more than a bit miffed.
“We don’t think it’s a very fair schedule for us,” said Desjardins. “We don’t like having byes Weeks 18 and 20. Nor do we appreciate having four- or five-day turnarounds during the season and three of those include travel.
#Redblacks DB Kanneh hopes to return to #Ottawa, but wants to be treated like "best DB in this league." #CFLhttps://t.co/Kte1zNNRct
— Tim Baines (@TimCBaines) February 11, 2017
Can confirm earlier report from @garylawless that @REDBLACKS have re-signed receiver @Gelliman82 to new contract.#CFL
— Tim Baines (@TimCBaines) February 10, 2017
http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/foot...e-agency-loomsThe Redblacks still have 19 unsigned players heading into CFL free agency (Feb. 14 at noon):
- John Boyett (DB)
- J’Micheal Deane (OL)
- Ray Early (K)
- Jerrell Gavins (DB)
- Moton Hopkins (DL)
- Ernest Jackson (WR)
- Tristan Jackson (DB)
- Abdul Kanneh (DB)
- Kienan Lafrance (RB)
- Scott Macdonell (WR)
- Nolan MacMillan (OL)
- Mike Moore (DL)
- Danny O’Brien (QB)
- Khalil Paden (WR)
- Jamill Smith (WR)
- Nick Taylor (DB)
- Travon Van (RB)
- Aston Whiteside (DL)
- Chris Williams (WR)
Winning a Grey Cup can be costly in terms of trying to keep your team intact.
http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/08/checkin...-lewis/#ottawa– Word out of Ottawa is the REDBLACKS are unlikely to sign any of their remaining pending free agents before Feb. 14 (Tim Baines, Ottawa Sun).
In an interview Redblack LB discusses the advantages and disadvantages of free agency from a player's perspective.
http://3downnation.com/2017/02/11/ve...l-free-agency/This week, Ottawa Redblacks linebacker Taylor Reed used Twitter to offer up 140 characters worth of advice to the more than 200 CFL players slated to become free agents on Feb. 14. ...
Reed certainly speaks from experience. After stints with Dallas, New England, and Minnesota of the NFL, Reed was encouraged by Hamilton Tiger-Cats special teams coordinator Jeff Reinebold – his former college coach – to try the CFL. After a stint in Winnipeg, he joined the Ticats in the spring of 2014, then re-signed with the club the following season.
But in 2016, Reed became a free agent for the first time in his CFL career. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders, was released in September to make room for Canadian starter, Alex Singelton, and signed with the Ottawa Redblacks the following day. Now he has a Grey Cup ring.
Slated to become a free agent again February, Reed elected to forego hitting the open market and re-signed with Redblacks in January. Given his wide range of experiences – and his willingness to offer advice – we asked him to discuss the challenges of finding a team, making money and finding a home in the CFL. Not surprisingly, he needed more than 140 characters. ...
3DOWN: When you got to free agency after first CFL contract, what were your expectations? Did you think you were going to get paid? What did other players say?
T-REED: After having a solid rookie season, being voted team rookie of the year, and leading the team in tackles the following year, I believed I had the reasonable expectation that I would see an offer that was reflective of that season’s success and I am pleased with how that turned out. I was encouraged by other players to remain in Hamilton.
GM Marcel Desjardins discusses Ottaea's approach to free agency.
http://3downnation.com/2017/02/08/20114/Marcel Desjardins expects he’ll have some work to do when the CFL free agency period begins.
The general manager of the Grey Cup-champion Ottawa Redblacks hopes to sign two of his pending free agents before the noon ET deadline Tuesday. However, with 18 others scheduled to hit the open market – after losing three players to NFL teams earlier this off-season – Desjardins figures he’ll have some holes to fill.
“My preference would be if we had the majority of our guys back then we’d be minimally involved,” Desjardins said Wednesday. “But if we end up losing a number of guys, then, yeah, we’ll certainly be trying to fill some voids, for sure.”
The secondary will definitely be an area of need with the off-season departures of cornerback Mitchell White (Philadelphia Eagles), backup safety Jeff Richards (Carolina Panthers) and defensive back Forrest Hightower (New Orleans). Defensive back Abdul Kanneh is also slated to become a free agent, leaving recently re-signed safety Antoine Pruneau and cornerback Jonathan Rose as the lone holdovers from the unit that started Ottawa’s 39-33 overtime Grey Cup win over Calgary in November.
The receiver position could also become a priority with Ernest Jackson, Chris Williams and Greg Ellingson _ all 1,000-yard performers the last two seasons _ pending free agents. ...
“The challenge is you want to build a team and roster that teams can identify with year in and year out,” Desjardins said. “The way a) one-year contracts work and b) some people are distributing the money potentially to some of our free agents, for instance, makes it impossible to do that.
“As much as you want continuity, it’s virtually impossible to have a reasonable degree of that from one year to the next.”
However, testing the open market can be a calculated gamble for both players and teams. The 2017 salary cap increased just $50,000 to $5.15 million, leaving GMs with limited resources to appease pending free agents looking for raises.
Teams allowing their stars to hit the open market face either having to over-pay to keep them or losing them outright to a higher bid. And once the top free agents sign, it leaves a significantly smaller piece of the pie for those who remain.
That could force some players back to their former teams eager to sign deals that were tabled prior to free agency. However, they could find themselves left out in the cold if the franchise dipped into the free-agent waters to find their replacement.
“From our standpoint, the decisions we’re making are because we can’t do it anyway at their (players) requested number,” Desjardins said. “We assume we’re going to lose out on a number of those guys because of it.”
When Desjardins hits the open market, he’ll have some bargaining chips.
The Redblacks have reached the Grey Cup the last two years, winning in 2016, and not only boast very solid ownership but play in a terrific stadium (TD Place) before enthusiastic fans. And Ottawa will host the ’17 Grey Cup game.
But that doesn’t mean Desjardins won’t also have to ante up.
“I think most players in this league understand we have a very good thing going here in Ottawa,” Desjardins said. “But at the end of the day it’s always going to come down to dollars for a player.”
Desjardins continues to have a very long list of free agents as many players see winning the Grey Cup as helping their market value.
all eyes around #cfl @cfl on @REDBLACKS to see what GM Marcel Desjardins can get done today. He's got a lot of players pending
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 13, 2017
Hearing #Ticats DB Emanuel Davis will hit the #CFL free agency market. The same goes for #RedBlacks RB, East final star, Kienan LaFrance
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) February 13, 2017
http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/2017/...ith-redblacks/The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed defensive back Jerrell Gavins to a one-year contract extension, the club announced Monday.
“Jerrell has been an important part of our team since Day 1 and we’re happy to have him back for another season in Ottawa,” said REDBLACKS General Manager Marcel Desjardins.
Gavins appeared in 13 games in Ottawa’s Grey Cup-winning 2016 season, recording 32 defensive tackles along the way. In three seasons with the REDBLACKS, Gavins has 126 tackles and six interceptions in 44 games.
“I’m very happy to be back in Ottawa and I’m looking forward to getting back out there in front of RNation,” said Gavins.
Sounds like there's been a break in negotiations with @REDBLACKS and OL Nolan McMillan. Not done but they're getting close #cfl @cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 14, 2017
With @REDBLACKS putting dollars into McMillan, sounds like they won't have cap space for WR Ernest Jackson @cfl #cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 14, 2017
Hearing #Ottawa #Redblacks DB @King_dul could wind up with #Ticats when #CFL free agency opens at noon.
— Tim Baines (@TimCBaines) February 14, 2017
Sounds like #RedBlacks have a real interest in former #Bombers LB Khalil Bass. #CFLFA @CFLonTSN
— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) February 14, 2017
Winnipeg Blue Bombers have lost International LB Khalil Bass to Ottawa.
Bass and @REDBLACKS have agreed to terms. finalizing paperwork @cfl #cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 14, 2017
RedBlacks have added Nationals DB/ST Adam Berger from Calgary and DE/ST Ron Omara from Hamilton.
can tell you @REDBLACKS have verbal agreements with DB Adam Berger and LB Ron Omara #cfl @cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 14, 2017
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