It has been an interesting week for the Ottawa Redblacks which has their fans hoping for great results in the upcoming 2024 season. The Redblacks acquired Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Dru Brown, re-signed wide receiver Bralon Addison, and brought back wide receiver Dominique Rhymes.
In addition, the Redblacks also re-signed key contributors for the 2024 season like Brandin Dandridge, Anthony Gosselin, Michael Wakefield, Nigel Romick, Michael Domagala, and Richie Leone with free agency a month away. They also signed a promising player in wide receiver Tyler Hudson, along with Jaylon McClain-Sapp, Lonnie Moore IV, and Floyd Allen.
The last time the Redblacks were in the playoffs was back in 2018 when they lost the 106th Grey Cup to the Calgary Stampeders in Edmonton when Rick Campbell was the head coach. Campbell led Ottawa to three Grey Cup appearances including winning the 104th Grey Cup over the Calgary Stampeders in 2016.
The 2019 season began the downfall of the Redblacks which led to Campbell leaving Ottawa after a 3-15 finish. Many hoped for Paul LaPolice to get the team back on track but that did not happen which led to Ottawa not only firing LaPolice but also General Manager Marcel Desjardins. Now, General Manager Shawn Burke and Head Coach Bob Dyce are looking to get Ottawa back on track heading into the 2024 season.
For the last several seasons in the Eastern Division, Hamilton, Montreal, and Toronto have all gone to the Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with only Montreal and Toronto emerging to take them down preventing the Winnipeg dynasty.
While adding Dru Brown, and Dominique Rhymes, and re-signing guys like Bralon Addison are a great start, Ottawa has a lot of work to do if they want to get back into playoff contention like building an offensive line to protect Brown and Crum. Several offensive linemen are free agents including Philippe Gagnon, Dariusz Bladek, Chris Van Zeyl, and Jermarcus Hardrick.
Furthermore, they need to add weapons in free agency like running back A.J. Ouellette, wide receiver Alexander Hollins, running back William Stanback, and running back Sean Thomas-Erlington, along with rebuilding the entire defense to give opposing team problems.
In addition, Toronto could be losing a dozen of their best players in free agency with reports of some of them wanting to play in Saskatchewan under new head coach and former Toronto defensive coordinator Corey Mace. Hamilton is in rebuild mode, and Montreal is looking to make upgrades to make another run at a Grey Cup.
The 2023 season was filled with injuries which resulted in inconsistent play for the Ottawa Redblacks including losing both quarterbacks Jeremiah Masoli and Tyrie Adams, along with special team’s returner DeVonte Dedmon, and kicker Lewis Ward.
However, there were some bright spots like quarterback Dustin Crum finished second in completing percentage (69.1) behind Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tied for first in rushing touchdowns (9). Crum ranked sixth in passing yards (3,109) and tied for third in touchdowns (12). Crum will have to beat Dru Brown for the starting job and he could be a third-string quarterback once Masoli returns unless he is traded or released during the season.
Ottawa wide receiver Justin Hardy finished third in catches (85), defensive end Bryce Carter tied for second in sacks (12), and defensive back Brandin Dandridge tied for second in interceptions (5) and fumble returns (3). Carter will be a free agent next month unless Ottawa re-signs him. These stats were encouraging for the Redblacks despite the lost season.
There is a lot to look forward to for the Redblacks in 2024. The recent moves by General Manager Shawn Burke are a great sign that he wants to build a contending team. If they hit on all their free agent needs, Ottawa can be in play for not only a divisional title in 2024 but possibly a trip to the Grey Cup in British Columbia.
Do you think the Ottawa Redblacks will have a bounce-back season in 2024? Leave a comment below.
