2023, July 4th: Redblacks Acquire National LB Kevin Francis From Elks

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have acquired National linebacker Kevin Francis from the Edmonton Elks, today, in exchange for Ottawa’s fourth-round pick in the 2024 CFL Draft.

The full trade breakdown is as follows.

TO OTTAWA

National LB Kevin Francis

TO EDMONTON

2024 Fourth-round draft pick

Francis, 30, is in the midst of his eighth CFL season, having also spent a pair of stints each with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, REDBLACKS, and BC Lions, respectively. The Toronto native spent the 2022 campaign with the Lions, appearing in all 18 games, and recording a league-leading 22 special teams tackles.

He signed with the Elks on February 14, 2023.

He sure did. Then a month later asked for a trade or his release. Evidently he felt the terms of his contract were not being honoured by Edmonton to his satisfaction and understanding.

There is an additional detail to this deal that is not being reported by the REDBLACKS, though Edmonton included it in their own announcement.

The trade is for Ottawa's highest pick in the fourth round, not simply Ottawa's own pick. Ottawa looked to receive a conditional fourth-round draft choice from BC in a trade made last year for Terry Williams.  If BC were to pick higher in the round than Ottawa, Edmonton gets BC's selection in the round, not Ottawa's.

The photo of Francis above was copied from a 3DownNation article which credited Scott Grant for the work. 

2023 CFL College Draft Results

Updating through the evening. 


01-01 - OL Dontae Bull - Fresno State

Bull, 24, has spent the last five seasons with Fresno State, appearing in 37 games, altogether. The Victoria, British Columbia native started at right tackle for all seven games he suited up in during the 2022 campaign, before his season was cut short due to injury. He entered the year with no shortage of accolades, however; earning All-Mountain West offensive lineman honours, and participating in the 2022 Senior Bowl.

At Fresno State's Pro Day, Bull put up 20 reps on the 225lbs bench press, as well as a 25.5in vertical jump, and eight-foot three-inch broad jump, despite still rehabbing his injured leg.

GM Sean Burke via the Ottawa Sun: "We’re excited to get him. I truly believe he can be a tackle in this league. I believe he has the size, I believe he has the feet to do it. He can be very successful; when he gets his hands on people, he can take them out of the play. We went back and watched every game he’s played, but we focused on some games against some high-level NFL defensive ends where he competed hard and held his own against those guys."

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: “We like his size, he’s got some tenacity – he’s feisty. He can play left tackle, right tackle. I went down to the Pro Day and watched him jump. He still wasn’t running at that point, with his broken leg last year. But he looked great. He has a fantastic demeanour and work ethic which was totally vouched for by the staff (at Fresno State).”

02-10 - DB Lucas Cormier - Mount Allison

Phot credit unavailable

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: “He’s a strong kid with a great personality. He has an aggressive mindset and plays hard all the time. We see him maybe sliding into a linebacker position for us; we’ll try him out there. He’s got great speed, he’s a great tackler, he’s a tough kid.”


02-12 - LB James Peter - uOttawa

Photo by Dylan Benoit, Sharpshooter Media

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He really impressed me early. I saw him at the (College Gridiron Showcase) game in Texas up close against good competition and he really looked good. He was taking snaps with the first team all week and I was really impressed with his overall effort and ability. He’s highly intelligent and has that dog mentality."

02-17 (T) - WR Daniel Oladejo - uOttawa

Photography by Emir Atli 

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He’s a great receiver, a nice route runner with great hands. He’s another personality that fits. He’s aggressive, tough, he’s smooth and he wants to play hard. He’s a wants-to-win type of guy. He looked great at the (CFL Combine)."

03-19 - DT Aiden John - Saint Mary's

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He’s tall; he’s got a great defensive line body type, he’s got a lot of room to grow into his body. He’s got a very athletic frame, very muscle bound. He has a high ceiling and came with a great recommendation from (former Carleton coach) Coach Sumarah out there at SMU."

03-25 - LB Josh White - Regina

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "I think it was one of his coaches who said, ‘He’s a blunt instrument out there.’ He just wants to hit guys as hard as he can and make tackles. He plays fierce and he’s super smart."

05-37 - WR Daniel Perry - Saskatchewan

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He’s a great receiver with a great work ethic. He’s a pretty smooth route runner with good hands and lots of length. He was a top receiver on one of the top teams in the country. Some of these guys we’re talking about I’m really surprised we got them where we did, especially Daniel."

06-46 - DL Quintin Seguin - Charleston Southern

Photo credit unavailable

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He’s a big boy who’s tough. I saw him when he was a freshman at North Dakota and I’ve followed him ever since. It’s a steal (to get him this late), it’s kind of lucky."

07-55 - DL Alexander Fedchun - St. Francis Xavier

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He’s going back to school, we knew that. He’s going to set the sack record at St. FX this year. That tells me he loves football and wants to play. He’s a big-bodied, tall kid and he’s also very aggressive."

07-58 - RB Amlicar Polk - uOttawa

Chad Hudson, via the Ottawa Sun: "He didn’t get first-team reps at tailback (last season, playing behind J-P Cimankinda). We want to see how he fits in for us. Because he didn’t get all the reps on offence, he had some fantastic reps on special teams. He didn’t shy away from anything. We love that."

REDBLACKS add two players in 2023 CFL Global Draft

OTTAWA - The Ottawa REDBLACKS selected Samoan defensive lineman Blessman Ta'ala with the first overall selection in the 2023 CFL Global Draft on Tuesday. 

With their second selection, 10th overall, the REDBLACKS chose Swedish offensive lineman Lucas Lavin.

"We’re excited to add two quality players we had identified as being good fits for our club,” said REDBLACKS General Manager Shawn Burke. “We're looking forward to seeing them in camp, and welcoming them to Ottawa.”

Ta'ala, 24, is a 6-2, 305-pound defensive tackle from Pago Pago, American Samoa. He appeared in 64 games over five seasons with the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, racking up a total of 142 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and four sacks. 

Lavin, 27, most recently played for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, after transferring from Northern Colorado in the summer of 2022. A native of Nykoping, Sweden, Lavin helped the Mocs to a 7-4 finish, last season.

Ta'ala raised some eyebrows at the Edmonton combine earlier this year when he tied for the most bench-press reps of 225 pound with 29. The Redblacks announced later in the day that Ta'ala had signed with the team. 

1964, Nov 14th: "Riders Run TiCats Ragged - Pick Up 17-Point Bulge"

Continuing to focus on the three players about to enter the TD Place Wall of Honour, today we have a look at Gene Gaines, who played for the Rough Riders from 1962 to 1969.

As mentioned in the press release announcing his addition to the Wall, he returned a kickoff 128 yards for a score against Hamilton in the first of two game for the 1964 Eastern Final. The summary of that game is clipped below, along with an additional snippet in which the accomplishment is put into perspective.

Gaines was a league all-star in 1965, 1966 and 1967 and a Grey Cup champion in 1968 and 1969.

1960, Sept. 15th: "Riders Grind Argos to First Defeat, Thelen Nears Big 4 Rushing Mark"

This post is inspired by the Redblacks' announcement earlier this week that three former Rough Rider players would be added to the stadium's wall of honour, including Dave Thelen.

The announcement lists Thelen's accomplishments quite thoroughly so there's no point in rehashing them here. Rather, the Ottawa Journal story below summarizes a game in which Thelen ran for 209 yards on his way to leading the league in rushing yards that year (1960) and being named an Eastern all-star. The Rough Riders would win the Grey Cup that year, 16-06, against Edmonton.  

2022 Jr. Rider All-Stars!

It may seem late to reveal these, but they only appeared on the league's website on April 2nd. I believe the QMJFL tends to announce their all-star teams as part of the launch of the upcoming season, typically. Hell, I've taken to seeing it as a sign that spring has finally arrived! 😋  

A subsequent post on the league's site named their individual award winners as well. Here they are. 

Nov. 8th, 1924: Westmount (Montreal) 02 @ Rideaus 15

The summary below is for the first of a two-game series between the junior QRFU's Rideaus and Westmount for that union's championship. The winner would earn the right to play for the Dominion title.

McInenly below, first name Bert, was singled out for quality play by the article's writer prior to the quarter-by-quarter breakdown copied here. 

St. Germain, meanwhile, was named Ralph, and was in the early days of what would be a distinguished athletic career, as evidenced by his write-up in the McGill Hall of Fame. 

There's an obvious error in the article below as the first paragraph suggests that Westmount lost the point they earned in the first quarter.

Laishley below was named Lyle, while Bruce's first name was Stewart.

That would be Clyde Moran getting into the action in the fourth quarter.

Rideau would travel to Montreal the following weekend and lose 12-06 but still win the series on total point and therefore secure the QRFU junior title. A battle against Hamilton loomed on the march towards the Dominion championship.

March 2nd, 2023: REDBLACKS add Nadia Doucoure to coaching staff

Photo credit unavailable

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have hired Nadia Doucoure as Offensive Quality Control Coach, heading into the 2023 season.

"I'm glad to be back full-time with the REDBLACKS and to be taking this next step in my career," said Doucoure. "I can't wait to get on the field this season representing this great organization. Let's get to work!"

Doucoure served as a scout for the REDBLACKS, in 2022, after taking part in the team's Women in Football internship program during training camp. She becomes the second full-time female coach in CFL history, after previously becoming the first female coach in Carleton Ravens history, joining the program in May of 2021.

"We are pleased to have Nadia join our coaching staff for the 2023 season," said Head Coach Bob Dyce. "She will be a valuable addition to the offensive staff."

A native of France, Doucoure's football background is an extensive one. She became involved in the sport in 2002, coaching her local club in La Courneuve. Doucoure also played high-level flag football and rugby, and in 2006, was named technical advisor of France’s National Federation of American Football. Doucoure moved on to Saskatoon from there, learning the rules of Canadian football by coaching locally, and playing for the Saskatoon Valkyries, while coaching women's flag football. Doucoure then returned to Ontario, and took a position with Ontario Football.

February 21st, 2023: "REDBLACKS hire Jykine Bradley to coach defensive backs"

This came as a mild surprise. Following Alex Suber's departure, I assumed DB coaching duties would be managed by defensive coordinator Barron Miles but evidently they preferred to have someone dedicated to that specific position.   

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that former CFLer Jykine Bradley has been hired as the team's Defensive Backs Coach heading into the 2023 season.

"We are very pleased to have Coach Bradley joining our staff as the Defensive Backs Coach," said REDBLACKS Head Coach Bob Dyce. "His breadth of CFL playing and coaching experience will be a definite asset to our coaching staff." 

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Bradley was most recently the defensive backs coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in 2022: his first foray into the CFL coaching ranks. The 42-year-old previously coached the defensive backs at Northwood University (Division II NCAA) in 2021, and was the wide receivers coach of the Waterloo Warriors (U Sports) from 2017 to 2019. 

As a player, Bradley spent his collegiate career with Middle Tennessee, before a stint with the Buffalo Bills in 2004. He then moved on to Hamilton, where he suited up from 2004 to 2010, and finished his CFL career with Edmonton in 2011.

I choose to see this as a good sign. The team often states that they have all the tools to succeed including the money to spend and the willingness to spend it to improve the club. They could have given the DBs over to Miles or transferred responsibilities around between coaches but they added a salary instead. 

I have no idea what kind of coach Bradley is, but we can at least appreciate that they used the resources available to them and avoided cutting corners.  For a team that gave every indication of going cheap from 2019 to 2021 and still has some work to do to shed that perception, it's a step in the right direction, in my view.

February 17th, 2023: Free Agency, Day 4

The team was still adding bodies four days into FA. Much like the previous day, one was a new face, the other a familiar one.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS have signed National receiver Lemar Durant to a one-year contract, the team announced today.

Durant, 30, has suited up in seven CFL seasons, most recently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2022. He appeared in 11 games, hauling in 12 passes for 112 yards, and a touchdown.

A native of Vancouver, BC, Durant was drafted in the second round, 18th overall, by the Calgary Stampeders in 2015. He spent four seasons in Calgary, highlighted by a Grey Cup victory in 2018, in which he earned Most Outstanding Canadian honours for the championship game. He then spent two seasons with the BC Lions, before moving on to Hamilton.

Through 85 career CFL games, Durant has caught 195 passes for 2,465 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns, to go with 67 rushing yards on nine carries.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS announced, today, that they have re-signed American defensive back Sherrod Baltimore through the 2023 CFL season.

Baltimore, 30, heads into his sixth CFL season, all of which have been played with the REDBLACKS. The Fort Washington, Maryland native appeared in 13 games during the 2022 campaign, tallying 22 defensive tackles, as well as eight pass knockdowns: the fifth-highest total in the league. 

A product of the Maine Black Bears program, Baltimore has become a fan favourite in Ottawa, through 60 career games. He arrived to the REDBLACKS in 2017, putting together a debut season that earned him a Most Outstanding Rookie nomination from the team, and has gone on to record 136 total tackles, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

We need to celebrate having the fifth highest pass knockdown total in the league because Baltimore hasn't recorded an interception since the end of the 2018 season. He's played in 34 games since the start of 2019. 

I know that statistic isn't completely indicative of level of play and one can't make too much of it.  I also get that Baltimore is a community guy and well-liked.

It doesn't seem like there was much interest in him in this free agency period yet here he is again. We appear to be the only team to sign him over and over...

I can't shake the perception that some guys are retained longer than they should be because it's a popular thing to do for the locker room. GM Shawn Burke swears there'll be competition and that jobs won't be handed out. I'll believe it when a popular but unspectacular player like Baltimore is shown the bench so someone else can be given the chance to shine.

Baltimore was the 49th player from the 2022 squad to be retained, and the 20th from the 2021 edition. You probably don't need a reminder that the team has won seven games during that period and lost 25. When the team talked about having "building blocks" in place, I didn't think they meant 49 of them.