I admit it: I love the CFL. The Canadian game, with only 3 downs, is a more deliberate game than that of our southern rivals. I've followed the league and the various Ottawa teams closely over the years. My past, as a newspaper publisher, also allowed me certain 'bonuses' when it came to getting press-passes and such.
I got to know quite a few of the players (Rough Riders) and got to see what was really happening on the sidelines and on the field. I really fell in love with the game back in the day.
In the CFL, with only 3 downs, the game is played as if every down counts - rarely does a QB spike the ball to stop the clock. Most every down, most every play, most every minute is precious in the CFL.
Great receivers like Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson understand this and play this way every time they take the field. Players like William Powell and Trevor Harris know these facts - you could see it in their faces when a play failed or a pass was incomplete.
CFL quarterbacks need to be more mobile, have great arms, good down field vision and have to be able to turn a broken play into a first down at any given point. More importantly, they need to be able to both read and understand defenses. Good QB's ask themselves ... how are they attacking, what are they doing, what can I do to change this game? Pocket passers rarely do well (at least long term) in this game.
This all leads to a wide open passing game and unexpected plays when things don't go as planned. Offensive coordinators, unlike the past, call most every play, but there is always the opportunity for a QB to change the play at the line, and good QB's do this all the time.
All this talk leads one to wonder about these changes with the team. Quarterback Trevor Harris signed a large contract - $550,000 per year for 2 years - (large by CFL standards) with the Eskies. It is no coincidence that WR Greg Ellingson and OL Sir Vincent Rogers also signed contracts with Edmonton.
But there have been other departures. RB William Powell and DL AC Leonard (The minister of defense) both have gone to Saskatchewan in the free agent frenzy of 2019. Diontae Spencer is having a try out with an NFL team (Pittsburg) and may or may not be back next fall.
So what happened and which player will we feel the most from their departure?
Personally I think #29 is going to be the biggest hole to fill. There are very few running backs in the CFL that can find a hole and accelerate the way Powell does. Powell commanded defensive respect both as a running back and as a short yardage receiver. He added elements that put defenses on their heals.
A good running game opens up the passing game in this league and the tandem of Greg Ellingson and #88 Brad Sinopoli were a nightmare for defenses around the league. More so when Powell was being effective. It's no coincidence that Trevor Harris and Brad Sinopoli's best years came at the same time as William Powell's career best season.
Almost everyone reading this knows what happened last week... there is little need to explain the details.
Side note: A betting person might want to examine Sinopoli's contract and place a small wager that he would be an Eskimo in 2020!
We will see what he can do in Ottawa next season, they only signed him for to 1 year contract.
We still have a number of exceptional receivers and we've signed 2 or 3 free agents as well. I'm certain the receiving core will be decent and perhaps exceptional - plus the top Canadian receiver in the league is still here (for now)!
What seems to be missing from the Ottawa signings is a running back to fill Powell's shoes. They still have Ottawa native Brendon Gillanders - who showed flashes of brilliance in the 2017 season, but has been under-utilized since. Hopefully this will be a break out season for him. Also, and still on the roster is Mossis Madu, who came back after a full off-season (selling cars in Hamilton in 2016) and had proven invaluable while W. Powell was rehabbing 3 years ago. Madu is a competent back with speed and the ability to bust up field for a big gain, but he hasn't been used much since 2017.
I also expect that Ottawa's defense will be better than last season. Very few players have left and the defense is still mostly intact from last season. New additions Kevin Francis (Canadian), and Troy Stoudermire should improve an already solid corps. The loss of Rico Murray may be felt a bit, but Stoudermire will more than fill in for him.
For a team that has been to the Championship game so many times in a short 5 year span, one would think management would keep the core players and build around them, rather than risking losing them to free agency or the NFL.
While most everyone who follows the CFL understands salary caps and that the league is still gate-driven, we still are left to wonder why lesser players were signed and the top dogs + fan favourites were let go.
How well these new players perform, how they work together - as a team, and how the players feel about management can change the dynamics of a team in short order.
Ottawa has now become a team that fans expect will be competitive year-after-year. Any expansion excuse simply won't fly this year. What GM Marcel Desjardins has done in the past is admirable, but it is the future that fans are concerned about - and rightly so.
As supporters of the team, and paying for tickets we expect that management will field the best possible team. Losing 5 key players, despite finding competent replacements may be Desjardin's undoing with this franchise. If Ottawa fields a losing team in 2019, you can expect a coaching change first and then perhaps a GM change. If the new additions somehow create a winning team, then we need to back peddle and consider that Desjardins had it all planned out.
Only time will tell!!!
I got to know quite a few of the players (Rough Riders) and got to see what was really happening on the sidelines and on the field. I really fell in love with the game back in the day.
In the CFL, with only 3 downs, the game is played as if every down counts - rarely does a QB spike the ball to stop the clock. Most every down, most every play, most every minute is precious in the CFL.
Great receivers like Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson understand this and play this way every time they take the field. Players like William Powell and Trevor Harris know these facts - you could see it in their faces when a play failed or a pass was incomplete.
CFL quarterbacks need to be more mobile, have great arms, good down field vision and have to be able to turn a broken play into a first down at any given point. More importantly, they need to be able to both read and understand defenses. Good QB's ask themselves ... how are they attacking, what are they doing, what can I do to change this game? Pocket passers rarely do well (at least long term) in this game.
This all leads to a wide open passing game and unexpected plays when things don't go as planned. Offensive coordinators, unlike the past, call most every play, but there is always the opportunity for a QB to change the play at the line, and good QB's do this all the time.
Ottawa losses mount before the season starts
This past week, the Ottawa Red Blacks lost 4 of it's top players and coupled with the recent announcement that another receiver was leaving for the NFL, the core of this team has been decimated.All this talk leads one to wonder about these changes with the team. Quarterback Trevor Harris signed a large contract - $550,000 per year for 2 years - (large by CFL standards) with the Eskies. It is no coincidence that WR Greg Ellingson and OL Sir Vincent Rogers also signed contracts with Edmonton.
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| By Winnipeg Blue Bombers - Preseason June 13 Winnipeg vs Ottawa, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67597562 |
So what happened and which player will we feel the most from their departure?
Personally I think #29 is going to be the biggest hole to fill. There are very few running backs in the CFL that can find a hole and accelerate the way Powell does. Powell commanded defensive respect both as a running back and as a short yardage receiver. He added elements that put defenses on their heals.
A good running game opens up the passing game in this league and the tandem of Greg Ellingson and #88 Brad Sinopoli were a nightmare for defenses around the league. More so when Powell was being effective. It's no coincidence that Trevor Harris and Brad Sinopoli's best years came at the same time as William Powell's career best season.
Almost everyone reading this knows what happened last week... there is little need to explain the details.
Side note: A betting person might want to examine Sinopoli's contract and place a small wager that he would be an Eskimo in 2020!
All is not lost?
Ottawa has kept Dominique Davis who shows signs of being a good QB last season AND they have signed a new QB in Jonathan Jennings - from BC, plus half a dozen other players to replace the losses. Jennings had a great season in 2016 where he passed for over 5000 yards. His 2017 and 2018 seasons - well ... not so great - BUT neither was the team around him, and he only played in a handful of games due being a back up to Travis Lulay.We will see what he can do in Ottawa next season, they only signed him for to 1 year contract.
We still have a number of exceptional receivers and we've signed 2 or 3 free agents as well. I'm certain the receiving core will be decent and perhaps exceptional - plus the top Canadian receiver in the league is still here (for now)!
What seems to be missing from the Ottawa signings is a running back to fill Powell's shoes. They still have Ottawa native Brendon Gillanders - who showed flashes of brilliance in the 2017 season, but has been under-utilized since. Hopefully this will be a break out season for him. Also, and still on the roster is Mossis Madu, who came back after a full off-season (selling cars in Hamilton in 2016) and had proven invaluable while W. Powell was rehabbing 3 years ago. Madu is a competent back with speed and the ability to bust up field for a big gain, but he hasn't been used much since 2017.
I also expect that Ottawa's defense will be better than last season. Very few players have left and the defense is still mostly intact from last season. New additions Kevin Francis (Canadian), and Troy Stoudermire should improve an already solid corps. The loss of Rico Murray may be felt a bit, but Stoudermire will more than fill in for him.
Bigger concerns
I think the bigger issue might be involving team management. From what the players have said (those who left) negotiations for their contracts seemed to be done as if the players had no options - or were no longer wanted. |
| James Ellingson and his famous pose after first down catches. By Winnipeg Blue Bombers - Preseason June 13 Winnipeg vs OTT, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67597994 |
While most everyone who follows the CFL understands salary caps and that the league is still gate-driven, we still are left to wonder why lesser players were signed and the top dogs + fan favourites were let go.
How well these new players perform, how they work together - as a team, and how the players feel about management can change the dynamics of a team in short order.
Ottawa has now become a team that fans expect will be competitive year-after-year. Any expansion excuse simply won't fly this year. What GM Marcel Desjardins has done in the past is admirable, but it is the future that fans are concerned about - and rightly so.
As supporters of the team, and paying for tickets we expect that management will field the best possible team. Losing 5 key players, despite finding competent replacements may be Desjardin's undoing with this franchise. If Ottawa fields a losing team in 2019, you can expect a coaching change first and then perhaps a GM change. If the new additions somehow create a winning team, then we need to back peddle and consider that Desjardins had it all planned out.
Only time will tell!!!
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