Let it not be said that the Ottawa Redblacks have been idle this offseason.
Since finishing the 2025 season with a 4-14 record, the organization made Ryan Dinwiddie the fourth head coach and third general manager in team history. Shawn Burke was shuffled to vice president of football operations, and the coaching staff was revamped with a mix of highly experienced names and bright up-and-comers.
And unlike last year, when the team sought to build off a return to the playoffs by bringing back 22 of 31 pending free agents, this offseason saw the front office truly embrace change. Of the 36 pending free agents the Redblacks had, only 12 were extended.
Justin Hardy, Michael Wakefield, Dino Boyd, Daniel Adeboboye, Lucas Cormier, Dariusz Bladek, Adrian Frye, Amari Henderson, Aidan John, James Peter, Blessman Ta’ala, and Bennett Williams were retained. Everyone else was allowed to walk.
But with so many players hitting the market, Ottawa found itself flush with open roster spots and salary cap space. Burke and Dinwiddie quickly put those resources to use, as evidenced by the dozen impact players the team added.
As things stand, the Redblacks find themselves with more proven production, depth and experience at virtually every positional group. Let’s dive into where all these new faces fit.
On offence, Dru Brown remains QB1 for the Redblacks, but as R-Nation knows too well, a team needs two starting-calibre quarterbacks to contend. Ottawa now has that with the addition of Jake Maier. The 28-year-old dressed for every game for Saskatchewan last year and went 1-1 in his two starts. Before joining the Roughriders, Maier spent four seasons in Calgary, where he made 47 starts, 45 in the regular season and two in the playoffs.
With Dustin Crum now a member of the Montreal Alouettes and Tyrie Adams a free agent, Maier is firmly entrenched as Ottawa’s main backup. Given Maier’s experience and the fact that he will be the league’s highest-paid backup, if Brown struggles for an extended period, don’t be surprised to see the team turn to Maier.
The addition of American running back Greg Bell gives the Redblacks a fearsome 1-2 punch with Canadian Daniel Adeboboye. The 27-year-old Bell is coming off a season which saw him turn 184 carries into 1,038 yards and five touchdowns while also making 62 catches, a CFL high for running backs, for 426 yards and a touchdown. A 2025 East Division all-star, look for Bell to be used in a variety of ways that put pressure on opposing defences, not unlike how Bralon Addison was moved around the offence in recent seasons. Bell’s speed and ability to make defenders miss in the open field make him a home-run threat every time the ball is in his hands.
With Justin Hardy, Eugene Lewis, Kalil Pimpleton and promising Canadians such as Keelan White and Nick Mardner in the fold, Ottawa’s receiving corps was already a strength. But if there was one element the position group needed more of, it was receivers capable of stretching the field. Enter Ayden Eberhardt, who was signed to a two-year contract. The 27-year-old is valuable not only because he’s capable of lining up inside or outside, but also due to his explosive speed. For a team that only had 13 of their 615 attempted passes in 2025 gain 30 or more yards, Eberhardt’s 19.2-yard average per catch, second-best in the CFL last season, should ensure big plays aren’t lacking in 2026.
Eberhardt wasn’t the only speedy receiver that Ottawa added. NFL veteran Andy Isabella spent five seasons plying his trade with the Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills as he averaged 13.5 yards per catch. Isabella ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, which was tied for the best time that year.
Despite not yet addressing the offensive line directly in free agency, the group should still see a significant upgrade in the unit’s play in 2026, thanks to the addition of another element: health. It’s easy to forget the Redblacks only played a single game with the starting group they envisioned having at their disposal last season. Right tackle Zack Pelehos was injured off the bat, as was centre Peter Godber, who missed the team’s first seven games. Guards Drew Desjarlais and Dariusz Bladek missed time as well.
Keep an eye on names like D.J. Jones, Sam Carson, and Nouredin Nouili. Any of the youngsters could push the veterans ahead of them for playing time. Thanks to the injuries, Carson received plenty of playing time in the second half of the season. Jones started three games at tackle near the end of the season, and Nouili was a starter at guard at the University of Nebraska. Although they might not be marquee names, expect the team to add further competition to the offensive line via American signings in the lead-up to training camp and via the CFL Draft in April.
As a result of how Burke and Dinwiddie have constructed the rest of the roster, the Redblacks will have the ratio flexibility in 2026 to start two Americans on the offensive line, should they choose to go that route.
On defence, we’ll work from the trenches out.
Italian Habakkuk Baldonado is a pass rusher with a relentless motor and should make an excellent bookend to Bryce Carter at defensive end. The 26-year-old spent three seasons with Saskatchewan before joining the Redblacks. The six-foot-four, 251-pound Global notched 18 tackles, four sacks and forced a fumble in 2025.
Ottawa added another defensive end to their pass rush rotation in six-foot-six, 255-pound American Jordan Smith. Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Smith spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs.
Veteran American defensive tackle Dylan Wynn was signed to a one-year deal and brings some depth and nastiness behind Michael Wakefield and Cleyon Laing. In 107 career games, the 32-year-old has 211 tackles and 30 sacks.
In terms of the linebacking corps, Burke and Dinwiddie cleaned house. Gone are Frankie Griffin, Jovan Santos-Knox and Adarius Pickett. In comes Canadian A.J. Allen and Americans Nyles Morgan and C.J. Reavis. Not only have the Redblacks created more roster flexibility by ensuring their weak-side linebacker will be Canadian, but they’ve arguably upgraded the speed and coverage ability of the linebackers.
En route to helping Saskatchewan win the 112th Grey Cup, Allen made 87 defensive tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, and forced three fumbles. It’s worth noting Ottawa has plenty of depth behind Allen in Canadians Lucas Cormier, Michael Brodrique, James Peter, Jayden Griffiths, and Zach Philion.
Morgan, acquired in a trade from Edmonton on December 27, will man the middle linebacker position. In 62 career games, the 29-year-old has registered 386 tackles, seven sacks, one interception and four forced fumbles. Despite being limited to 11 games in 2025, Morgan made 53 tackles.
Look for Reavis to hold down the team’s strong-side linebacker spot. The 30-year-old is one of the league’s best in coverage and thrives playing man-to-man, something the Redblacks will do more of in 2026 than they have in previous seasons. In 55 career games, the six-foot, 198-pounder is credited with 220 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions and six forced fumbles. Look for Reavis to be backed up and spelled by Bennett Williams. Heading into his third season with Ottawa, Williams already has multiple starts under his belt at SAM and is capable of playing multiple positions in the secondary.
The Redblacks also signed Brian Cole II to a one-year deal. While the 28-year-old won’t start at linebacker, he will play on every special teams unit as he is a truly elite teamer. In 2025, the six-foot-one, 215-pounder made 19 special teams tackles.
In the secondary, the Redblacks added American Demerio Houston and Canadian Scott Hutter. The latter will chip in on special teams, where he’s made 53 career tackles, and provides depth at safety behind projected starter Alonzo Addae. The former heads into training camp likely pencilled into a starting role. In 50 career games, Houston has 45 starts under his belt, with 175 tackles, 14 interceptions and a sack to his credit.
With Reavis, Williams, Addae, Adrian Frye, Amari Henderson and King Ambers capable of playing multiple positions, the Redblacks will have plenty of flexibility to shift people around in the secondary as needed.
As for Ottawa’s specialists, DeVonte Dedmon was released, and longtime American punter Richie Leone remains a free agent. Even if the team has not signed one specific player to handle the returner role held by Dedmon, the Redblacks did sign a trio of Americans who returned kicks in college in running back Jacquez Stuart and receivers Cade McDonald and Mathew Sexton.
During his time at the University of Toledo, Stuart was a two-time all-conference selection as a kick returner. McDonald was named second-team all-conference as a returner for Miami University in Ohio in 2023, while Sexton had a punt return touchdown for the United Football League’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2025.
At punter, Ottawa signed James Burnip, who they selected in the second round of last year’s Global draft. During his time at Alabama, Burnip suited up for 55 games over four seasons and averaged 43.8 yards per punt. The team also has American Noah Gettman on the roster. The 25-year-old started one game for the Redblacks in 2025, punting six times for an average of 50.8 yards per punt. Matthew Hayball was another Global draft pick in 2024 who could eventually join the team.
Whoever winds up winning the job won’t earn the role solely based on their ability to punt, but also on how they do with kickoffs. In 2025, Lewis Ward wound up handling those duties, but that won’t happen in 2026.
