Photo: Aru Das/3DownNation. All rights reserved.
The Ottawa Redblacks have released three players ahead of the start of training camp, including Canadian offensive lineman Dariusz Bladek, American defensive lineman Chase McGowan, and Canadian defensive back Charlie Ringland.
Bladek had signed a one-year contract extension with the Redblacks in January after playing 11 regular-season games in 2025, making 10 starts at right guard before suffering a season-ending leg injury. The six-foot-four, 303-pound blocker originally signed with Ottawa in 2024 following a three-year run with the Toronto Argonauts during which he won one Grey Cup.
The native of Clifton, N.J., who qualified for Canadian citizenship through his mother, was originally selected in the second round of the 2017 CFL Draft by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In total, Bladek has played 100 regular-season games over eight CFL seasons with Saskatchewan, Toronto, and Ottawa.
McGowan first arrived in Ottawa in September 2024, finishing that season on the practice roster. The six-foot-one, 255-pound defender dressed for three games last year, making two tackles.
Ringland was added early last season and suited up in nine games for the club, making four starts at safety and collecting eight defensive tackles, one special teams tackle, and an interception. A fifth-round pick of the B.C. Lions in the 2023 CFL Draft, he played nine games for the team as a rookie in 2024 and made one special teams tackle.
The Ottawa Redblacks were the CFL’s most active team in free agency, adding players like quarterback Jake Maier, running back Greg Bell, offensive lineman Martez Ivey, defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado, linebacker A.J. Allen, strong-side linebacker C.J. Reavis, and defensive back Demerio Houston. The team also had a few key departures, including quarterback Dustin Crum (Montreal Alouettes), strong-side linebacker Adarius Pickett (Toronto Argonauts), and return specialist DeVonte Dedmon (Montreal Alouettes).
In 2025, Ottawa finished fourth in the East Division standings with a 4-14 record, missing the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Ryan Dinwiddie was hired as the team’s head coach and general manager after the firing of Bob Dyce.
All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. The team will play its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, May 22, and its first regular-season game against the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, June 6.
