The teams in the East were certainly no beasts in 2014—in fact, no team finished better than .500—but a new season brings optimism.
Each team possesses a handful of dynamic offensive players and a few tweaks to the respective coaching staffs should make for a more competitive division.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the four teams in the East.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
2014 season: 9-9, won the East for first time since 1998; lost to Calgary Stampeders in 102nd Grey Cup
Off-season recap: Head coach and GM Kent Austin made a few moves in an attempt to help budding star quarterback Zach Collaros. Most notable was trading for offensive lineman Ryan Bomben. The Burlington, Ont., native and University of Guelph alumnus is a versatile asset who will help protect Collaros—the QB took far more punishment than he needed to last season. Collaros worked well under offensive coordinator Tommy Condell and upgrading the o-line like this is encouraging for Ticats fans.
They also signed Canadian receiver Spencer Watt to alleviate pressure on the likes of Luke Tasker, Bakari Grant and Andy Fantuz, however Watt tore his Achilles and will miss the season. Luckily for Hamilton, NFL veteran Tiquan Underwood has impressed in training camp and could be a secret weapon once he gets the hang of the playbook.
Losing defensive back Delvin Breaux to the New Orleans Saints of the NFL hurts Orlondo Steinauer’s defence as well. Defensive backs coach James Stanley still has a talented secondary to work with—led by Emanuel Davis and Canadian Craig Butler—but Breaux’s absence should be noticeable.
Re-signing Brandon Banks to a three-year deal could prove to be essential to the Ticats repeating as division champs.
2015 outlook: After a solid second half of 2014 that resulted in a Grey Cup appearance, the Ticats are the favourites to make it out of the East, but a number of training-camp injuries have hurt their chances. In addition to Watt, Canadian defensive lineman Linden Gaydosh suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the year, as will talented running back Mossis Madu, who’s out with a shoulder injury. Tasker, running back Nic Grigsby, offensive linemen Joel Figueroa and Brian Simmons could also all miss the start of the season.
As long as Collaros can stay healthy, though, there’s no reason the Ticats shouldn’t win the East.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
2014 season: 9-9, second in East; lost to Ticats in division final
Off-season recap: There was plenty of movement at the receiver positions. Duron Carter is gone after signing with the Indianapolis Colts and 30-year-old Brandon London surprised many when he announced his retirement in June. However, acquiring Fred Stamps from the Edmonton Eskimos gives starting QB Jonathan Crompton another A-list target. Stampeders veteran Nik Lewis and former Ticat Samuel Giguere have also joined a stacked receiving corps led by S.J. Green.
The Alouettes made headlines across North America when they signed college standout and NFL veteran Michael Sam. That experiment appears to have been short lived, though, since the team placed him on the suspended list after he unexpectedly left training camp for personal reasons. His future with the team is up in the air.
Running back Stefan Logan joins a crowded backfield that includes Brandon Whitaker and Tyrell Sutton. Logan will likely do his damage returning punts and kickoffs. (UPDATE: The Alouettes released Whitaker.)
An influx of youth on defence is highlighted by rookie defensive back Chris Ackie, 2015’s fourth-overall pick. After a stint in New York Giants mini-camp, Ackie signed a three-year deal with the Als. The top non-offensive-lineman talent in the draft will hone his craft under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe.
The additions of defensive lineman Khalif Mitchell and Canadian rookie quarterback Brandon Bridge will be fun to monitor. Mitchell is a wild card because of his attitude and off-field actions, but when he’s on his game he’s a force. (UPDATE: The Alouettes have released Mitchell.)
2015 outlook: With names like John Bowman, Chip Cox, Kyries Hebert, Winston Venable and Bear Woods, defence is the clear strength of this team—on paper at least—and they can ride that into the post-season. Still, it will be up to Crompton and the offence to ensure the strong D doesn’t stay on the field too long.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
2014 season: 8-10, third in the East; missed playoffs for first time since 2011
Off-season recap: The big story for the Argos through the spring was the ownership situation. Now that it’s sorted, the team can focus on getting back to the playoffs. Tim Burke is out as defensive coordinator, replaced by 2014 Argos linebackers coach Casey Creehan.
Ricky Ray’s off-season shoulder surgery is the most concerning storyline for the team. Not having the future Hall of Famer in the lineup for at least the first third of the season will be a difficult obstacle to climb because they are a completely different team without him. Ray led the CFL in passing yards and touchdowns last season.
The most notable on-field move the Argos made was sending Shea Emry to Saskatchewan to re-acquire the Ricky Foley. Improving an Argos defensive line that struggled to generate sacks in 2014 was a goal for GM Jim Barker and new import defensive linemen Martez Wilson and Tracy Robertson have impressed in the pre-season. With Emry gone, former Kansas City Chief and Detroit Lion Cory Greenwood will be tasked to lead the linebacking crew. Veteran Brandon Isaac is also back with the team looking to make an impact.
Losing a pair of Canadians on offence—receiver Spencer Watt and running back Anthony Woodson—hurts the team’s national/international ratio. Curtis Steele re-signed with the Argos in the off-season, but a knee injury will keep him out for the start of the season. Because of this they’ll have to lean on former Missouri standout Henry Josey. The situation in the backfield is troubling, and the fact management is reportedly mulling bringing back Chad Kackert is a telling sign.
There are many new faces on defence but NFL veteran cornerbacks A.J. Jefferson and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah have looked like studs in the pre-season.
2015 outlook: Without Ray the Argos need to find a way to stay afloat through the first six games. Until then, it falls on Trevor Harris to run Scott Milanovich’s system. Luckily for him, he has weapons to work with in the dynamic Chad Owens as well as healthy Canadians Andre Durie and Anthony Coombs.
Also something to consider: the Argos’ schedule is brutal. They don’t play a true home game until Week 7—their Week 1 “home game” against the Edmonton Eskimos takes place in Fort McMurray, Alta. When you see that the Argos’ road record was 2-7 last year, there’s reason for concern.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
2014 season: 2-16, last in CFL; missed playoffs in inaugural season
Off-season recap: After a dismal inaugural season in which his team averaged a mere 15.4 points per game, GM Marcel Desjardins was a busy man in the off-season. Hiring Jason Maas as the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach after he spent four years with the Argos should help Henry Burris and Thomas DeMarco. So will the additions of receivers Ernest Jackson, Greg Ellingson and Maurice Price.
Former Argo SirVincent Rogers is a nice boost to the offensive line and there are high hopes for first-overall pick Alex Mateas at centre. The team also brought in longtime Montreal Alouette Bryan Chiu as the new offensive line coach.
Not making many significant changes on defence could end up biting defensive coordinator Mark Nelson. They’ve got some strong Canadian talent on the D-line led by Justin Capicciotti, but that group must improve on a league-low 37 sacks from last season.
2015 outlook: The Redblacks are rich with talent on offence. They just need to put everything together. Will this be the year DeMarco emerges as an everyday starter or can Burris return to form at the ripe old age of 40? In a weakened East Division, Ottawa should stay in the playoff conversation well into the second half of the season.