Ottawa RedBlacks inaugural head coach Rick Campbell should be thrilled with the job general manager Marcel Desjardins did during the CFL expansion draft Monday.
There’s no telling how successful the new Ottawa franchise will be in its first season, but on paper the roster doesn’t look like a typical expansion team.
Calgary’s embarrassment of riches at quarterback certainly worked in Ottawa’s favour. For the team to be blessed with a veteran quarterback such as Kevin Glenn in its rookie campaign is, well, pretty great if you’re an Ottawa football fan.
Glenn, who will be 35 next season, helped lead the Stampeders to the best record in the CFL in 2013 and put up a career-best quarterback rating of 100.5. He adds poise, a strong arm and the ability to create plays with his feet. Sure, it will be an adjustment for Glenn to learn a new playbook in the off-season, but he’s a pro and he still has a few years of quality football left in him.
Not only do the RedBlacks have a solid starter to rely on, but nabbing pivot Thomas DeMarco from the B.C. Lions ensured the team had a quality backup with the potential to one day take over for Glenn.
When you compare Ottawa’s quarterbacks situation to teams like Winnipeg and even Montreal, the RedBlacks are in good shape.
While Glenn is clearly the centrepiece of the new acquisitions, the roster has potential in other areas as well, especially on offence.
In the backfield, Chevon Walker is capable of being a dynamic, go-to running back for Ottawa. Injuries and the emergence of C.J. Gable hampered Walker’s output in Hamilton in 2013, but the Sioux Falls Cougars alumnus is as explosive of a back that you’ll see in the CFL. Give him the ball and some open space to work with and he can make some magic happen. Fullback Patrick Lavoie was an underappreciated commodity in Montreal and if utilized properly he could have an impact alongside Walker.
Of course, a running back and quarterback will struggle to excel without an offensive line and the RedBlacks did an outstanding job of piecing one together. Led by Tiger-Cats veteran Marwan Hage and giant Argos guard Joe Eppele, the RedBlacks’ offensive line should be capable from the start. They selected import tackle James Lee from the Roughriders in the first round before also adding non-imports Matthew Albright, J’Michael Deane and Alex Krausnick. Not too shabby.
The receiving corps leaves much to be desired, though. Wallace Miles, Carlton Mitchell and Rory Kohlert have certainly shown potential in their young careers and could have breakout seasons, but the RedBlacks lack a top target. They’ll have to rely on free agency to land a couple more quality receivers.
The defensive side of the ball is where the team might have the most growing pains. There is some promising talent on the defensive line after picking up Jonathan Williams from the Argos and Keith Shologan from the Riders. Between linebacker Jason Pottinger and safety Eric Fraser, they’ve also got some impressive Canadian talent to work around, but, like their situation at receiver, they’ll need to add more pieces in free agency to be competitive.
There is still tons of work to be done with the RedBlacks, but Desjardins and the rest of the management staff should pat themselves on the back for putting together a solid core of players. And the fact they could put together a strong roster without depleting any of the other eight teams is an indication of how much talent is in the league right now. It’s certainly a positive sign for the CFL heading into 2014.
