The Ottawa Redblacks pulled off one of the greatest upsets in CFL history when they took down the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup. After all, Ottawa was a tremendous underdog when they made it to the Grey Cup after clinching the top spot in the East division with an 8-9-1 record. The Stampeders had just completed one of the most incredible runs in CFL history after going 15-2-1 and reaching the championship game. With the upset now in the rearview mirror and quarterback Henry Burris retired, the Redblacks will turn the page towards the future beginning with the CFL Draft. Here is a look at the biggest draft needs for the CFL West division teams.
Ottawa Redblacks
Ottawa’s roster was purged in the offseason with several big names on both sides of the football leaving town in free agency. The Redblacks have a capable quarterback in Trevor Harris, but they need to upgrade elsewhere with offensive line, defensive line and cornerback the biggest needs.
Some mock drafts have the Redblacks picking Eli Ankou of the UCLA Bruins. He has his eye on the NFL but if he picks Canada, he’d be an excellent cog on the defensive line. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Ottawa elected to get an offensive lineman in this spot.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Tiger-Cats will be looking for weapons on both sides of the football. It won’t be a surprise if they grab a wide receiver like Danny Vandervoort in the opening round. Hamilton has been looking for a capable replacement for Andy Fantuz after Fantuz tore his ACL in October. Vandervoort could be the perfect fit in the slot. He is a big body to handle as he is 6’2, 205 pounds. Even with that type of size, though, he’s quite elusive.
The Tiger-Cats need more explosive playmakers on offense and Vandervoort could be a good fit with the fourth-overall pick. Defense and special teams is fine but they are always looking to add depth in the later rounds.
Montreal Alouettes
Montreal were a disappointment last season. This is a team that finished 7-11 with just 14 points. Their offense was abysmal, managing a paltry 383 points last season, but their defense was OK. They gave up 415 points, which was actually the fewest in the division.
The fact that they will have to wait to make their first pick at the 2017 CFL Draft will hurt. They don’t have a first round pick and their first choice will come at No. 12 overall.
The Alouettes could use upgrades in a number of areas but they would be wise to focus on their defense given the losses. The secondary in particular could use upgrades. Safety will be a particular area of need after longtime star Marc-Olivier Brouilette signed with Saskatchewan in free agency. Montreal wants to blitz like crazy under defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe, so they could decide to select a capable pass rusher with their top pick as well.
Toronto Argonauts
The Argonauts were a mess last season. This is team that finished with just five wins in 18 games. That tied them with Saskatchewan for the fewest in the CFL. They scored just 383 points last season – the fewest in the East – and allowed 568 – the most in the CFL.
While they could use playmakers on both sides of the football, the key area of focus will be the defensive line. Toronto needs to add disruptive playmakers up front and a player like Connor McGough of Calgary could be the perfect fit. The Argonauts could also decide to address their offensive line in order to upgrade the protection in front of veteran quarterback Ricky Ray.
Ray has struggled to stay healthy over the past couple of seasons, so Toronto would benefit from upgrading the protection in front of him. They won’t win much more than five games next season if Ray is constantly on his back.
Eventually the Argonauts will look for some help in the defensive secondary but they can afford to wait until after they have addressed their line situations on both sides of the football.
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