Six months ago the Ottawa Redblacks shocked the football world when they upset the Calgary Stampeders to win the 104th Grey Cup. The message was sent to every CFL team. If you have the talent, work hard, scheme properly and bring your best in the biggest games then anything is possible. There is no doubt that Ottawa’s upset will be a popular theme with training camps opening round the league. The Redblacks barely won the East division with an 8-9-1 record but went on to win the Grey Cup. The East division appears to be wide open on paper once again heading in to the 2017 season. Here is a look at each team from the CFL East division entering training camp.
Ottawa Redblacks
The Redblacks shouldn’t miss a beat following the retirement of Henry Burris. Trevor Harris has proven himself as a starter in this league. Last year, he had to sit back and let Burris lead the way. Now he should be in a much better position to succeed. At this point in his career he is likely the better option over the course of a full season.
Harris and the passing attack should receive plenty of help from arguably the most talented running back stable in the CFL. Shakir Bell averaged 5.8 yards per carry and more than 100 yards per game last season, so he is primed to star in the No. 1 role. Ottawa also has a deep running back stable with Mossis Madu and William Powell in the mix.
The key for the Redblacks might very well be the progress they make on defense – in particular, their secondary. Ottawa lost Mitchell White, Forrest Hightower, Abdul Kanneh and Jeff Richards from last year’s Grey Cup-winning team and that has left some major gaps in their secondary heading in to training camp. The Redblacks have some intriguing talent but it’s important to remember this team overachieved as an 8-9-1 team that went on to win the Grey Cup. Ottawa will have to prove itself all over again this season and nobody will be sleeping on them heading in to 2017.
Montreal Alouettes
Darian Durant’s arrival in Montreal was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for the Alouettes and a massive culture change. However, Durant has had trouble staying on the football field in recent years and he has already dealt with nagging injuries. The Alouettes were among the worst offensive teams in the CFL last season as they scored just 383 points. Only the Saskatchewan Roughriders scored less. Unless the Als can get better quarterback play, they’re again going to be in the basement in terms of points scored.
Montreal also brought in Ernest Jackson following the departures of Duron Carter and S.J. Green. Jackson is one of the most talented receivers in the CFL. Carter and Green were also quite talented as well, but they didn’t work out for Montreal last season. Green was traded just about a month ago. He’s a former All-Star but remember that he tore three ligaments in his knee last year as well as his meniscus. He might not be the same player anymore.
Meanwhile, the running back position will be that much more important in helping the transition in the passing game with Tyrell Sutton looking to hold off Brandon Rutley and Cierre Wood for the starting job. The Alouettes are also dealing with a makeover on the defensive side of the football including a group of new defensive linemen following the departures of Winston Venable, Alan-Michael Cash and Marc Olivier-Brouillette. Montreal will have a ton of new pieces in place heading in to the 2017 season. While there is reason for optimism, the reality is that things could get worse before they get better this season.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Injuries ended the Tiger-Cats reign atop the East division last season. With a healthy roster, Hamilton will look to regain its crown in 2017. Zach Collaros performed at an elite level in 2015 but he missed most of last year due to injury. The 28-year-old enters 2017 with a clean bill of health and there is no doubt he will be the key to the Tigers-Cats success this season. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s defense was also hit hard by injuries a year ago when the secondary in particular was absolutely destroyed. The Tiger-Cats are healthy again and the secondary in particular is very deep. Craig Butler is back at safety, Abdul Kanneh was added from the Redblacks and Emanuel Davis re-signed in the offseason. Khalid Wooten, Demond Washington, Ethan Davis and Dominique Ellis are all set to compete for starting jobs while Courtney Stephens moves back to cornerback. Hamilton is very deep on both sides of the football heading in to the 2017 season. It will be very interesting to see what this team is capable of accomplishing now that they are fully healthy with Collaros back to lead the way.
Toronto Argonauts
The Argonauts brought in Jim Popp and Marc Trestman to begin a new era in Toronto. Popp and Trestman had a ton of success in Montreal and the Argonauts are hoping they could build a perennial contender in Toronto. Trestman is one of the most accomplished head coaches in the CFL and it will be very interesting to see what he can do with Ricky Ray and the Argonauts roster. Toronto added S.J. Green at wide receiver and brought in former NFL safety Marcus Ball at safety. The focus for the Argonauts will be playmakers that can put this team over the top on both sides of the football and they are off to a strong start. Meanwhile, Toronto will undoubtedly need veteran quarterback Ricky Ray to stay healthy. Injuries have plagued the 37-year-old, but he completed 74.5-percent of his passes last season to prove he can still perform at a high level when healthy. The Argos defense has the potential to be one of the better units in the East division this season. If Ray can stay healthy and Trestman can maximize this team’s potential on offense, then Toronto should be able to climb out of the East division basement in 2017.
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