Another year, another set of team previews! As per usual, this week features the four East Division teams, while next week features the five teams of the West Division. If you’d like to study up before making your picks in this year’s [DFO] CFL Pick ‘Em Pool, I highly recommending reading onwards! If you have yet to join, please click the link below in order to register. As well, info on how to download PoolTracker’s web app to your phone or desktop can be found here. I look forward to having you in the competition!

https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=168258 

And now, onto the main event.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Founded: 1950 (the Hamilton Tigers, est. 1869, and Hamilton Wildcats, est. 1941, merged to create the current franchise)

Home Stadium: Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, ON (24,000)

Grey Cups: 8 (1953, 1957, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1986, 1999)

2018 Record: 8-10, second in East Division; lost in East Final to Ottawa

GM: Drew Allemang/Shawn Burke

Head Coach: Orlondo Steinauer

Starting QB: Jeremiah Masoli

Famous Alumni:

• Angelo Mosca, DT (won 5 Grey Cups, was a pro wrestler in the WWF known as both King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules; famously got in a fight with BC Lions QB Joe Kapp over a hit in the 1963 Grey Cup, where he hit him several times with his cane… check out the video here!)
• Matt Dunigan, QB (2-time Grey Cup champion and current studio analyst for Canadian sports network TSN)
• Bernie Faloney, QB (3-time Grey Cup champion who chose the CFL over the San Francisco 49ers in 1954 because the Canadian dollar was worth more… kind of a shocker!)

Fun Facts: Tim Hortons, the quintessential Canadian coffee joint, is headquartered in Hamilton, and thus the stadium takes the naming rights from them; for whatever reason, there seems to be a major wind tunnel effect, and the new stadium, which replaced the ancient Ivor Wynne Stadium, is hellish for kickers. The Ti-Cats were also owned by insane Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard in the 1980s, who claimed at one point he was losing “a million dollars a year” on the team despite their on-field success. The Ti-Cats are the only CFL team to ever beat an NFL team, when they topped the Buffalo Bills on August 8, 1961. Every year, the Ti-Cats and archrival Argos play the Labour Day Classic at Hamilton’s home stadium, with a 32-15 advantage all-time in the series.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt:  It was a few steps forward a bunch more back last year for the Ti-Cats. The good news? QB Jeremiah Masoli, in his first full season as the starter in Hamilton, was an MOP candidate, even as the rest of the roster struggled at times to find their game. The bad? There’s been a lot of turnover since last year – but most notably on the coaching staff. Last year’s head coach June Jones, who took over from Kent Austin midway through 2017, decided to pass off his duties to former offensive coordinator Orlondo Steinauer, though he was supposed to remain on board as the OC… until the XFL beckoned, and Jones jumped ship to become the Houston franchise’s head coach and GM. With a new coaching staff in place, receivers coach Tommy Condell got the promotion to OC; he’d previously served as the OC for Toronto in 2018 before he got poached to Steinauer’s staff. Former DC Jerry Glanville is also gone; he’s been replaced by Mark Washington, who spent the previous five seasons as DC for the BC Lions. In looking at the roster, I think, overall, this is probably the most solid roster in the entire East this year. While the release of RB Alex Green and WR Jalen Saunders came as a slight bit of a surprise, the good news for the Ti-Cats is that they already have guys waiting who can step in and fill their roles without a problem – and they showed that last year. On D, the loss of Larry Dean and Don Unamba to free agency does hurt the linebacker crew, but everywhere else, they’ve made some shrewd personnel decisions to bolster the lineup. Ja’Gared Davis was big in Calgary previously, and with Tunde Adeleke coming over as well, Hamilton probably has the top secondary in the East, joining former NFLer Delvin Breaux and 2019 All-Star Cariel Brooks. Even with the coaching changes and schematic differences the team will experience this season, I strongly suspect that the CFL East Division is Hamilton’s for the taking.

Key Additions: OL Chris Van Zeyl (FA), DE Ja’Gared Davis (FA); DT Dylan Wynn (FA); RB Cameron Marshall (FA); DB Tunde Adeleke, Rico Murray (FA); LB Justin Tuggle (FA)

Key Subtractions: RB Alex Green (released), John White, Mercer Timmis (FA); WR Jalen Saunders (released); LB Larry Dean, Don Unamba (FA); DE Justin Cappiciotti (released)

2019 Record Prediction: 11-7

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

Founded: 1996 (Original franchise 1946-1987)

Home Stadium: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, McGill University, Montreal, QC (25,012)

Grey Cups: 4 (1995 as the Baltimore Stallions, 2002, 2009, 2010) (Original franchise won 4 – 1949, 1970, 1974, 1977)

2018 Record: 5-13, fourth in East Division; missed playoffs

GM: Kavis Reed

Head Coach: Mike Sherman

Starting QB: ??????????????

Famous Alumni: 

• Anthony Calvillo, QB (football’s all-time passing yards leader, beating even Favre and Manning, with 79,816)
• Mike Pringle, RB (all-time CFL rushing yards leader – 16,425 on 2960 carries, averaging 5.6 YPC)
• Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, WR

Fun Facts: Percival Molson Stadium is the only one in the CFL that doesn’t contain perfectly square endzones due to a running track surrounding the field. Nobody seems to care, funny enough. The Als’ 2009 Grey Cup win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders ( which saw them win on a last-second field goal, their second attempt after Saskatchewan had successfully blocked the first one, but were penalized for too many men) is considered one of the greatest CFL championship games in the history of the league. The current franchise relocated from Baltimore in 1996, after the Stallions captured the 1995 Grey Cup, the only American team to ever do so.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: It was another bad year in Montreal last season. The Als sold the farm to bring in former world-class alcoholic Johnny Manziel to lead the offence, swinging a mid-season trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, only to have him stink up the joint and ultimately end up permanently banned from the CFL for some unspecified contract violation. Not only that, the ownership saga continues on; American investment banker Robert Wetenhall, currently in his 80s, wants to sell the team to a Canadian buyer, but several prospects have fallen through over the past 12 months, including one offer to Stephen Bronfman, son of the former owner of the Montreal Expos baseball team, and another to Vince Guzzo, local Montreal entrepreneur. On-field and off-field, things are tumultuous for the Alouettes. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, and there’s been a carousel of head coaches and quarterbacks since Marc Trestman left for the NFL and Anthony Calvillo retired. Stability will be essential – the team decided to bring in approximately 37,000 quarterbacks in training camp and let them duke it out for the starting job. My money’s on Antonio Pipkin winning the thing, but who the hell knows at this point? The Als are, essentially, the Cleveland Browns of Canada. That said, there are a few bright spots thanks to some good signings – receiver DeVier Posey, MVP of the 2017 Grey Cup, OL Spencer Wilson, and DB Ciante Evans are all notable upgrades for a team with holes on just about every part of the roster. At the end of the day, however, I still don’t think it’s going to be enough to tip the scales in Montreal’s favour.

Key Additions: WR DeVier Posey (FA); OL Spencer Wilson (FA); DB Ciante Evans (FA); RB Jeremiah Johnson (FA); LB Bo Lokombo (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Johnny Manziel, Drew Willy (released); WR Ernest Jackson (released); DB Tevaughn Campbell (Released); LB Nicolas Boulay (FA)

2019 Record Prediction: 6-12

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

Founded: 2013 (Original Rough Riders franchise lasted 1876-1996; Renegades 2002-2005)

Home Stadium: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, ON (24,500)

Grey Cups: 1 (2016) (9 as the Rough Riders – 1925, 1926, 1940, 1951, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1976)

2018 Record: 11-7, first in East Division; lost in Grey Cup to Calgary

GM: Marcel Desjardins

Head Coach: Rick Campbell

Starting QB: Jonathan Jennings/Dominique Davis

Famous Alumni: 

• Russ Jackson, QB ( 3-time Most Outstanding Player, 4-time Most Outstanding Canadian, 6-time All-Star, one of the greatest Canadian QBs in the history of the game)
• Tony Gabriel, TE (scored the game-winning touchdown in the 1976 Grey Cup)
• Rohan Marley, LB (the bastard son of Bob Marley, was also married to singer Lauryn Hill)
• Dexter Manley, LB (he of the lifetime NFL ban for cocaine problems)

Fun Facts: if you say the name “Glieberman” in Ottawa, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get stabbed by someone. The financial mismanagement of this father & son team killed not only the historic Rough Riders in ’96, but the 2000s expansion Renegades as well. They are fucking idiots. (I am still hurt by the loss of the Rough Riders.) Fans in the stands also constantly talk shit about each other – “North Side Sucks!” and “South Side Sucks!” have been staples for decades at home games. Also, the team insists on spelling REDBLACKS in all capitals, and I still have no idea why.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: After reaching their third Grey Cup final in four seasons, there was a huge amount of roster turnover in the off-season – and the REDBLACKS have suffered immensely for it. Most notably, QB Trevor Harris is gone – apparently the team barely even made an offer to keep him. He left for Edmonton in free agency, with a number of key teammates following him to the Eskimos – most notably star receiver Greg Ellingson and star OL SirVincent Rogers. Other key pieces are out – star receiver and return man Diontae Spencer got an NFL deal with the Steelers, star RB William Powell signed with Saskatchewan, and defensive stalwarts AC Leonard and Rico Murray are also gone. Replacing those key pieces? Mostly internal fill-ins. Apparently there wasn’t money to go out and make the free agency splash like other teams did this spring… which puzzles me to no end, because I don’t see how new deals could jump so drastically in value. The only real major FA signing of note was QB Jonathon Jennings, who showed promise in 2016 for the BC Lions, but struggled through 2017 before ultimately losing his starter’s job again to veteran Travis Lulay. Jennings gets a one-year “prove it” deal to see that he still has what it takes to be a starter, but last year’s backup Dominique Davis is also gunning hard for the starting job this year. No guarantees at all as to who wins the gig. Ultimately, what will likely hamper the REDBLACKS the most, in reality, is the fact that there will once again be another new offence in place for 2019. OC Jaime Elizondo resigned his post on April 1st for “other opportunities” – which turned out to be the Tampa Bay XFL franchise, where he’ll serve as Marc Trestman’s OC in 2020. This symbolically is a huge middle finger to the REDBLACKS, who denied him the opportunity to interview for the head coaching opening in Saskatchewan earlier this year. Ottawa heads into the season with no OC in place – the only addition to the entire coaching staff is Joe Paopao, the former Renegades head coach, who’ll serve as RB coach. Who’s calling plays? I dunno either. So, yeah. It’s likely gonna be a messy year in the nation’s capital.

Key Additions: QB Jonathon Jennings (FA); WR Ryan Lankford, Caleb Holley, Nate Behar (FA); CB Troy Stoudermire (FA); OL Chris Martin (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Trevor Harris (FA); WR Greg Ellingson (FA), Diontae Spencer (released to NFL); RB William Powell (FA); OL SirVincent Rogers (FA); DL AC Leonard (FA); DB Rico Murray (FA)

2019 Record Prediction: 7-11

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Founded: 1873

Home Stadium: BMO Field, Toronto, ON (25,000 for football crowds)

Grey Cups: 17 (1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012, 2017)

2018 Record: 4-14, 4th in East Division; missed playoffs

GM: Jim Popp

Head Coach: Corey Chamblin

Starting QB: James Franklin

Famous Alumni:

• Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, RB (largest contract in CFL history and MOP of the 1991 Grey Cup, one of the most exciting ever)
• Ricky Williams, RB (scampered north when the NFL suspended him in 2006 for weed. Gave no fucks about it.)
• Michael “Pinball” Clemons, RB (won 4 Grey Cups with the Argos and holds the CFL record for most all-purpose yards with 25,396)
• Damon Allen, QB (retired at age 44 in 2008, holds the record for combined passing and rushing yards in all of pro football, with 84,301)
• Doug Flutie, QB (6-time CFL MOP and QB for the NFL Bears, Patriots, Bills and Chargers)

Fun Facts: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall owned the Argos in the early ’90s; they also offered a CFL-record contract to Rocket Ismail ($18.2 million over four years – an absolutely unheard-of amount which has not come close to being equalled – QBs, which make the most money on average of all players in the league today, typically have contracts between $4-700,000 at the most.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: After an incredible career, including five Grey Cup championships, Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Ricky Ray officially called it a career at the beginning of May. The James Franklin era, which began unexpectedly in 2018 after Ray went down in Week 2 of last year, is definitely here – and there’s no going back now. As a starter for the first time in his pro career, Franklin struggled last season – even losing his spot to McLeod Bethel-Thompson for a few weeks. Any time you’re losing a job to a guy with three last names, gentrification is clearly to blame. It’s not just quarterback where the Argos are different, though – Marc Trestman, despite the unexpected Grey Cup win in 2017, was shown the door, and promptly got re-hired to coach in the XFL. Replacing him for this season is Corey Chamblin, who won the 2013 Grey Cup with Saskatchewan, but was also unceremoniously canned in 2015 after an 0-9 start. This could go either way for the Argos – but to his credit, GM Jim Popp worked hard to make some sizable roster changes this off-season to try and re-set the team again. Franklin will have some new weapons on offence to work with – WR Derel Walker was a star for the Edmonton Eskimos, RB Chris Rainey has been one of the top returners in Canadian football his whole career, and Tyrell Sutton was leaned on heavily during his time in Montreal’s backfiel. DL Shawn Lemon and LB Micah Awe were big factors in BC’s defence, and DB Kevin Fogg was a stud in Winnipeg’s secondary last season. Challenging Franklin for the QB1 spot is Canadian Brandon Bridge, who’s filled in for Zach Collaros and Darian Durant in previous stints in Saskatchewan and Montreal, but has never been able to take his game to the next level. There are definitely pieces here for Toronto to work with – but the major question will be whether or not this roster can gel in a short period of time.

Key Additions: QB Brandon Bridge (FA); RB Chris Rainey, Tyrell Sutton (FA); WR Derel Walker (FA); LB Micah Awe (FA); DL Shawn Lemon, Oluwatobi Antighi, Cory Johnson (FA); DB Kevin Fogg (FA); K Tyler Crapigna (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Ricky Ray (retired); WR Duron Carter (FA); DL Victor Butler (retired); OL Chris Van Zeyl (released); LB Bear Woods (released), Justin Tuggle (FA)

2018 Record Prediction: 6-12

We’ll see how things go with the East – despite the shakeups happening, most notably in Toronto and Ottawa, it appears as though the West Division still remains far ahead in terms of talent and potential. Check out the next five teams next week! Very last thing to cover – all CFL teams have received new uniforms this season as a result of a new merchandise deal with New Era; the league’s deal with Adidas expired at the end of the 2018 season. Most look pretty similar to last year’s attire – the only real difference is in Montreal and BC. The Lions opted for a throwback look (which you’ll get to check out next week) while the Alouettes debut a brand-new logo and colour scheme this season. Check out the setup below!