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=205786

While things may appear rosy on the team preview front, all is not rosy with the CFL. After reaching a tentative agreement with the CFL Players Association last week, the players, in a fairly surprising move, actually voted down the agreement. Both parties went back to the drawing board shortly afterward, with the league making another proposal to the players, but apparently this one is still hated so thoroughly by some players that union leadership can’t even bring it to a vote. The sticking point? The issue of the CFL’s Canadian roster ratio. As per the most recent CFL CBA, all teams are required to have a minimum of seven Canadian starters out of 24 on their depth chart, in addition to having a minimum of 21 Canadians on the total roster. The issue right now is that the league wants to amend the roster ratio so that Americans who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the CFL – say, three years on their same team or four years total in the league – will count towards the “Canadian” aspect of the ratio. The issue at stake here is that in order to win championships, teams have to get creative to find quality Canadian talent; with so much quality American talent available, many players worry about the loss of job opportunities for Canadian players. Alternately, some players are also concerned that if the ratio requirements are relaxed or removed entirely, we could potentially see veterans – both American and Canadian – routinely cut from rosters before a big payday in exchange for rookie talent that can produce similarly for much less. It’s complicated – some fans simply want to see the best product on the field possible, while others – particularly aging diehards – really care a lot about coming out to watch quality Canadian talent compete each week of the season. Right now, things are a mess. The CFLPA appears to be eating each other – and while no preseason games have been cancelled as of yet, we are getting awfully close to this scenario. A work stoppage – particularly one caused by the players, rather than the owners – would be a tremendous blow for the CFL after two incredibly difficult years.

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)

2021 Record: 8-6, second in East Division; lost in Grey Cup to Winnipeg

GM: Drew Allemang

Head Coach: Orlondo Steinauer

Starting QB: Dane Evans

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!)
• Darren Flutie, WR (yes, he’s Doug’s brother – but he’s also a two-time Grey Cup champ, 3x All-Star, and CFL Hall of Famer!)

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 36-13-1 advantage all-time in the series.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: After two consecutive Grey Cup heartbreaks to Winnipeg, it was inevitable that the roster would see some changes made. For the first time in years, the Tabbies have a clear-cut #1 QB on the depth chart – since 2018, Hamilton has gone back and forth between Jeremiah Masoli and Dane Evans due to injuries and inconsistency, but this year, it’s all Evans, all the time. Perhaps that clear hierarchy out of the gate could do the team some good. The coaching staff sees most everyone returning save for special teams coordinator Jeff Reinebold; with his departure for Montreal, he’ll be replaced by his former DB coach Craig Butler in the role for the year ahead… and their secondary is going to remain strong. Will Hamilton be good? Possibly. But the East is a much deeper division than it has been in years – there’s zero room for the Tabbies to underperform this year.

Key Additions: DT Micah Johnson (FA); WR Lemar Durant (FA)

Key Subtractions: QB Jeremiah Masoli (FA); WR Brandon Banks, Jaelon Acklin (FA); DE Ja’Gared Davis (FA)

2022 Record Prediction: 10-8

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)

2021 Record: 7-7, third in East Division; lost in East semifinals to Hamilton

GM: Danny Maciocia

Head Coach: Khari Jones

Starting QB: Vernon Adams, Jr.

Famous Alumni: 

• Anthony Calvillo, QB (all-time CFL passing yards leader – 79,816)
• Mike Pringle, RB (all-time CFL rushing yards leader – 16,425 on 2960 carries, averaging 5.6 YPC)
• Marv Levy (former CFL and NFL HC for KC and Buffalo, who won two Grey Cups in 1974 and ’77 for the Alouettes)
• 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: Vernon Adams, Jr. got his shoulder all mashed up last season, and it might have cost the Als a Grey Cup berth. With Adams under centre, Montreal might have been the most fun offence in the league to watch. Adams had fantastic chemistry with a few of his receivers – most notably Jake Wieneke, Eugene Lewis and BJ Cunningham – and with Cunningham off to Ottawa, there needs to be someone to step in and fill the void. Fortunately for the Als, who are in the midst of a real resurgence as a team after several years in the wilderness through the latter half of the last decade – there are some really quality pieces that remain on the roster, including league rushing leader William Stanback, left tackle Chris Schleuger, linebacker Chris Ackie, and backup QB Trevor Harris, who had a 70% completion percentage in split starting duties between Edmonton and Montreal. While down several key defensive contributors, the roster still looks good – but Montreal needs to work on committing fewer penalties and turning the ball over less. The Als were 2-6 in games decided in the last three minutes of play or fewer.

Key Additions: WR Hergy Mayala (FA); DB Mike Jones (FA); QB Trevor Harris (re-signed);

Key Subtractions: OL David Foucault, Tony Washington (FA); DB Money Hunter, Patrick Levels, Ty Cranston (FA); WR BJ Cunningham (FA);

2022 Record Prediction: 9-9

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)

2021 Record: 3-11, fourth in East Division; missed playoffs

GM: Shawn Burke

Head Coach: Paul LaPolice

Starting QB: Jeremiah Masoli

Famous Alumni: 

• Russ Jackson, QB ( 3-time Most Outstanding Player, 4-time Most Outstanding Canadian, 6-time All-Star, one of the greatest 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)
• Henry Burris, QB (former NFL QB for Chicago and CFL Hall of Famer; 3x Grey Cup champion, including for Ottawa in 2016)

Fun Facts: if you say the name “Glieberman” in an Ottawa sports bar, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get punched by some pudgy, middle-aged white guy. 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. But I respect the commitment to the bit.

The Training Camp Scuttlebutt: After letting former GM Marcel Desjardins walk and hiring Shawn Burke over from Hamilton to fill his spot, the new man in charge wasted zero time in completely revamping the REDBLACKS’ roster. At QB and receivers, this team is NOT screwing around this year. With longtime Ti-Cats’ pivot Jeremiah Masoli the new #1 guy, and with star talents like BJ Cunningham, Darvin Adams, Shaq Johnson, and Jaelon Acklin now all available to catch passes, plus a whole new offensive line, Ottawa looks to make some significant improvements from two awful previous seasons that saw them win a combined six total games. A whole host of new defensive starters dot the roster as well, and if the team can find some early chemistry, this could be a ball club that could make a deep run in the playoffs this year. Training camp injuries have already affected one key signing, however – Canadian DE Kwaku Boateng might already be done for the year due to a non-contact injury suffered in practise on Tuesday; his status remains unknown, but that could be a tough puzzle piece for the D to be missing this year.

Key Additions: QB Jeremiah Masoli (FA); WR Jaelon Acklin, Darvin Adams, BJ Cunningham, Shaq Johnson (FA); RB William Powell (FA); OL Jacob Ruby, Ucambre Williams, Hunter Seward, Darius Ciraco (FA); DB Money Hunter, Patrick Levels, Ty Cranston (FA)

Key Subtractions: KR/PR DeVonte Dedmon (released to NFL); QB Matt Nichols, Dominique Davis (FA); LB Micah Awe (FA); QB Duck Hodges (retired)

2022 Record Prediction: 10-8

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

Founded: 1873

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

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

2021 Record: 9-5, 1st in East Division; missed playoffs

GM: Michael “Pinball” Clemons

Head Coach: Ryan Dinwiddie

Starting QB: McLeod Bethel-Thompson

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 for weed in 2006. 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; current GM of the team)
• Damon Allen, QB (retired at age 44 in 2008, holds the record for combined passing and rushing yards in the CFL, with 84,301 total yards)
• 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: The Argos were not most pundits’ pick to win the East last year – but against all odds, things went right for them. There’s something to be said about throwing gobs of money at free agents to temporarily paper over any existing issues as a team. Some of those veteran signings last year didn’t really work – aging sack artist Charleston Hughes, for example, who got released last December. Others were great – Shawn Oakman and Dexter McCoil to name a couple – but such is the nature of looking for vets from all possible places. This year, the Argos go into the year with McLeod Bethel-Thompson as their clear #1 QB – he’s got a fantastic arm and can spread the ball around effectively, but he’s less mobile in the pocket than a Toyota with an empty gas tank – a curious skillset in a league that values speed and mobility amongst almost all its players. However, if veteran signings Brandon Banks and Andrew Harris can play up to form this year even as they approach the twilight of their careers, perhaps it’ll give Toronto one more crack at a division title.

Key Additions: QB Chad Kelly (FA); WR Brandon Banks, Markeith Ambles (FA); RB Andrew Harris (FA); DL Ja’Gared Davis, Adrian Tracy (FA); DB DaShaun Amos (FA), Royce Metchie (trade); OL Justin Lawrence (FA); LB Wynton McManis (FA);

Key Subtractions: QB Nick Arbuckle (trade); DE Charleston Hughes (released); LB Dexter McCoil (FA);

2022 Record Prediction: 7-11

That’s all for now! Thanks for reading up to this point – see you back here next week at the exact same time.