5 Things to Know for 2025: Ottawa REDBLACKS

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

As the 2025 season approaches, CFL.ca is here to catch you up with the 5 Things To Know series. Each article will look at key storylines facing each team this season, while examining off-season movement and where your team might stand in 2025.

2024 was a great building block year for the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

The team returned to the playoffs for the first time since appearing in the 2018 Grey Cup. They found a quarterback they can go forward with after years of searching. And the REDBLACKS have made a few key additions that should allow them to take another step this season.

Here’s the lowdown in Ottawa as we continue our 5 Things to Know for 2025 series.

IT’S YEAR TWO FOR DRU

There was plenty of buzz when the REDBLACKS acquired Dru Brown from Winnipeg in early 2024. And that excitement was rewarded as Brown racked up 3,959 passing yards and 18 touchdowns while going 8-6-1 as a starter.

And now it’s on Brown to keep progressing as he rolls into year two with Ottawa.

“It’s an attribute to have a quarterback who stays calm and steady,” head coach Bob Dyce told CFL.ca earlier this off-season. “But near the end of the year, (Dru) was showing his emotion a little bit more. And I think the team fed off that. I’d like to see that continue as we go.

“He’s going to have a greater understanding and greater confidence in his environment. He knows the guys he’s throwing to. He knows the majority of the guys blocking for him. And he knows Ottawa. So, the more comfortable he is, the better he’s going to be. I’m really excited to see his progress this season.”

If Brown can turn more red zone trips into touchdowns, this REDBLACKS offence is going to be that much more deadly this season. And with a few offensive additions, that could very well be the case. More on that later.

FIELDS TAKES THE REINS

Ottawa’s biggest defensive addition may not even be on the field. The REDBLACKS hired William Fields as their new defensive coordinator in early January, and he joins the team with a solid resume. Fields spent the last three years with Toronto and served last season as defensive co-coordinator and secondary coach. And we all know how downright dominant the Argos looked on that side of the ball.

“You look at what they did over there in Toronto, it’s exciting for us,” said Dyce about Fields, who he’s had a relationship with since 2005.

“His history (as a defensive backs coach), it’s no secret we need to be better in that area. In talking with Will through the process, he’s got some fantastic ideas. And, at the end of the day, we as coaches, our resume is always on the field.

“So, all I have to do is look at Toronto and look at the success they had as a defence. We’re excited to see how Will interacts with our guys. He’s always a positive man and a positive influence and I’m really looking forward to having him in the building.”

WELCOME WILLIAM

Vernon Adams Jr. to William Stanback for the chef’s kiss on a perfect @BCLions drive! 🤌#CFLGameDay: LIVE on TSN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/g1FG4KkVzM

— CFL (@CFL) June 28, 2024

It didn’t take long for Ottawa to address an area that needed improvement from last year. In signing tailback William Stanback in January, shortly after he was released by BC, the REDBLACKS gave an instant shot in the arm to a run game that finished ninth last season by averaging 83.7 rushing yards per game.

“We want to be a physical team,” Dyce said when asked about Stanback’s fit with Ottawa. “When you think of physical running backs, William jumps to the top of the list.

“It allows our offensive line to be the aggressors as opposed to sitting back in pass protection all the time. They can fire it out and get some shots on the defence. And then as we go forward, his physicality is something that’s special. We’re looking forward to his yards after contact and his ability to wear out defences.”

Last season Stanback set a new career-high with 231 carries to go along with 1,175 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The versatile tailback added 413 receiving yards, also a new career best, and two more touchdowns through the air.

HOLDING THE LINE

Ottawa’s defensive line was a force to be reckoned with in 2024. The REDBLACKS finished second overall with 39 total sacks, while Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Michael Wakefield tied for the league-lead with eight each.

Furthermore, even though he wasn’t healthy all year, Bryce Carter continued to cement himself as one of the CFL’s most dominant rush ends; Carter has recorded 16 total sacks over the last two seasons. And then there’s Cleyon Laing who just did what he always does: disrupt things in the interior.

And the best part? All four players signed extensions prior to free agency.

“They’re all committed to playing both the run and the pass,” said Dyce. “And they’re all extremely talented. Having that group back is really important because they set the tempo in practice, and they set the tempo on game day.

“And that’s the type of team we want to be known as. A physical team up front, extremely aggressive in what we do. I’m extremely happy to have those guys back as the foundation of our team.”

IT’S GENO TIME

The other offensive addition we teased earlier is receiver Eugene Lewis, who signed a two-year contract in free agency after two seasons with Edmonton. And after injuries limited him to 12 appearances in 2023, Lewis bounced back with 1,070 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

It was the third time in Lewis’s impressive career he’s hit the millennium mark, while those 10 touchdowns tied a career-high set back in 2022. Now a three-time All-CFL receiver, Lewis joins a REDBLACKS group that also includes Justin Hardy and Kalil Pimpleton.

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