Time to build for next year

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/11/2024 (298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In the end, it was only going to work out for one team.

After a hard-fought 21-week regular season, followed by an exciting couple of weeks of playoffs, the Toronto Argonauts were the last team standing, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 41-24 in the 111th Grey Cup at BC Place.

For the Bombers, it was the third consecutive defeat in the championship game, in their fifth consecutive visit to the Grey Cup, after winning in 2019 and 2021. As for the Argos, they now appear closer to becoming a dynasty than Winnipeg, winning their second league title in three years, with the other Grey Cup triumph against the Bombers in 2022.

Now that the dust has finally settled, all teams find themselves in the same spot: building for next year. As a final edition of CFL Rundown for the 2024 season — we may have some columns pop up on particularly newsy weeks over the winter — we look at all nine teams as they try to navigate the inevitable ups and downs of the monthslong off-season.

1) Going to five Grey Cups in a row, even after losing the last three, is a solid track record for any team. In the aftermath of the most recent defeat, the feeling in the locker room was change is needed. Just how much change should we expect? How much of it won’t be in their control? Assistant general managers Ted Goveia and Danny McManus are interviewing for the open GM job in Hamilton. Buck Pierce appears to be the front-runner for the head coaching gig in B.C. after Rick Campbell was fired and he’s also interviewing for the same position in Edmonton. Richie Hall, who was demoted last year to make room for Jordan Younger, has been granted permission to interview for defensive co-ordinator in Ottawa. The futures of Adam Bighill and Dalton Schoen after both suffered serious injuries will be top of mind, as will trying to sign other key pending free agents including Willie Jefferson, Tyrell Ford, Kenny Lawler, Stanley Bryant, Patrick Neufeld, Liam Dobson and Evan Holm.

2) It was a turnaround season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who finally made the playoffs after missing out the last two years. Corey Mace was finalist for coach of the year, in his first season as the No. 1 bench boss, leading the Riders to a 9-8-1 record. There were still some warts, including a seven-game winless streak, but the foundation for better days has clearly been established. The biggest question will be around Trevor Harris, with reports saying the Riders are going to extend their veteran QB at least another season. Harris proved to be a solid leader and was named a West all-star despite playing only 12 games. I understand wanting to have as much continuity as possible and bringing in a new QB would mean bringing in a new and different voice to lead. It’s a big gamble to rely on an injury-prone pivot who will be 39 by next season.

3) It was a season that started with so much hope, with the B.C. Lions hosting the 111th Grey Cup, only to end with a whimper, as they struggled down the stretch before falling to the Riders in the Western semifinal. The biggest issue facing the Lions was the year’s most celebrated news: the signing of Canadian QB Nathan Rourke. That threw a massive wrench into team chemistry, with many players siding with incumbent Vernon Adams Jr., feeling he was mistreated by the organization. The mess at QB ultimately cost Campbell his job as head coach and co-GM, leading to the promotion of Ryan Rigmaiden to GM. With Adams traded to Calgary earlier this week, cementing Rourke as the go-to guy, they can move past the current saga. Rigmaiden is a big fan of Pierce, who is the perfect person to bring in a new and positive culture. Change is needed in Vancouver, and it appears they’re getting a full dose of it.

4) The Edmonton Elks have been a busy bunch after another playoff-less season. They made some improvements from the previous years under Chris Jones, who was finally fired after another terrible start, but it still wasn’t enough to make the playoffs in a league where twice as many teams make it to the post-season than don’t. Edmonton let go of interim GM Geroy Simon and hired Ed Hervey for the role, while adding a second title as vice-president of football operations. The search for a new HC is underway, and don’t be surprised if it’s Campbell, whose father, Hugh, was head coach of the Edmonton club that won five consecutive Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982. I’d also expect Jordan Maksymic to join him as his offensive co-ordinator. That’s a lot of moving pieces and doesn’t even address the plan for QB Tre Ford. Will this finally be Ford’s year to start and lead a team, and will it be in Edmonton?

5) The Calgary Stampeders were among the worst teams in the CFL in 2024, missing the playoffs for the first time under head coach Dave Dickenson. Dickenson survived the massive cuts after a dismal 5-12-1 finish, which included firing special-teams co-ordinator Mark Killam, DC Brent Monson (now with Toronto), and DL coach Juwan Simpson. The biggest issue with this team has been its culture, with a lot of blame placed on a group of young and immature players. Can the arrival of Adams change that and resurrect an offence that’s been on life support the last couple of years?

6) What a wild season it was for the Toronto Argonauts. It started with a lot of controversy stemming from the 2023 campaign, after it was revealed QB Chad Kelly had sexually harassed a club strength and conditioning coach, resulting in a nine-game suspension. The Argos stayed above water as the league’s reigning MOP missed half the season, finding their game at the perfect time, just weeks before playoffs. Then they looked to be in trouble again after Kelly broke his ankle partway through the Eastern final. Well, we all know how that turned out, with the Argos dominating the Bombers, owing mostly to another solid performance from the defence. Perhaps the biggest question mark is what will they do with QB Nick Arbuckle, who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Grey Cup? The rest can be figured out by HC Ryan Dinwiddie.

7) The Montreal Alouettes had the best regular season record in the CFL, but after starting the year 10-1, Montreal’s play began to slip, posting a 2-4-1 mark in its final seven games. The Als lost to the Argos in what was a tight affair in the Eastern final, and while they still believe they were the best team in the league, the goal of a second Grey Cup in a row still fell short. Jason Maas won coach of the year, and in his post-season press conference, placed the blame mainly on his shoulders, saying, as the club’s offensive co-ordinator, the offence needed to be better. The biggest question mark is at QB, with the Als reportedly signing Davis Alexander to a three-year deal that could pay him upwards of a combined $1.2 million. That’s low-end starters money. Could there be a situation in which Cody Fajardo can also stay in Montreal? Only if he’s willing to take a pay cut and likely a supporting role as the No. 2.

8) Considering how awful the Ottawa Redblacks had been in recent years, having not made the post-season since winning the Grey Cup in 2018, the 2024 campaign was a smashing success in the nation’s capital. Compared to the league as a whole, it was still disappointing. The Redblacks managed to make the playoffs, but you know after a 7-2-1 start, Ottawa had its sights on a home playoff game that would never come. A big part of their success was the emergence of QB Dru Brown. The Redblacks will have to make some tough decisions on pending free agents, including whether to re-sign receiver Justin Hardy, who led the league in receptions but turns 33 soon, and linebacker Adarius Pickett, who was a key performer on defence and special teams before tearing his Achilles tendon.

9) Much like the Elks, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats showed some real teeth down the stretch and almost completed an improbable run to the playoffs. Also like Edmonton, the Ticats ran out of runway and were one of three teams to miss the playoffs. The Ticats are still in search of a GM after Hervey left for the job in Edmonton. Thought to have issues at QB, Bo Levi Mitchell appears to have extended his career in Steeltown after a stellar season that saw him named East nominee for MOP after leading the CFL in passing for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. Is running it back really a recipe for success with this group? We’ll find out.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton