10 priority pending free agents the Redblacks should re-sign for Christmas
The Ottawa Redblacks’ 2024 season featured a historic home record and a return to the playoffs but for the success to continue, general manager Shawn Burke will need to make the correct determination on each of his 31 pending free agents.
Since Ottawa’s season ended with a loss to the Toronto Argonauts in the East Semi-Final, Burke has been busy. He’s inked Canadian fullback Marco Dubois, Canadian right tackle Zack Pelehos and American defensive end Bryce Carter to two-year extensions — a key special teamer and two important starters in the trenches. Another tidy bit of business was locking down the blind side by signing starting left tackle Dino Boyd to a one-year extension.
Here are ten more impact players that Burke should prioritize bringing back for 2025.
REC Justin Hardy (A)
Typically, a 32-year-old American receiver wouldn’t top a list of players who must be re-signed but Hardy isn’t your typical receiver. Had the Washington, N.C. native not sat out the team’s final regular season game in an attempt to ensure he was healthy for the playoffs, he would likely have become the first Ottawa player to lead the league in receiving yards since Tony Gabriel in 1977. Hardy also finished just short of the Redblacks’ single-season receiving record, which was set by Greg Ellingson in 2017.
In 2024, Hardy was Ottawa’s best and most consistent weapon — period. As he went, so did the Redblacks’ offence as a whole. When the team needed a clutch play, he came up with it. In the 16 games he played, Hardy made 97 catches for 1,343 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 13.8 yards per reception.
The Redblacks’ unanimous choice as team MOP simply has to return for 2025.
SAM Adarius Pickett (A)
Before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury against Hamilton in Week 15, Pickett had been exactly as advertised. Upon signing with the Redblacks in the 2024 off-season, the 28-year-old announced he would be Ottawa’s party starter and set the tone he did.
In 13 games, Pickett thrived not only on defence, registering 52 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, an interception and four knockdowns, but also on special teams, where he made 14 tackles covering kicks. He also showcased his versatility by returning six kickoffs.
Following his injury, the Redblacks’ defence was never quite the same, surrendering more than 37 points in four of the team’s final seven games, including 58 in their playoff loss. While there is an undeniable risk in bringing back a guy coming off a late-season Achilles injury, Pickett is the prototypical SAM linebacker and a difference-maker that must be accounted for by the opposing offence on every play. Not to mention, he seems to be coming along just fine in his recovery.
13 Weeks Post Op, Party Going Up Next Year believe me! pic.twitter.com/g5IGs8sMq5
— Pickett (@Pick6ixPickett) December 17, 2024
Furthermore, Pickett’s connection to Ottawa’s new defensive coordinator, Will Fields shouldn’t be overlooked. Fields’ was Toronto’s secondary coach in 2023, when Pickett put up career high stats en route to being named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the East Division.
DE Lorenzo Mauldin IV (A) & DT Michael Wakefield (A)
I’m going to group these two American defensive linemen together because they work in tandem to control the line of scrimmage and wreak havoc on the quarterbacks they line up against.
The duo finished with eight sacks a piece, the 32-year-old Mauldin from his end position and the 30-year-old Wakefield from the heart of the trenches at the tackle position. Both also played all 18 games in 2024.
Mauldin finished with 52 tackles with five for a loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Wakefield made 30 tackles, forced three fumbles, had a knockdown and recovered a fumble.
Arguably Ottawa’s strongest (and deepest) positional group is the defensive line, and Mauldin and Wakefield are both big reasons why the unit is so dominant. Now that Bryce Carter has been extended, ensuring these two experienced and productive veterans stick around is essential.
DB Damon Webb (A)
In 2024, Webb was Ottawa’s best defensive back and it wasn’t close. In 18 games the 29-year-old notched a career-high 68 tackles, two sacks, forced a fumble, had seven knockdowns, five interceptions — including an unforgettable pair of pick-sixes — and made eight tackles for a loss.
SO NICE, HE DID IT TWICE!
Damon Webb has his second pick 6 of the game.
: #CFLGameday on @TSN_Sports, @RDSca
: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/25dcnHqmDq
— CFL (@CFL) September 7, 2024
Webb made plays with the ball in the air, with the ball in his hands, and was excellent in coming up from the secondary to provide run support. The Redblacks’ secondary was a weak link in 2024 and will see significant changes this off-season, but it would be smart for the team to have Webb stick around.
OL Dariusz Bladek (N) & OL Jacob Ruby (N)
Burke has proven he believes in building his team from the trenches out and this pair are an essential part of that. Bladek is exactly the kind of steady Canadian veteran presence good offensive lines are made of. The 30-year-old is experienced and hitting his prime. In 2024, he made 17 starts for the Redblacks at right guard.
Was there a more valuable sixth offensive lineman this season than Ruby? The 32-year-old played in 17 games for the Redblacks, making seven starts. Four came at left tackle and three at right tackle — he was literally plug and play. Bringing Ruby back would be an under-the-radar move the casual fan might not fully appreciate, but one that would go a long way towards providing crucial depth at one of the game’s most important positions.
REC Bralon Addison (A)
Despite only playing in 10 games in 2024, the 31-year-old pass catcher was highly productive. Addison’s experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator Tommy Condell’s system allowed him to flourish. Addison averaged 10.6 yards per reception, making 41 catches. Although some had concerns that he might not be as shifty after his return from injury, those fears proved to be unfounded as 192 of his 433 yards came after the catch. The Texas native finished the regular season with four touchdowns and added another two in the team’s playoff loss.
HOW DID HE DO THAT @BralonAddison2 #GCPlayoffs on CTV, TSN, & RDS
: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/EiQLgA8AMU
— CFL (@CFL) November 2, 2024
At times, Addison was used as the Redblacks’ primary running back, making 27 carries for 151 yards and averaging 5.6 yards per carry in the regular season. Although that situation was far from ideal, his ability to do so does offer Condell an element of creativity that can catch defences off-guard.
DE Kene Onyeka (N)
The development of Aidan John shouldn’t make Onyeka expendable. With five seasons now under his belt, the former Carleton Raven is a strong special teams performer with nine tackles in kick coverage last season and is more than capable of chipping in as part of the rotation on the defensive line. In 12 games, Onyeka made 10 tackles and had a sack.
P Richie Leone (A)
A fan favourite, Leone had a quiet but steady season for the Redblacks in 2024. He punted 99 times, averaging 48 yards per kick and an average field positional flip of 36.6 yards. Not statistically his best numbers but nothing to sniff your nose at either. Leone also handled all of Ottawa’s kickoffs, smashing 57 balls for an average of 60.5 yards per kickoff.
As Lewis Ward’s holder on field goals, Leone was also an important part of Ward’s highly impressive 2024 season. While some may scoff at the thought of listing a punter as a high-priority target, due to his experience and dependability, the organization should do their best to bring him back.
LB Gary Johnson Jr. (A)
No, Johnson Jr. isn’t a starting linebacker, but he is an excellent special teamer and every elite CFL team has a handful of those. He blocks well and sets the tone with his crunching open-field tackles. In 2024, Johnson Jr. made 10 special teams tackles.
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