Can the Ottawa Redblacks take advantage of a friendly CFL schedule to start their turnaround?

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Gosselin added that it’s been “amazing” working with Dinwiddie.

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“I love him,” he said. “I love what he’s doing. He’s an intense guy, but I love it. I love working with him. He’s really precise with what he wants, and I like that.”

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C.J. Reavis (8) was one of several free agents signed by the Ottawa Redblacks during the offseason. Photo by Ottawa Redblacks /Handout

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What are the notable on-field changes?

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Along with Maier replacing Dru Brown as starting QB, there is hope for an improved running game.

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The Redblacks signed American free agent Greg Bell, who will be the lead back, with homebrew Daniel Adeboboye returning to play a valuable backup role as well as performing as a strong special-teams contributor.

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Bell started 22 games over the past two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and in 2025 was the East Division’s leading rusher with 1,038 yards on 184 carries (5.6 average) while also catching 62 passes for 426 yards.

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He wasn’t showcased in the 2026 pre-season, however, as Bell stayed home with other veterans for the first exhibition in Montreal and rushed just five times, for one yard, while catching only two passes for two yards in the second game at TD Place.

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Receiver Ayden Eberhardt was signed as a free agent from the B.C. Lions to fill the void left by the departure of Bralon Addison, who retired and joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ coaching staff.

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“We want to run the football downhill, but we haven’t got a chance to really do that live,” Dinwiddie said. “In pre-season games, you’re trying to evaluate.

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“I think our O-Line is better than it has been in years past, but now we’ve got to go do it on Saturday.”

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Defensively, the Redblacks raided from the reigning champs, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, signing Canadian linebacker A.J. Allen, global defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado and American defensive back C.J. Reavis, who will line up as the strong-side linebacker with Ottawa.

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They also acquired veteran middle linebacker Nyles Morgan to replace Jovan Santos-Knox.

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“The scheme’s the same, but we’ve added some new pieces to that,” said Dinwiddie, who retained defensive co-ordinator Will Fields. “I think our special teams are going to fly around; that’s going to change some different things. We’re going to have a different mentality on special teams this year.”

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What was the surprise of training camp?

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Right up there has to be the emergence of Giordano Vaccaro, whom the Redblacks selected as the No. 1 pick in the CFL draft. He was expected to make the roster, of course, but the 22-year-old will be the starting right tackle on Saturday with Zach Pelehos nursing an injury.

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First-overall draft pick Giordano Vaccaro (68, right) will start at right offensive tackle for the Redblacks against the Elks on Saturday night. Photo by Ottawa Redblacks /Handout

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“Gio came in and played extremely well,” Dinwiddie said. “Where he’s at at this stage, being a rookie, we had high expectations for him, but you never know until you get him in the building. We feel like he’s exceeded our expectations a little bit.”

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The Redblacks have opted to go with American punter Noah Gettman, who beat out Australian James Burnip as the replacement for Richie Leone.

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“I like where we’re at,” Dinwiddie said. “I think it’s a strong locker room right now. Obviously, we’re going to have some adversity throughout the year, and we’ve got to be able to handle that. We told the guys, ‘Hey, we’re gonna expect to win every week, but to be able to feel that way, you’ve got to have a good work week.’

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“We’re going to have our ups and downs. We’ve got to make sure we don’t get too high, too low. Let’s ride the ebbs and flow of the game, and then make the plays we need to win the game.”

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