Redblacks face uncertain offseason after franchise-worst 1-17 campaign

OTTAWA · The Ottawa Redblacks concluded a dismal CFL season with a franchise-worst 1-17 record, prompting a season of front-office firings and leaving players expressing a mix of relief and frustration. The team's lone victory came in Week 17 when rookie quarterback Bryson Barnes started in a win over the Toronto Argonauts. The Redblacks cycled through three starting quarterbacks and finished the year with 18 players on the six-game injured list and eight on the one-game list. Defensive co-ordinator Will Fields was fired on Aug. 1, vice-president of football operations Shawn Burke was let go on Aug. 17 and president Adrian Scarra departed by Aug. 23.

"You have a lot of emotions coming out of a season like this," said receiver Kalil Pimpleton, who broke a CFL record with 1,834 kickoff return yards. "You come out mad, you come out sad, you come out happy over the fact it's over." Linebacker Nyles Morgan echoed the sentiment of a painful year. "No one wants to feel this feeling ever again," Morgan said. "With this type of season the upside is it's only up from here, truly. And obviously, we want to be more than just up. We want to be in a championship one day."

The organization has already begun its offseason shakeup by hiring Mike Morreale as team president this week. Morreale's immediate task is to evaluate head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie, who was signed to a three-year contract last season to fill both roles while also serving as offensive co-ordinator. Dinwiddie acknowledged the need for a thorough review. "It starts today," he said of his evaluation. "We've got to focus on things we can correct to get better." He said he had an introductory lunch with Morreale and understands that a 1-17 season means everything will be scrutinized.

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"I plan on being here," Dinwiddie said. "I want to turn this thing around, right? I don't want to be out of here and not have the opportunity to get one more shot at it." When asked if he had taken on too many responsibilities, Dinwiddie defended his track record. "I've been a co-ordinator and head for years, and I've been pretty darn good at it, right?" said Dinwiddie. "So I believe in that. But the GM title, you know, if they kind of change that, it's not going to change my workload at all. But you know I get that."

A significant number of players are now headed for free agency, adding to the uncertainty. The list includes linebacker Nyles Morgan, who said he would be interested in returning to Ottawa, as well as linebacker Lucas Cormier, veteran fullback Anthony Gosselin, quarterbacks Jake Maier and MacLeod Bethel-Thompson, and receiver Justin Hardy. Offensive linemen Drew Desjarlais, Sean McEwen and Zack Pelehos are also set to become free agents. Hardy is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-plus yard season but has only played in one playoff game during his five years with Ottawa. "I'm not saying no to anything," Hardy admitted. "I'll get with my agent, listen to everybody and see where we go from there."

Despite the bleak record, some players expressed optimism about a potential quick turnaround under new leadership. They pointed to Morreale's hiring and the compact nature of the CFL. "The thing about the CFL is in a nine-team league you see teams turn around in a year or two," said Cormier. He also noted that Dinwiddie's experience winning two Grey Cups should not be overlooked. "Those two things alone are two things that I think are pretty convincing to feel like things can change pretty quickly," Cormier said. The Redblacks' season ended with a loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Garbutt Disposal reported that Marc Liegghio kicked seven field goals in that game for Hamilton.

With files from The Canadian Press, Sportsnet and Toronto Star