Le ROUGE ET NOIR préparent l’avenir avec la préparation du repêchage de la LCF

Only a couple of weeks separate the Ottawa REDBLACKS and draft night, which is set to take place on Tuesday, April 30th.

As the day looms, more focus is placed on the draft, but in actuality, the process is now in its final stages for the REDBLACKS’ front office. All season long, they’ve been watching Canadian prospects with a keen eye, preparing themselves for the difficult decisions that lie ahead, including who they will select with the second-overall pick.

Removed from the football season and the bulk of free agency, the front office has come together with the coaching staff – led by Head Coach Bob Dyce – for routine meetings, used to formulate consensus opinions on numerous players in a multitude of positions.

“We work hand-in-hand with Shawn Burke and his group,” Dyce said. “They do a fantastic job. When you look at the number of guys who are eligible for the draft, they do a great job of identifying the top players, and creating cut-ups for us to watch.”

“We want to make sure to give our insights into how guys could possibly fit into our systems. We believe in over-communicating, because we all have our different thoughts, and we can piece them together.”

Toward the end of March, REDBLACKS’ personnel headed to Winnipeg for the combine. The trip always proves worthwhile, providing an inside look at prospects on the field, and who they are as people away from the game.

“You get the opportunity to meet and interact with these young men in a face-to-face environment,” Dyce said. “We’ve all been watching tape, but now you get to confirm what you’ve seen live. We want to see these guys compete against the best.”

Dyce describes the combine as vitally important in the scouting process, but only part of the equation. At times, fans and pundits can get caught up in the numbers, but running the fastest 40-yard dash or putting in the most reps on the bench doesn’t always equate to being the best football player.

“The body of work that these guys have put together over their career weighs pretty heavily,” Dyce said. “There are different things that can happen in a weekend like this, and it’s always great to see guys come out and put up great numbers, but a lot of the evaluation comes through watching the film.”

The days leading up to the draft are critical to a successful night for the REDBLACKS. Between now and then, they’ll finalize their draft board, and set their sights on players they want to target in each round, but they won’t have certainty, not even at second overall.

“We don’t know what the team in front of us is going to do,” Dyce said. “We’re also still early into the process. We want to go back and confirm some things, but this is a talented group, and there are a lot of players at the top of the draft that demand us to do our due diligence to find the right player.”

Unlike the NFL Draft, players don’t typically become immediate superstars in the CFL, although there are exceptions.

“You’re looking for someone who is going to come in, make the roster, and allow you to be better, whether that means depth, or someone who can come in on special teams and grow,” Dyce explained. “You’re hoping they can continue to develop and eventually be a starter for you sometime down the road.”

This draft is undeniably important for the future of the club, but heading into 2024, there are high expectations for some of the REDBLACKS’ previous selections, including Dontae Bull, Cyrille Hogan-Saindon, Zack Pelehos, and players like Daniel Oladejo and Lucas Cormier, who spent the bulk of the 2023 season on the practice roster.

“Going into your second year is where I normally see the biggest jump from players,” Dyce said. “You’ve had the chance to practice at CFL speed, and some have even been in games, and now is the time to show your talent. It’s less of a learning process, and more [finding a way] to succeed on film. It’s a big year.”