CFL Preview: Redblacks hoping to get another year out of Burris

The Ottawa Redblacks enter the 2016 season with a lot of turnover on their roster, but one constant - 41-year-old Henry Burris - they hope can lead them to another successful season.

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Gas left in the tank? In 2015, Henry Burris joined an exclusive club: successful starting 40-year-old quarterbacks, along with Brett Favre, Warren Moon, and Anthony Calvillo. But how long can Burris keep fighting the clock? The Redblacks are already starting to prepare for the future, after signing Trevor Harris during free agency. But do not discount Burris’s drive. There are few in all of professional football with a commitment to preparation, maintenance, and recovery like Burris.

Another year, another OC In the Redblacks third CFL season, they'll again be adjusting to a new offensive coordinator after Jason Maas’s departure to Edmonton, and the arrival of Argos offensive positional coach Jaime Elizondo. The one positive: Elizondo spent time in the same Scott Milanovich-offence in Toronto that inspired Maas. Ottawa’s weapons – including 2015 1,000-yard receivers Ernest Jackson, Brad Sinopoli, Chris Williams and Greg Ellingson – should find the transition from Maas to Elizondo easy.

Reloading Ottawa’s defence The unavoidable consequence of success in football is how quickly other teams snatch away your talent. Ottawa's athletic defence lost DL Keith Shologan (Winnipeg), DE Justin Capicciotti (Saskatchewan), and DB Jovon Johnson (Montreal) in free agency. But GM Marcel Desjardins and assistant Brock Sutherland were quick to re-sign valuable pieces like DL Zach Evans and LB DaMaso Munoz, and acquire promising DL Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, as well as giving defensive coordinator Mark Nelson enough international and national prospects to mold a strong unit in 2016.

Additions and Subtractions

+ QB Trevor Harris Harris threw for the third-most yards in the CFL last season with Toronto and will give Ottawa excellent depth at quarterback and a transition option should 41-year-old Burris falter.

- Defensive line The Redblacks lost three quality defensive lineman via free agency, in Canadians Shologan and Capicciotti and American Shawn Lemon. Those are big holes for the team that led the CFL last season with 62 sacks.

Canadian Content

Any discussion of Ottawa’s homegrown talent has to begin with the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Canadian, slotback Brad Sinopoli. In his first year as a full-time starter, the Peterborough native was the only Canuck in the league to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in 2015. Sinopoli is likely to be joined in the receiving corps this season by Jake Harty, whom the Redblacks chose 10th overall a year ago. The University of Calgary product lost most of his rookie campaign to injury but will have an opportunity to fill the wideout position vacated by International Mo Price, who was traded (and subsequently retired) during the offseason.

Versatile fullback Patrick Lavoie will substitute for one of the Canadian pass catchers when Ottawa opts for a two-back set. Big receivers Scott MacDonell and Alex Pierzchalski, as well as combo back Brendan Gillanders (when he returns from injury) should also see time in certain offensive packages.

Centre Jon Gott and left guard J’Michael Deane return to the spots they have occupied for the past two seasons, likely joined on the interior of the offensive line by last year’s first overall pick, Alex Mateas. The latter replaces Nolan MacMillan, who will open the season on the 6-game injured list. MacMillan could ultimately line up next to Mateas at right tackle, should Ottawa desire additional ratio flexibility.

Free agency cost the Redblacks two of their three Canadian defensive line starters in end Justin Capicciotti and tackle Keith Shologan. Zack Evans, who had a breakout year with seven sacks, will take Shologan’s place in the starting lineup with Connor Williams returning from an injury-plagued 2015 to play a backup role. The team also drafted DT Mehdi Abdesmad, who is currently with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Meanwhile, the ratio flexibility gained by starting Harty in what was an International position on offence will allow Ottawa to replace Capicciotti with an American defensive end. The lone returning Canadian starter on D, Antoine Pruneau, is the ultimate ratio breaker, as he is currently the only National in the league to start at the SAM (strong side) linebacker spot. The challenge in having such a unique player lies in trying to replace him if he ever gets injured. The easiest solution would’ve been to have an International DB move into the box at SAM and play a National at free safety, however, the most likely candidate to do that, second round pick Mikaël Charland, is one of at least four Canadians who will open the season on the Redblacks’ 6-game injured list.

Until Charland and MacMillan are available, plugging in free agent acquisition Arnaud Gascon-Nadon at DE would seem to be the best option. Veteran Chris Milo handles the placekicking and may have to punt as well if second-year man Ronnie Pfeffer has any further foot and ankle issues.

Impact Imports

The Redblacks’ run to the Grey Cup last year of course surprised everybody but in retrospect maybe shouldn’t have. Some of Ottawa’s success last season was due to circumstance, namely Zach Collaros’ injury in Hamilton and the Argos’ nomadic existence, but a large part was also due to the team’s explosive offence.

The offence is led by reigning Most Outstanding Player Burris, who had one of the three best seasons of his illustrious career in the nation’s capital last year, and doesn’t figure to miss a beat if/when Burris starts to run low on battery after the off-season signing of Harris. Harris earned a starting shot last year filling in for the injured Ricky Ray in Toronto and will get one in Ottawa eventually; Burris is just hoping his play precludes that from happening until next year.

Whoever is throwing the ball will have the luxury of choosing between four 1,000-yard men at receiver. The Redblacks’ import talent at the position is strong with Williams, who is also a big contributor on special teams, Jackson, and Ellingson.

SirVincent Rogers is one of the league’s best left tackles, anchoring Ottawa’s solid offensive line, but the team was dealt an injury blow when RB William Powell, who emerged late last season as a stud, was lost for the season with an Achilles injury.

The consternation is on defence. The Redblacks’ defensive line was ravaged in free agency, but some talent remains, including Moton Hopkins.

The secondary should still be strong as well with league All-Star Abdul Kanneh and division All-Star Jerrell Gavins holding down the unit and minimizing the loss of Johnson, who also bolted in free agency.

Who to Watch Ottawa returns all four of its 1,000-yard receivers from a year ago in Williams, Ellingson, Jackson and Sinopoli.

Season Outlook

2015 was a bounce-back season for Burris, who started all 18 regular season games, led his team to the Grey Cup, and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. Ottawa can’t count on that kind of performance again and so will need to improve on special teams and fill holes on defence to repeat at East Division champions.