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Since
returning to the league Ottawa has been one of the most consistently successful
teams in the league (3 Grey Cup appearances in the past 4 years). Now a large
part of that success has to do with playing in a division where being mediocre
is good enough to be way better than the rest of the teams. But their success
has also been driven by their strong Canadian content.
Interesting
fact for you from 2016 to present they have only traded away 5 of their picks…
total. Some teams manage that in a year. Other interesting fact: the RedBlacks
have only 3 people over the age of 30 on their roster.
Picks: 7 picks, first selection is 7th
overall
2018 Draft Assessment: It was all about building depth,
which is something they have the luxury of doing with a strong set of Canadian
starters. First rounder Matt Korte builds depth at OL. Same with second rounder
Dubois at receiver. So far the impact has been
minimal but almost every pick is still on the roster so they could yet
develop into something with more impact.
Potential Pipeline: DL Eli Ankou (NFL –
Jacksonville). They also have the rights to DL Mehdi Abdesmad but he retired.
Current Strengths: They have 6 former first round picks
at O-line. 5 of their own plus Philippe Gagnon acquired in free agency, That is
some enviable depth there. Sinopoli remains the top Cdn WR in the league at
this point and they added 2017 first rounder Nate Behar to further solidify
that spot. Feoli-Guidino is an underrated contributor there as well. Pruneau
gives them a defensive starter at safety. Latanzio and Klassen give them the needed
7th Canadian at DL. Also their kicker is kinda good. Something about
breaking a pro football record as an undrafted rookie.
Current Needs: Too bad they can’t draft a new
OC. Too soon? I was working on another joke about how at the combine Ottawa likely
blocked prospects from interviewing with other teams as well… but I was honestly
too lazy to turn it into something decent enough to post (you get what you pay
for). D-line would be a good place to build. They finished third last in sacks
last season and while Latanzio and Klassen are adequate they are hardly impact
players. Given that they start 2 Cdn WR they could use some more depth there.
Linebacker is another place to look. Beyond that they have very few glaring
needs.
Prediction: In
every single draft in RedBlack history except 2014 they have selected an OL
with their first pick. They are nothing if not consistent. As much as they are
creatures of habit I think this will mark the second time in franchise history they
don’t take an OL first. D-line would make the most sense, though in the past their
attempts to draft DL high have failed to materialize (Ankou, Abdesmad). Receiver
would be the other place for them to look in the early rounds.
1 comment:
Good analysis. Ottawa had talked about moving Mateus to LT with the departure of Rogers. That's a big hole. That means they likely start 4, maybe 5 on O-Line. That stretches their National depth & I see them likely still going there with their 1st pick. Can they pick up an import tackle in trade? Tough. Only a couple on the roster. The RedBlacks also were 8th in sacks allowed, not good considering Harris is a guy who gets rid of the ball quickly. I think Behar can be a good 2nd receiver if they go with 2 Nationals there. He should see more looks than he got in Edmonton. But if you start 2, you need another couple of good options on hand. So completely agree with your take.
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