On November 5th, 2025, the REDBLACKS changed the entire direction of their franchise, hiring two-time Grey Cup Champion and 2023 Coach of the Year Ryan Dinwiddie. Ryan Dinwiddie, looking for and failing to find more control over the roster in Toronto, also took on the role of General Manager, with Shawn Burke taking on a new role.
Giving Ryan Dinwiddie more control over the roster was arguably a much easier decision for an Ottawa team that has just two ten-plus win seasons in its existence than it was for Toronto. Dinwiddie now takes over a franchise that has won 27 games over the last 6 seasons, appearing in the playoffs just once during that span, getting blown out by Dinwiddie’s Argos team 58-38.
To this point, Ryan Dinwiddie had focused on building the 2026 roster by identifying the building blocks within the current roster that needed to be retained.
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This included the re-signing of
OL Dino Boyd
RB Daniel Adeboboye
WR Ethan Jordan
WR Latreal Jones
DB King Ambers
DB Lucas Cormier
LB James Peter
DL Deionte Knight
P Noah Getteman
As well as the signings of future’s players
QB Matt Morrissey
QB Hajj-Malik-Williams
RB Marquez Cooper
RB Elijah Collins
WR Sam Schnee
WR Robert Lewis
DL Jessie Evans
LB Jamie Pettway
This also included a notable influx of new players at one position group in particular: the defensive line. Ottawa has signed Jelani Stafford out of Connecticut, Ramon Puryear from Louisville, Tre’vonn Rybka from Kentucky, Yoann Miangue from Laval, and Dennis Briggs Jr. from Illinois. It is safe to say that Dinwiddie is looking for an improvement on the defensive line, having already made 7 transactions at the position.
Other Moves so far have included adding Global offensive lineman Nouredin Nouili, who previously spent time with the Montreal Allouettes practice roster. Nouili could be an intriguing piece to this offensive line in 2026. He showed enough raw talent coming out of college, and he was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent before joining the Alouettes, who selected him in the second round of the Global draft.
Nouili has started several games at both left and right guard during his time in college with Colorado State University and Nebraska. He also saw snaps at right tackle. Nouili has been coached and developed by some of the best and brightest offensive line coaches at every level. 2026 could be his chance to prove himself in the CFL.
Nouili essentially replaces Parker Moorer, who retired after spending the end of his rookie season with Ottawa on the injured list. Moorer, however, primarily played tackle and suited up in 8 games last season. We wish him well in his retirement.
Time to Swing for the Fences
Finally, it seems Ryan Dinwiddie is beginning to make bigger moves with news breaking that the REDBLACKS and Elks have agreed to a trade involving one starting player and 4 mid-round draft picks.
The REDBLACKS needed to improve the second level of their defense, especially when looking at their inability to produce big plays. Ottawa was 8th in sacks and pass knockdowns, 7th in interceptions, 5th in forced fumbles, and 8th in fumbles recovered. They finished last in defensive touchdowns with just 1. They finished tied for 6th overall.
What does Nyles Morgan bring to Ottawa?
Morgan brings a veteran presence to a young linebacker room. Having played in 76 regular-season games between the AAF, XFL, and CFL. He has started every CFL game he was active for in five seasons with Edmonton.
During his time with the Elks, he played in and started 63 games. He produced 368 tackles, 7 sacks, and 1 interception. He added another 76 tackles, .5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in 8 games, credited with just 3 starts.
Filling a Need
The linebacker position for Ottawa was set to be decimated by free agency regardless of how they decided to proceed. Coming into the offseason, they had 8 players listed as linebackers set to hit free agency. This did not include Adarius Pickett and Bennett Williams, who are listed as defensive backs but have played strong-side linebacker.
Since then, they have re-signed 3 of the 10 players just mentioned: Lucas Cormier, James Peter, and Jamie Pettway. Pettway has suited up for just 1 game. Cormier has played in 24 games primarily as a role player, while Peter has played in 42 games in 3 seasons and developed a large role on special teams, but not much more than that.
As mentioned by Coty above, the REDBLACKS only have 3 other players under contract at the position. All of which have similar levels of experience. Zachary Philion, Jayden Griffiths, and Dawson Pierre. Bringing in Morgan means they have solidified their starting middle linebacker spot. With depth pieces in place, Ottawa can now focus on finishing out its starting lineup.
Ryan Dinwiddie Leading in a New Direction
While this is the first head-turning move Ryan Dinwiddie has made, he is just getting started. I expect we will begin to see more news in the future. With most of their quarterback room free agents, as well as key players at wide receiver and defensive back, we can expect these few positions to start seeing some movement sooner rather than later.
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