Inside the Front Office: Kicking It with the Special Teams

Perhaps it should come with little surprise that the first thing on REDBLACKS’ General Manager Shawn Burke’s checklist, regarding player re-signing, was the special teams, especially after former Special Teams Coordinator, Bob Dyce, was named the third Head Coach in franchise history.

The week included key re-signings on the unit, including Ty Cranston, who finished tied for fifth in the league with 17 special teams tackles, Marco Dubois, who had nine tackles, and All-Star kicking duo, Lewis Ward and Richie Leone.

Compared to some of the other teams in the Canadian Football League, the REDBLACKS’ offseason has been off to a slow start, only now really starting to roll. This, however, is by design, according to Burke, and there was never a plan to start signing players before a Head Coach was named.

“You want [the Head Coach] to have some input, so we felt that making [player retention] decisions before [naming the coach] wouldn’t be the right start to the relationship,” Burke said.

Now off and running, the natural place to start was with the special teams. According to Burke, Dyce played a role in the direction, but looking around the CFL, it’s a common place for teams to start.

“The reality is that there is a little less negotiating to do with [special teams players], their market is sort of set,” Burke said. “Secondly, with Coach Dyce, they know who they are working for, and there were guys who were ready to sign and commit to our vision.”

The headlining signings of the week were Leone and Ward, for obvious reasons. Leone has been statistically one of the best punters in the CFL since arriving in Ottawa in 2018, and Ward has made 89 percent of his field goal attempts in his career, including a streak of 69 consecutive kicks that no one in Ottawa needs to be reminded about.

It’s no coincidence that these two were among the first to be brought back. They were made a priority by the organization for their efforts on the field, but equally as important is what they bring to the franchise off the field.

“I have learned the importance of having guys like Lewis and Richie in the building,” Burke said. “To have two guys who are so committed to the organization and want to be here makes things so much easier.”

Even with everything Ward has done in the past, there was some concern in fan circles, particularly early in the season, and it begged the question; would Burke look at other options? The answer was a resounding “no,” as Burke shared his confidence in the University of Ottawa product.

“If his numbers are down and he’s still kicking 86 percent, you’re usually going to be pretty happy,” Burke said. “With Lewis, you know what you’re getting. He’s a professional that comes in and works every day. Coach Dyce and I have challenged him with some off-field stuff, and he wants to be elite.”

The challenge to be better won’t be exclusive to Ward, however. Burke says that it was also issued to Leone, and will be issued to every player they sign.

Although the spotlight is on the kickers, attention and credit should be shared with both Cranston and Dubois. Burke says that both were easy decisions to make, and once again, the challenge is there to be better, and potentially work their way onto the defence and offence respectively.

Cranston, who is plenty familiar with Defensive Coordinator, Barron Miles, has starting experience under his belt with the Alouettes in 2021, and is expected to compete for more playing time in 2023. On special teams, however, he brings know-how, and quality that doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

“Cranston was a very underrated signing for us,” Burke said. “His football intellect is just off the charts. He gives us the ability to have a backup during a game, or even compete to start at safety at the start of the season.”

Dubois is in much the same boat. Burke won’t hold his cards close to his chest with the Laval alum, and suggests that we could see Dubois involved in the offence a little bit more in 2023.

“He’s only scratching the surface,” Burke said of Dubois. “He probably could have explored some other situations, but he’s committed to our vision here, and he loves being a REDBLACK. I think you’ll see him ready to roll with Khari Jones on offence as a tight end/fullback.”

Burke is fully aware that fans are disappointed with the results on the field in the past handful of seasons, and knows they want to see the team’s big names back in red and black, but is urging patience on the re-signing front. The REDBLACKS are still early in their offseason to-do list, and Burke claims that there are numerous offers on the table, and there are players they hope to bring back that are yet to get an offer.

“It’s a process,” Burke said. “We’re not favouring one side or the other, it’s just how it works. I know everyone wants big players signed, but it’s a big jump to go through those negotiations, and it takes some time.”