Mar 11, 2026
CFLHamilton
Two National offensive linemen added before any skill-position spending. Hamilton's 2025 failures were upstream of the quarterback. They're fixing the actual problem.
Hamilton's offseason has been one of the more substantive roster reconstruction projects in the CFL this cycle, and the moves the Ticats have made since free agency opened are consistent with an organizational philosophy that has been explicit about wanting to improve its offensive line before upgrading the skill positions around it. The decision reflects a lesson that is obvious in retrospect and consistently undervalued in practice: you cannot run an effective offense in professional football, at any level, without an interior that can protect the structure of plays long enough for them to develop. Hamilton's passing game in 2025 was compromised not by receiver limitations or quarterback decision-making but by a line that could not consistently give the time required for the concepts the offensive coordinator was calling.
Continue reading →Mar 1, 2026
CFLHamiltonTorontoWinnipegSaskatchewan
McManis from Toronto to Hamilton is a double move — it helps the Tiger-Cats and hurts the Argonauts simultaneously. Winnipeg stayed quiet. Saskatchewan added depth.
The CFL's roster deadline for finalizing free agency commitments passed Sunday, and the league's nine teams now have a clearer picture of what they're building toward when training camp opens in May. Hamilton's addition of Wynton McManis gives the Tiger-Cats a legitimate defensive anchor for the first time since they parted with Simoni Lawrence three years ago. McManis arriving from Toronto also removes a player who had been consistently problematic for Hamilton in late-season games — the kind of rival-to-roster move that helps twice. Hamilton's defense was functional in 2025; with McManis, the ceiling rises.
Continue reading →Feb 28, 2026
CFLEdmontonWinnipegHamiltonCalgary
The league set its camp schedule Friday. Four weeks of preseason before the June 12 opener. What each contender needs to figure out before the games count.
The CFL announced its 2026 training camp schedule Friday, with all nine teams opening camp the week of May 18. The regular season begins June 12, which gives organizations approximately four weeks of camp and preseason activity to finalize their rosters before the games that count. Edmonton, which was the most active team in free agency, will enter camp with a reconfigured offensive unit built around the additions of Austin Mack and the returning offensive line that protected Trevor Harris last season. The Elks were a playoff team in 2025, and the front office moved this offseason with the energy of a team that believes it's close. Camp will confirm whether the pieces fit together.
Continue reading →Feb 27, 2026
CFLEdmontonMontrealHamiltonCalgary
The Elks were the most active team in free agency and came away with the best haul. Montreal lost more than it gained. Hamilton added a linebacker who changes their defense.
CFL free agency opened February 10 and ran hot for the first 72 hours before settling into the slower rhythm that typically follows the initial burst. The dust has largely cleared now, and the picture of which organizations navigated the window well — and which ones created problems they'll spend the summer trying to solve — is becoming clear. Edmonton was the most active team in the window and came away with the best overall haul. The addition of Austin Mack, who had recorded 136 catches for 1,973 yards and six touchdowns across 32 games with Montreal, gives Edmonton a proven possession receiver who has demonstrated durability at the CFL level. Montreal cut Mack earlier in the offseason; Edmonton moved immediately. That's the kind of reactive decision-making that free agency rewards. Mack signed a two-year deal. Edmonton also added Malik Carney, Coulter Woodmansey, and Joe Robustelli, making the offseason a genuine upgrade across multiple roster layers.
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