CFL Syndicate 2025

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Toronto
Toronto is off 2 spectacular seasons culminating in their GC run last year. Chad Kelly returns as starter and hopefully all his bad behavior and the distractions that came with it are behind him. He will enter this season with a chip on his shoulder after missing the cup 2 years in a row...first by getting beat by MTL in 2023 and then by breaking his leg in the east final last year which allowed Nick Arbuckle to lead the team to their championship. But Kelly is still rehabbing and will miss preseason and is only 50/50 right now to start week 1. If he does not, the aforementioned Arbuckle will be ready to go.

The lost a couple of pieces from their league-best OL but with plenty of depth there and young talent in the pipeline, they could afford to. They also lost last year's breakout receiver Makai Polk to the NFL but they still have enough receiving talent to put up some potent numbers. They also return a very solid rushing attack with Kadeem Carey leading the way and promising 2nd year back Deonte McMahon rotating in.

On the defensive side, the team got absolutely decimated in free agency. They lost basically their entire starting DL with Ralph Holley signing with Cleveland, DE Flo Orimolade going back to Calgary and Jared Brinkman, Jake Ceresna, Robbie Smith all going to Edmonton. Losing Ceresna & Orimnolade alone would be a catastrophe considering they are top-3 at their positions. They signed sone DLs Demarcus Christmas, Bryan Cox Jr., & Anthony Lanier, but all are a step down from what they are replacing. The story is only a little better in the secondary where they lost DBs DaShaun Amos, Royce Metchie, & Robert Priester. As with the DL they have signed some replacements but all are a step below those guys, especially Amos and Metchie. The LB corps is a bright spot where up and comer Isaiah Darkangelo (love that name) should take on a bigger role. They lost promising MLB Jonathan Jones but also signed ratio-breaking Cam Judge.

If Kelly and co can continue to score, this team will be a serious 'over' team for the first half of the season at least as they defence will be a work in progress at best.

 

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Hamilton
My team. The cats finished at the bottom of the east division last season, even as Bo Levi Mitchell had one of his best seasons ever and set the Ticats single-season passing yards record. I have to be honest, after multiple shoulder surgeries and 4 straight injury-plagued seasons, I though Bo was done but he proved me wrong last year. He threw a few too many interceptions but gun-slinging QBs always do (see Dunigan, Matt). The team reworked his contract in the offseason to reflect his performance and Bo has been talking about going out on top with a cup so he seems to be motivated to do some damage this season.

I was a little disappointed to see the team release Tulia Tagovailoa after working him onto the field last season with some trick plays which he executed well. But I think the cats found out what Alabama did a few years ago...he ain't his big brother. They will have semcon fav Taylor Powell backing up Bo and he shows some promise to be sure but time will tell if he can take the next step once Mitchell leaves.

Bo is playing behind a very solid OL that emerged in the latter half of the season which should help keep him healthy. They added solid Guard Liam DObson (WPG) to that already strong group as well. The receiving corps, already very good, has been bolstered by the additions of Kenny Lawler (WPG) and @B.A.R. 's fav player Drew Wolitarsky (WPG). Having Lawler and Tim White (assuming he can limit the drops and return to 2023 form) in the same receiving corps is going to be fun to watch. If Bo stays healthy, this will be a track meet type of offence.

The defence OTOH is a concern. They were league-worst last year and I don't see a lot of hope for massive improvement. The secondary was decent and has been strengthened by the addition of DBs DaShaun Amos (TOR) & Reggie Stubblefield (MTL) who is more of a tweener and may get slotted in at SAM. Stubblefield is off a major knee injury however so his return to form is a question mark. But no secondary can cover forever and the DL will have to get a LOT better if they are to stop anyone. Last year's big signings Brandon Barlow & Dewayne Hendrix didn't really work out and were allowed to walk in free agency. Problem is, they didn't do a lot to replace them. They signed Miles Fox (WPG), TyJuan Garbut (WPG) and Owen Hubert but none of those names jump off the page. They brought back Julian Howsare (OTT) who began his career with the cats but has started to look long in the tooth lately. If Howsare is your big threat off the edge, you are in trouble. Other than stellar DL Casey Sayles, there is not much star power here.

Beyond that, the team has no real MLB and had rookie Ryan Baker filling in for the last few games of 2024. That is a position where someone will have to emerge as their defensive leader if this team is to compete. Brian Cole II (WPG) may factor into this mix. The team also drafted LB Devin Verasuk with the 2nd pick overall but I think he is a year or two away from being a starter.

The team's draft consisted of almost entirely defensive players but its rare to have a defensive starter emerge from the draft. They did draft DL Isaiah Bagnah out of BYU in the second round but unless the "experts" are wrong, he projects as nothing more than a rotational player eventually.

The tream hired Brent Monson as DC and he is considered to be a top defensive coach but I'm not sure what he can do with this group. Also, I'll say it now, I am not impressed with HC Scott Milanovich. There is a tendency in CFL circles to believe that when a guy has spent time in the NFL, he will automatically be good in the CFL but I am not convinced Milanovich is HC material. I will be happy to be proved wrong on that.

This might be the strongest 'over' team I have ever seen. Potentially spectacular offence with glaring questions on defence. I am looking forward to some 70+ point games all year long. The books may not be able to set the totals high enough for Hamilton games. Especially when they play Toronto or Ottawa.

 

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Getting tired...I'll do the west tomorrow night