They say defence wins championships. The Calgary Stampeders, long lauded as a team that knows how to stop offences, know it well.
But struggles have crept up on the defensive side of the football the last few CFL seasons, causing them to re-evaluate their direction in that aspect of the game.
And so they have totally revamped the defence this off-season — from promoting Bob Slowik to defensive coordinator to making a surprise trade for sack-master Folarin Orimolade and getting aggressive in free agency.
“One thing we wanted to do was get a dynamic edge pass-rusher, and we did that (by trading for Orimolade),” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “And then we wanted to be able to get size on the back end and to tackle better and stop the run and have some guys with beef on the inside.
“And we did that.”
Certainly, they did a whole bunch to point themselves in a new direction.
Included was divesting themselves of dynamic defensive back Demerio Houston, who is facing a misdemeanour domestic violence charge in North Carolina.
But the focus is on celebrating the new Stampeders — a handful of whom were introduced this week to Calgarians.
“We feel like change is important,” Dickenson said. “And for us as an organization, we wanted to celebrate the guys that are willing to come to Calgary, want to be in Calgary and love football.
“The main thing we thought when looking in free agency was let’s find guys that love football. That was our criteria. Let’s find guys who really really love the game and love to compete and let the chips fall where they may from there.
“We did that.”
WHO DID THEY BRING IN ON DEFENCE?
• DL Folarin Orimolade
• DL Miles Brown
• DL Cedrick Lattimore
• DL Michael Mason
• LB Fraser Sopik
• LB Derrick Moncrief
• LB Gary Johnson Jr.
• LB Kelechi Anyalebechi
• LB Sam Mathews
• DB Damon Webb
• DB Adrian Greene
• DB Godfrey Onyeka
• DB Marloshawn Franklin Jr.
• DB Anthony Cook
Outside ‘Flo’ Orimolade, who returns to team after signing a few years back with the Toronto Argonauts, the biggest defensive off-season prize is deemed to be defensive back Damon Webb.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder was the first announced signing by the Stamps after free agency kicked off in the CFL early Tuesday.
With the Ottawa Redblacks last year, Webb earned league all-star honours after posting five interceptions, 68 defensive tackles, one special-teams stop, two sacks, one forced fumble and seven knockdowns. Two of those INTS were returned for touchdowns — a league-high for Webb. And eight of his tackles were for losses, which was the second-best count in the CFL.
“In my head, I’m the best DB in the CFL,” declared the 30-year-old Detroit product. “So I’m going to come here and do the same thing I did in Ottawa. I’m going to tackle and make big plays — interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles, pick-sixes …
“I know I’m going to come in and put my fingerprint down.”
Fellow defensive back Adrian Greene joins the Red and White, hoping to make his mark, as well.
A fourth-round selection by the Lions in the 2022 CFL Draft, Greene played 42 games on the West Coast over the past three seasons. He’s rolled up 42 defensive tackles, 18 special-teams tackles, three interceptions, one forced fumble and five knockdowns.
Last year, the 6-foot-1, 185-lb. Greene had 14 starts with the Lions, sharing the team lead with two interceptions, including one that he returned 50 yards in a Week 18 game against the Stampeders. Greene also established a new career high with 26 defensive tackles and also had five special-teams tackles, one forced fumble and four knockdowns.
And he’s feeling like the new-look Stamps secondary can work wonders.
“When you’re in room full of great players and great people, you can’t help but think that,” said Greene, a 29-year-old Toronto native. “In B.C. for the start of my career, it was a great opportunity for me to grow and get better as a player. Ultimately, part of sport is continuing to grow, so now this an opportunity for me …
“And I’m taking it.”
For depth in the secondary, they brought in fellow CFL veteran Godfrey Onyeka, a free-agent signing announced by the Stampeders early Wednesday.
At 6-foot-1, 200 lb., the 30-year-old native of Nigeria is known as more of a special-teams ace, with 33 special-teams stops in Edmonton and Saskatchewan.
Just ahead of free agency, they also inked 28-year-old DB Marloshawn Franklin Jr. The 5-foot-11, 185-lb. Detroit native played eight games for the Edmonton Elks in 2023, making starts at both safety and strong-side linebacker.
And last week, they brought in 6-foot, 188-lb. Anthony Cook, 24-year-old Texan who starred at defensive back for the NCAA’s Texas Longhorns and went on to appear in two pre-season games with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
“I feel like we have a lot of playmakers back there,” said Webb, when asked what he likes about the Stamps secondary, now run by former Redblacks defensive coordinator Barron Miles. “I know B-Miles, he’s gonna get us right. He’s a great coach. And I’m just excited to get together in camp and see what we’ve got and get better each and every day.”
Joining Orimolade on the defensive line is interior giant Miles Brown, who weighs in at 320 lb. and stands 6-foot-2.
Brown has 56 career tackles — including six tackles for losses — eights sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 41 career regular-season games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders over the past three seasons.
In 2024, Brown played 16 regular-season games and made 13 starts and also started both of the Roughriders’ playoff games, in which he counted three tackles, a forced fumble and one pass knockdown.
“I plan on bringing a very strong sense of leadership and an aggressive style of play,” said the 27-year-old Maryland native. “I want our d-line to be dominant and heard and known about across the league.
“It’s going to be amazing (lined up alongside Orimolade),” continued Brown. “I think we’ll put a nice one-two together, him and I. He rushes very well, and we kind of have a similar concept when it comes to pass rushing, and I think that’ll just open up opportunities for both of us to be productive.”
Rookie d-linemen Cedrick Lattimore — a 6-foot, 295 lb. Detroit native — and Michael Mason, a 6-foot-3, 280-lb. South Carolina native — also signed on with the Red and White
At linebacker, Fraser Sopik is back with the Stamps after he was drafted by them in 2019, spent three seasons in Calgary and then three others combined with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Argonauts.
Last year, the 29-year-old Toronto native, who is 6-feet, 209 lb. capped off a career-high 57-tackle campaign with the Grey Cup triumph. In 71 combined CFL regular-season contests, Sopik has 90 defensive tackles — including four tackles for losses — 45 special-teams tackles, five sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and four knockdowns.
Also at linebacker, Derrick Moncrief, 31, signs on with the squad as a veteran CFLer and honours as a 2019 CFL all-star and the Edmonton Elks’ most outstanding defensive player nominee in 2022.
At 6-foot-1, 220 lb., the Alabama product is a two-time West Division all-star with 89 games under his belt.
And Gary Johnson Jr., 28, joins the linebacking corps, having played 45 career games over five seasons combined with the Roughriders and the Redblacks. The 6-foot-3, 230-lb. Atlanta native has special-teams experience and 11 defensive stops — including one tackle for a loss — one sack and one forced fumble.
American rookie linebackers Kelechi Anyalebechi — a 6-foot, 240-lb. Texan — and Sam Mathews — a 6-foot-3, 210-lb. Californian — also inked deals to join the squad.
SHORT YARDAGE
The Stamps announced Friday they are bringing back American QB Logan Bonner, who started the 2024 Labour Day Replay in Edmonton. Also on the offensive side of the ball, they recently re-upped FB William Langlais … Recent defensive re-signings were Canadian offensive lineman Kyle Saxelid and American d-lineman Kelon Thomas … The Red and White also signed American o-lineman Deiyantei Powell-Woods … And Ryan Leder has announced his retirement from football after just one season in the CFL. In 2024 with the Stampeders, Leder saw action on both sides of the ball. The McMaster product started the year as a defensive lineman before making the conversion to fullback in Week 13.
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