As the 2026 season approaches, CFL.ca is here to catch you up with the 5 Things To Know series. Each article will look at key storylines facing each team this season, while examining off-season movement and where your team might stand in 2026.

No team was quite as busy as the Ottawa REDBLACKS this off-season, indicating that the last few seasons haven’t been up to standard in the nation’s capital.

The team didn’t just tweak things, they practically hit reset.

First came new leadership with the hiring of Ryan Dinwiddie as the team’s general manager and head coach. Then came a free agent frenzy and roster reconstruction.

After a 4-14 season and missing the playoffs in 2025, that level of change was expected.

Will it all come together in 2026? That remains to be seen, but until then, here are five things to know about the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

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1. A WINNING PEDIGREE ARRIVES IN OTTAWA

Ryan Dinwiddie was named GM and head coach last November, bringing a winning pedigree to Ottawa. As a head coach with the Toronto Argonauts, Dinwiddie captured two Grey Cups (2022, 2024), won the East Division three times, appeared in four Eastern Finals and guided the Argos to a franchise record 16-win season in 2023.

But there’s more to what the new head coach brings.

“That dude loves football and........

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