Last year I wrote this same article in regards to the Calgary Stampeders and began with “As the 2023 CFL season lingers just around the corner there is arguably no team experiencing a more significant turning of the page than the Calgary Stampeders.”

Well, one year in it feels as though much of the dust has settled, but that doesn’t mean a trip to the top of the West will be smooth sailing, far from it. The Stamps will largely be considered the third, and maybe even fourth favourite to win the West Division this season depending on your feelings toward the Riders revival under new head coach Corey Mace.

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Training camp yields a fantastic opportunity to craft your roster, find fits and more than anything decide what kind of team you want to be. The good news is for Calgary football fans, the formula is already there, waiting to be unleashed like it has been so many times with a stout running game and timely quarterback play. The nerve-racking part for everyone involved is whether or not it will come to life, or if 2024 will be remembered as the year difficult decisions were required to reset the Stamps Grey Cup hopes.

OFFENCE

* denotes National
** denotes Global

QUARTERBACK

For the second year in a row, the Calgary offence will go as Jake Maier goes. That is no secret and certainly not rare to expect of a quarterback who has as much input to the final result as any position in sports, but Maier has the controls of a very specific spaceship: A Dave Dickenson offence.

RUNNING BACK

Thankfully he is surrounded by a diverse and unique group of backfield bodies which I believe will be led by Dedrick Mills this season as Ka’Deem Carey has moved on in free agency.

RECEIVER

At receiver there is one guarantee, Reggie Begelton.

Begelton has been such a difference maker for the Stamps since returning from his NFL journey that I honestly don’t know what the passing game would look like without him. Expect another 1,000 yard season and All-Star calibre campaign from Begelton, but after that things become more difficult to see clearly.

Malik Henry is an elite talent but when he missed time with an injury, his position struggled to be as productive. Tre Odoms-Dukes looked the part for much of the early season last year until being lost in the shuffle of Calgary trying to find the right combination of pass catchers, and the Nationals are a whole other topic.

Calgary has one of my favourite National receiver rooms in the CFL, a group of different shapes and sizes, strengths and weaknesses that I’m hoping will learn to compliment each other in packages and maximize their potential, but who gets the most reps?

Jalen Philpot really should be the answer but Cole Tucker is also a first round pick, Clark Barnes has elite talent and Rysen John has a skill set nobody else can match!

OFFENSIVE LINE

Of course the key is protecting Maier who gains Trevon Tate from the Argos while keeping Sean McEwen, Zack Williams and D’Antne Demery. The position in question is that of Ryan Sceviour who departed for Saskatchewan this off-season. I believe some combination of Nationals Bryce Bell and Rodeem Brown will get the gig.

DEFENCE

LINEBACKERS

Stopping Zach Collaros, Vernon Adams Jr. and McLeod Bethel-Thompson week after week is a lot to ask, but welcome to the CFL’s West. The good news is standout linebacker duo Cam Judge and Micah Awe are back as much of the meaningful defensive line pieces are as well.

DEFENSIVE LINE

From Mike Rose to Julian Howsare and game changing James Vaughters, the Calgary pass rush will once again challenge teams weekly under defensive coordinator Brent Monson. That fourth spot is up for grabs and I’d love to see T.J. Rayam jump into it depending on role and situational packages.

DEFENSIVE BACK

On the back end Demerio Houston joins the Red and White from Winnipeg after leading the CFL in interceptions. Plenty of familiar names from Moxey to Dozier, Williams to Roberson will all play key roles while superb Brad Muhammad fills in and Titus Wall locks down the all important cover linebacker position.

SPECIAL TEAMS

* denotes National
** denotes Global

Steady as they go, the whole crew is back from Paredes to Grace, Logan to Crawford. One of the CFL’s very best units will continue to be just that in 2024 as Paredes’ legendary career rolls on.