The Ottawa REDBLACKS added two free agent pieces in the weeks following the February 10 opening of the CFL market, signing moves that reflect an organization building toward the April 28 draft and the Edmonton Combine on March 27-29 with defined positional needs and preserved flexibility.

Wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt signed a two-year deal with Ottawa after recording 863 receiving yards in the 2025 season. Eberhardt generates the majority of his production on intermediate routes — possessions catches, third-down conversions, slot routes that require reliable hands in traffic rather than separation against press coverage. His profile addresses a specific gap in the Ottawa passing game: a second receiving option who produces consistently in the moments the offense most needs conversion rate rather than explosive-play production.

Linebacker D.J. Allen also joined Ottawa in free agency, adding a presence in the middle of the defense at a position the organization has identified as a priority need. Allen's role will be determined in training camp, but the addition gives Ottawa a legitimate option at a position that affected their defensive performance in the second half of the 2025 season.

The two signings are measured in scale but purposeful in context. Ottawa has spent two consecutive offseasons making additions at the second tier of the free agent market while preserving the draft flexibility and salary cap room needed to address premium positional needs through the draft process. Whether that philosophy produces the first-tier additions the roster still requires depends on how the April 28 draft aligns with the organization's specific evaluation priorities.

Ottawa sends a delegation to Edmonton on March 27. The franchise's evaluation interests at the combine focus on interior defensive line depth, pass rush development, and any prospect who fits the Canadian-designation profile at receiver — a player who could provide the national slot that Ottawa has had to fill with imports in recent years. The combine's results, combined with the April 28 draft board, will determine how aggressively the REDBLACKS engage the back half of the offseason.

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Sources: "5 impactful CFL free agency signings," CFL.ca | "CFL Combine and Draft highlight 2026 offseason," CFL press | "CFL Combine in Edmonton," CFL.ca