The Hamilton Tiger-Cats made several adjustments on offensive during the 2023 season. Some of those adjustments were made out of necessity including a long-term trend of multiple quarterbacks leading the offence throughout the season. Others were made to make significant improvements to the offence, including signing running back James Butler and turning the offence over to Scott Milanovich.
Adding Butler and Milanovich led to significant improvements on offence for the Tiger-Cats, allowing them to overcome early season struggles to earn a playoff spot. While the offence did show progress, the result was still an 8-win season and an East Semi-Final loss, and it could be tempting to continue to scrap the current game plan on offence, but that approach would show a need for more vision for the future.
Alternatively, the Tiger-Cats need to make off-season decisions that allow them to build off their strengths and take the next step as a unit on offence. That will require Hamilton to build around the running attack led by Butler and add weapons to the offence that Milanovich needs to have to continue improving the offence. The first step of that process this off-season is retaining the players slated to become free agents, which will be necessary for the Tiger-Cats offence to be successful.
Looking at the players on offence that will become free agents, there are five players that the Tiger-Cats need to re-sign to ensure that they can improve their offence. The most significant players that need to return on offence are those that can help James Butler continue to excel and weapons that can be used to build a passing game based on efficiency and scoring in the red zone.
Matthew Shiltz – Quarterback
Historically, the Tiger-Cats have struggled to maintain stability at the quarterback positions. Tiger-Cats quarterbacks do not have the ability to lead the offence, or they spend a significant amount of time on the injured list. While Shiltz has sometimes been injured, he is the Tiger-Cat’s most consistent quarterback during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
In the last two seasons, American quarterback Matthew Shiltz has led the Tiger-Cats to critical victories, allowing Hamilton to qualify for the playoffs. He also played significantly during the 2022 playoff game in Montreal and started the 2023 playoff game in Montreal. Hamilton lost both of those games, showing that Shiltz is most likely not a “franchise” CFL quarterback but is the most valuable backup quarterback in the CFL. If the Tiger-Cats can re-sign Shiltz for a reasonable contract, he will provide much-needed stability to the quarterback position.
Brandon Revenberg – Offensive Lineman
The 6’4″, 301 pounds National offensive lineman Brandon Revenberg is one of the cornerstones of an offensive line that has struggled with consistency and continuity. Revenberg has been one of the most consistent offensive linemen in the CFL, and Revenberg and the offensive line allowed Butler to run for over 1,000 yards in 2023. The trend in the CFL is if a team wants to win a Grey Cup, they need to have an effective running game, and Revenberg is a big part of the Tiger-Cats maintaining an effective running game.
Tim White – Wide Receiver
American wide receiver Tim White has been the heart and soul of the Tiger-Cats offence for the last two seasons. While the Hamilton quarterback position resembles a revolving door, White consistently makes plays for the Tiger-Cats’ offence regardless of who is playing quarterback. White has had over 1000 receiving yards in the last two seasons and has played at a CFL All-Star level. The Tiger-Cat’s offence has struggled at times in 2022 and 2023, but White has been a standout player on offense in both of those seasons and is a legitimate play-maker for the Hamilton offence.
Coulter Woodmansey – Offensive Line
Coulter Woodmansey is another National offensive lineman who has helped the Tiger-Cats offensive line improve as a unit during the 2023 season. The 6’5″, 310 pounds Toronto native started in 17 games in 2023, adding significant strength and continuity to the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line. Hamilton must reward running back James Butler for his efforts by providing him with a high-quality offensive line. Woodmansey is a key part of the Tiger-Cats offensive line unit.
Terry Godwin II – Wide Receiver
Terry Godwin II had a breakout season for the Tiger-Cats in 2023. The American wide receiver produced 68 receptions for 864 yards and six touchdowns. Godwin II is an explosive offensive weapon that will help any future quarterback that the Tiger-Cats play with. If the Tiger-Cats re-sign Godwin II, they will have an offence with an effective running game and multiple explosive weapons at wide receiver. This mix of talent gives the Hamilton offence a chance to become one of the best units in the CFL.
Tiger-Cats Re-Sign Veteran Long Snapper And American Offensive Lineman
The Tiger-Cats announced they had re-signed two players to two-year contract extensions this week. National long snapper Gordon Whyte was a player that Hamilton re-signed, and they also re-signed American offensive lineman Kendrick Sartor. Whyte has played in 50 games in three seasons for the Tiger-Cats and has recorded 13 special teams tackles. Sartor is a 6’7″, 316-pound native of Cincinnati, Ohio, who played six games at offensive tackle for the Tiger-Cats’ offence during the 2023 season.
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