Defensive backs at Calgary Stampeders camp: Secondary a 'work in progress'
Damon Webb, Derrick Moncrief lead rebuilt Red and White unit into 2025 CFL campaign
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Dave Dickenson calls his secondary “a work in progress.”
Whether that morphs into a football masterpiece on the back-end of the Calgary Stampeders defence has yet to be determined.
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But the boss has brought a new crew of defensive backs, including a few artists, to help transform what was a sub-par unit last year into what he hopes is a better bunch in the 2025 Canadian Football League campaign — and beyond.
“I think it’s going to be a work in progress, meaning I don’t know who the starters are,” admitted Dickenson of piecing together his secondary during Stamps camp, which has now come to a close with the season-opener slated for Saturday against the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium (5 p.m., TSN, CHQR 770 AM/107.3 FM the Edge).
“But let’s just say our free agents haven’t disappointed at all,” continued Dickenson. “And so I really think they’ve been fit in seamlessly as hard workers, character guys, leadership guys …”
At the heart of that statement are a couple of prized off-season acquisitions in Damon Webb and Derrick Moncrief, both decorated CFL veterans.
Webb is a 2024 CFL all-star defensive back, while Moncrief was a league all-star at the same position in 2019.
With the Stamps, both are projected leaders for the season ahead with different duties at hand from when they earned those all-star accolades — with Webb now at safety, and Moncrief sneaking up to play strong-side linebacker.
“I do feel with D-Webb and Moncrief, you can feel the leadership there,” added Dickenson. “But the young guys are pushing everybody.”
The players
0 Adrian Greene 6’0, 192 lb. 26 Saint Mary’s
6 Derrick Moncrief* 6’1, 220 lb. 31 Oklahoma State
8 Anton Haie 5’11, 199 lb. 24 Laval
9 Damon Webb* 5’11, 195 lb. 29 Ohio State
21 Bailey Devine-Scott 6’0, 200 lb. 25 Western New England
24 Bentlee Sanders* 5’9, 179 lb. 26 Nevada
25 Jaydon Grant* 6’0, 190 lb. 26 Oregon State
27 Godfrey Onyeka 6’1, 200 lb. 31 Wilfrid Laurier
29 Ben Labrosse 6’0, 189 lb. 25 McGill
35 Tyler Richardson* 6’0, 193 lb. 26 Tiffin
37 Marloshawn Franklin Jr. 5’11, 195 lb. 28 California
36 Kaylyn St-Cyr 5’11, 206 lb. 26 Montreal
38 Sheldon Arnold* 6’1, 191 lb. 23 Central Florida
40 Jackson Sombach 5’8, 196 lb. 25 Regina
44 Anthony Johnson* 6’2, 180 lb. 25 Virginia
* — denotes American
The scene
It’s not only a relatively young crew but a fresh one, too, with just a handful of returnees on the 2025 roster.
Gone are the known names of 2024 and previous years.
Demerio Houston was brought in last season to be the key ball-hawk after a CFL all-star year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but a domestic violence charge levied against him in North Carolina ended his time with the Stampeders.
The team also parted ways with long-time Stamps Branden Dozier, Tre Roberson, Kobe Williams and Nick Statz, who combined to play 271 games in the secondary during their stay in Calgary.
In fact, only a half-dozen of the 15 defensive backs making this year’s unit were with the Red and White in 2024.
And just four of those spent extended time on the field for the Horsemen. Those being safety Bentlee Sanders — currently injured — fellow American Tyler Richardson, Australian talent Bailey Devine-Scott and last year’s fourth-overall draft-pick Ben Labrosse.
The plot
Webb — a.k.a. ‘Spider’ and ‘Dot’ — is this year’s hyped addition to the Stamps secondary, drawn to the team because of his ties with defensive backs coach Barron Miles and special-teams coordinator Craig Dickenson.
He calls it the “start of a new era” for himself.
And the 29-year-old Detroit native brings plenty of swagger with him.
“My confidence has always been there,” said Webb, who signed on with the Stamps after a stellar 2024 — his third season — with the Ottawa Redblacks. “Last year, I just had the full season — all 18 games — to display what I can do. The year before, I only started 12 games, and if I would have played the whole 18 games, I’d have been an all-pro that year, too.
“So my confidence never wavered, even from my first year in the CFL. When I played for Saskatchewan my first practice (in 2021), I knew that I was the best here.
“I feel like I’m the best player. I feel like I’m the best defensive player in the league.”
Webb, entering his sixth CFL season, had a league-best two pick-sixes last year. He was second in the league with eight tackles for losses and tied for third in the CFL with five interceptions. In 18 regular-season games, he also had 68 defensive tackles, one special-teams stop, two sacks, one forced fumble and seven knockdowns.
“I’m just a hybrid,” Webb said. “I can play man-to-man and zone. I can tackle real good. I’m smart. I can decipher things and everything and be a ball-hawk.”
Moncrief, now in his eighth CFL year, signed for his second stint with the Edmonton Elks last winter and started the final 14 games of the season at the strong-side linebacker position.
He made 50 tackles, including four tackles for losses, and added three sacks, one interception and one knockdown.
“Moncrief has been in the league a long time playing that position,” added Webb. “So he knows the in and out of that position. He has a great idea of the defence, and he plays fast.
“We need him to be that leader and go out and play his game and make plays.”
The ending
When healthy, the Stamps are expected to sport a secondary combination of Webb, Richardson, Sanders, fellow American Grant and Canadians Labrosse, a rookie who improved arguably more than any other defender last season, and Greene.
But as Dickenson emphasized, it is a work in progress.
Webb and Labrosse — because of his talent and citizenship — are certainly locked in.
So is Moncrief, who slides into that all-important SAM spot, as both a key run-stopper and coverage guy at linebacker.
“We about to be ready, and we’re trying to prove a point that we’re the best defence in the league — starting from the back end,” Webb said. “Just trying to come out there and set a standard and keep it going through the season.”
It’ll be up to Webb and Moncrief to lead the Stamps to such lofty goals.
“Certainly, there’s a lot on their plate — we’ve been trying some stuff,” added Dickenson. “So a lot of these guys are new to each other.
“The best secondary is the one that can trust and talk to each other — like I-got-this-receiver-and-you-got-that-receiver type of thing, so they can work off each other and believe that the guy next to them is going to do their job.”
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