Ottawa RedBlacks coach Rick Campbell is itching to get going.

He won’t have to wait much longer — the RedBlacks will have a mini camp beginning next Sunday (April 24-26) with a tryout camp at TD Place on April 23.

As for the tryout camp, it’s a legitimate opportunity for free agents to get a look — the last time the RedBlacks hosted one in 2014, receiver Robin Medeiros was given a shot, and he lasted through the season.

“It’s going to be mostly Canadian kids, there may be some American guys who drive up,” said Campbell. “We expect more than 100 guys. You can always find a guy or two who fell through the cracks for whatever reason.”

Then comes the mini camp and while it’s voluntary for the veterans, just two players have asked to be excused – long snapper Tanner Doll will be finishing up his final exams at the University of Calgary and linebacker Jonathan Beaulieu-Richard is a pharmacist and he will be working.

“I would say mini camp is probably the most important thing we do in the off-season,” said Campbell. “To get our whole team back together and to get formally back on the field puts football back on their brain, it gives us a month lead-up to training camp.”

There has already been plenty of interaction with the players. Through a website, GoToMeeting.ca, the RedBlacks have voluntary online sessions by position to familiarize guys with the playbook. Videos and playbooks are also distributed via an iPad app.

“When they come to mini camp, it’s not like they’re seeing everything for the first time,” said Campbell. “It’s kind of like giving them homework assignments. Training camp is short, there are only two games. To give the rookie guys a legitimate shot, you have to do homework with them ahead of time. A guy can’t walk in and you’re explaining to him that there are 12 guys on the field or that there’s motion allowed. You need to get them on a level playing field with the veteran guys so they can legitimately compete.

“Back in the day, people would say you come to training camp to get into shape and get ready to play. That’s not the case anymore. The players are working out, making sure they’re in shape. We have the ability technology wise to connect with guys. We want to come out of the gate fast. When you get to training camp, you have to be past the introduction stage, you want to hit the ground running and get to the meat and potatoes of the playbook.”

The RedBlacks have only had a brief look at some of their roster players. Mini camp gives them an opportunity to get a clearer evaluation. It sorts out the haves from the have-nots, with 10 players likely getting cut at the end of the three-day camp.

“It’s exciting,” said Campbell. “We scout these guys and have an idea who they are. There’s always going to be a guy or two who stands out, maybe wind up being an impact player.”

It’ll also give the RedBlacks a clearer picture about how they can distribute their Canadian ratio — CFL rules dictate that seven Canadians start (a combination of offence and defence).

“Fortunately, we have some flexibility as to where we can play our Canadians,” said Campbell. “Last year, we started three Canadians on defence and sometimes we had four. That’s kind of uncommon in the league, most teams play one or two. We may shift a Canadian spot or two to the offensive side of the ball. That’s part of the puzzle to solve.

“We played four American receivers (Maurice Price has since been dealt) and two American linemen (Colin Kelly signed in the NFL) last year. We have an option to play two Canadian receivers and possibly play four Canadians on the O-line this year. Players will determine that through the competition in camp. At least we have the flexibility to play with the ratio a bit.”

It’s been five months since the RedBlacks lost 26-20 to Edmonton in the Grey Cup, but it doesn’t seem like that long to the coach.

“It’s really seemed like a fast off-season,” said Campbell. “We went to the Grey Cup so we were one of the last two teams playing. We replaced three coaches and we had to replace some players so it was busy.”

REDBLACKS MIGHT EXPAND WOMEN’S NIGHT

Women’s Night was such a hit for the Ottawa RedBlacks, they’re thinking about doing it more than once next season.

The event, held Thursday at TD Place, sold out within half an hour, with 180 women on hand to listen to and get hands-on instruction from RedBlacks coaches and players.

“We wanted to give them VIP access to the RedBlacks, show them what goes into playing a football game,” said Ottawa coach Rick Campbell. “We want to make it so if they’re watching, they have a good idea of why we’re doing what we’re doing.

“I mean this sincerely, I grew up with three sisters and my wife’s a big football fan — a lot of women don’t get the credit they deserve for how knowledgeable they are about football. There are also some who are just learning the game, maybe debating whether they want to be a fan or not. We try to make it not intimidating so they can come in, learn and go from there.”

Along with filling the women in with some of the x’s and o’s and digging into their playbook, the RedBlacks ran some drills on the field — showing the proper techniques for throwing, catching and tackling.

“Our players and coaches love it because (the women are) so enthusiastic,” said Campbell. “The big part for us is it builds relationships. We’re trying to build lifetime fans who are emotionally invested in the team.”

It’s also important to note that the money raised from the event goes to Harmony House, a women’s shelter.

tbaines@postmedia.com

Twitter: @TimCBaines