Montreal Alouettes Thread

[jerrym]

In the following video, scout Eric DesLauriers says that a successful draft for the Als would be to solidify a starting position. On a team with limited depth by trading their #1 overall choice for Hamilton's OL Ryan Bomben and the #2 overall draft choice in addition to WR Jamal Robinson, the 34th and 56th overall picks, Montreal gets a OL won can immediately start without having to worry whether their first round choice is ready to start. The Tiger Cats also get the 31st and 44th pick this year and a second round pick next year.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/2018/05/01/pre-draft-prep-with-eric-deslauriers/

[jerrym]

Trey Rutherford's statement that he wanted to play in the CFL rather than immediately go the NFL helped bring about his selection by Montreal.

Unlike many others, he wasn’t interested in chasing the carrot, attending an NFL team’s rookie mini-camp, realizing the odds probably would be stacked against him. Instead, he was concentrating on the Canadian Football League and its upcoming draft.
That dedication and patriotism was rewarded Thursday night, when the hulking 6-foot-5, 312-pound offensive lineman from the University of Connecticut was selected second overall by the Alouettes.
“I see it as an opportunity to kind of establish myself right away,” the 23-year-old told the Montreal Gazette by telephone from his Connecticut home, surrounded by family and friends. “I think if I can have a long-standing career in the CFL and potentially start, that’s my goal.
“That’s my goal, to go into camp with the mindset that I’m going to start and start a long career there. That’s where I want to be,” added the native of Markham, Ont., who was ranked fourth overall by the CFL’s central scouting bureau. At least two NFL teams, Buffalo and Denver, appeared interested in having Rutherford attend rookie mini-camp. ...


Despite Bomben’s addition, Als general manager Kavis Reed said he didn’t want to take a different path and select a non offensive-lineman. Even had the Als not traded with Hamilton and kept the first overall selection, Reed said the organization always had identified Rutherford as the player it coveted.
“This young man was the highest-rated offensive lineman (not NFL bound),” Reed said. “He wanted to pursue an opportunity to go to the NCAA. When you see a young man with that kind of initiative, that kind of focus and dedication, commitment … he’s a young man that has a plan. He’s going to be a very good player in the CFL for a long time.”

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...l-draft-choice

[jerrym]

U of Montreal Carabins HC Danny Maciocia discusses the Als acquisition of Bomben, the draft of Trey Rutherford, and argues that the Argos "got the steal of the draft" in Regis Cibasu, who Maciocia coached, on TSN.

https://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-69...ttes-1.1076086

[jerrym]

Joe Scannella, HC of the Als from 1978 to 1981 has died. OV would call one kind of GOB.

He had the good fortune, and unenviable task, of following the popular and personable Marv Levy, who led Montreal to a pair of Grey Cups, and three Cup appearances, over five seasons.

But while Levy was known for seeking input from his veteran team — 17 players came in as rookies in 1972 — Scannella was brash, unwavering and opinionated. He was an old-school coach who wanted things done his way. An army veteran, he worked the players hard in practices and it wasn’t long before many balked at his philosophy.
“Joe was a nice man, but he was very direct. He had a driving social style. He wanted to be the boss and that proved to be a difficult challenge,” said Larry Smith, a former Als fullback who would eventually become Canadian Football League commissioner and, later, president of the team. We had a tight-knit group of people that knew how to play together,” added Smith, who became the leader of the opposition in the Canadian Senate in 2017. “In a sense, that could be a negative for a coach. The coach wanted to implement his own style and met with some resistance. He was in a no-win situation.”
Nonetheless, the Als reached the Grey Cup in 1978 and ’79 under Scannella, losing both to Edmonton. But the head coach had his challenges corralling the veterans, upset with hard and rigid practices along with Scannella’s impersonal approach. It soon became the players’ rallying cry. The veterans ran the team within themselves; the leaders keeping the core group together. ...

The Als went 8-8 in 1980, but lost the East Division final at Hamilton. Following the season, Sam Berger sold the team to Nelson Skalbania, who lured high-priced NFL players — quarterback Vince Ferragamo, receivers Billy (White Shoes) Johnson and James Scott, along with tailback David Overstreet — to Montreal. Fred Biletnikoff had played for Montreal the previous season, while Tom Cousineau completed a three-year stint in 1981. But Scannella never gained control of the high-powered offence.
Although he signed a two-year contract extension in July, Scannella was fired Sept. 12, following a home loss to Hamilton. It was the Als’ eighth defeat in nine games en route to a 3-13 record. Scannella’s parting words to the media were “no comment.” He had an overall record of 28-28-2.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...60-year-career

[jerrym]

GM Kavis Reed says it was a "mistake" that resulted in a clause in DT Justin Zimmer's contract, signed in November, that allowed him leave for the NFL if he got an offer, despite Commissioner Ambrosie's warning not to give such contracts. As a result of the clause, Zimmer was able to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Some mistake.

[Will]

Khalil Carter has stepped down as DC in Montreal, but will remain as a scout. Rich Stubler will be the Als DC.

This is similar to Tim Burke stepping down as Argos DC prior to the 2015 season. The Argos were stuck with Casey Creehan as a result, and the results spoke for themselves. Stubler has a better reputation than Creehan, but is Carter's departure just another part of the mess that is the Montreal Alouettes front office?

[AngeloV]

Khalil Carter has stepped down as DC in Montreal, but will remain as a scout. Rich Stubler will be the Als DC.

This is similar to Tim Burke stepping down as Argos DC prior to the 2015 season. The Argos were stuck with Casey Creehan as a result, and the results spoke for themselves. Stubler has a better reputation than Creehan, but is Carter's departure just another part of the mess that is the Montreal Alouettes front office?

I don't think it's similar. Stubler was Carter's mentor, so to me, the transition will be much smoother.

[OV Argo]

I don't think it's similar. Stubler was Carter's mentor, so to me, the transition will be much smoother.

This; plus Stubler has tons of CFL experience and I would guess a lot of respect from the players; Creehan was an @$$-hat and CFL recycle/nepotism type hire.

[R.J]

Khalil Carter has stepped down as DC in Montreal, but will remain as a scout. Rich Stubler will be the Als DC.

This is similar to Tim Burke stepping down as Argos DC prior to the 2015 season. The Argos were stuck with Casey Creehan as a result, and the results spoke for themselves. Stubler has a better reputation than Creehan, but is Carter's departure just another part of the mess that is the Montreal Alouettes front office?

Something doesn't seem right with the Als, and if I were a betting man I'd bet that Carter was pushed out after mini camp.

[paulwoods13]

I really have to wonder if time has passed Stubler by. I did not like his defence at all during his most recent stint with the Argos. It worked great in 2004 but since then . . .

[Will]

I really have to wonder if time has passed Stubler by. I did not like his defence at all during his most recent stint with the Argos. It worked great in 2004 but since then . . .

Were the Lions and Stampeders defenses bad when he was there prior to Toronto?

[AngeloV]

I really have to wonder if time has passed Stubler by. I did not like his defence at all during his most recent stint with the Argos. It worked great in 2004 but since then . . .

Stubler needs a veteran secondary to be effective. He had that in Calgary prior to coming to the Argos, and he has that in Montreal this year. His match coverage can be confusing for inexperienced DB's, and 2016 proved that. I think he'll be a really good fit in Montreal.

[Will]

Stubler needs a veteran secondary to be effective. He had that in Calgary prior to coming to the Argos, and he has that in Montreal this year. His match coverage can be confusing for inexperienced DB's, and 2016 proved that. I think he'll be a really good fit in Montreal.

Won't matter because their offence is going to stink the bed.

[jerrym]

Stubler needs a veteran secondary to be effective. He had that in Calgary prior to coming to the Argos, and he has that in Montreal this year. His match coverage can be confusing for inexperienced DB's, and 2016 proved that. I think he'll be a really good fit in Montreal.

Stubler gives his DBs more responsibility on the field to adjust the defence from play to play, so I agree that his type of defence requires experienced DBs. In Calgary in 2014-15, the team gave up the second fewest points in the league both years and only missed out in tying for fewest points with Edmonton by 7 points in 2014 and 5 points in 2015, so he must have been doing something right relatively recently and not just a decade ago.

[paulwoods13]

Stabler gives his DBs more responsibility on the field to adjust the defence from play to play, so I agree that his type of defence requires experienced DBs. In Calgary in 2014-15, the team gave up the second fewest points in the league both years and only missed out in tying for fewest points with Edmonton by 7 points in 2014 and 5 points in 2015, so he must have been doing something right relatively recently and not just a decade ago.

Yes, and he also had superb personnel in Calgary, and an offence that controlled the ball a lot, easing the pressure on the defence. I'm not saying he's never done anything good since 2004, but I am saying I think his traditional schemes have largely been figured out by offences. If anyone can come up with some new tricks, it's him.

[jerrym]

The Als have cut several players: former Argo National DB Michael Carter, who played nine games for the Als last year and has also played for BC, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Edmonton; National DB/ST Darryl Townsend, who had been with the Als since 2012, after initially signing with the Bombers in 2011; and International LB Clemente Cassius. International DT Alan Michael Cash is now back with the Als after being cut by the Argos.

[jerrym]

Nik Lewis has finally officially retired.

“That decision has been made a while back. I’ve come to terms with it. It’s something that you can’t just wake up one day…I didn’t want to allow myself to go back and forth on playing, not playing so I’ve pretty much made up my mind, I’m good, I don’t need to play anymore. So time to move forward,” Lewis told Jock Wilson on 770 CHQR in Calgary.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/15/ni...terms-with-it/

[R.J]

Something doesn't seem right with the Als, and if I were a betting man I'd bet that Carter was pushed out after mini camp.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...d-by-conflicts

“He has been fired for a month. There was no family issue. He doesn’t play well with others,”

“They say he’s on a power trip,” the source added. “He thought he was above everyone. He told everyone he was their boss and they had to do what he said. He was not respectful … and is very confrontational. He will never be the defensive co-ordinator for the Montreal Alouettes.”

[jerrym]

Major questions remain about the Als. And Zurkowsky's article below doesn't even mention the Carter/Stubler question.

The Als haven’t made the playoffs since 2014. They haven’t reached the Grey Cup since 2010, when they last were crowned Canadian Football League champions. And their records during the last three seasons have been 6-12, 7-11 and 3-15.
The team hasn’t won a regular-season game since Aug. 11 and their season-ticket base, optimistically, hovers around the 8,500 mark.
Surely this franchise can’t regress further in 2018? ...


Marc Trestman made the move from the NFL and won with the Alouettes. And the Hamilton Tiger-Cats looked pretty good for 10 games — six victories — under June Jones last season. But the CFL coaching graveyard is littered with guys like Dan Hawkins, Bart Andrus and Jeff Tedford.
Into which group will Mike Sherman fall? He looked great at Green Bay, when he had quarterback Brett Favre to lean on, but will have no such luxury in Montreal. And he was coaching a high-school team in Cape Cod, Mass., before general manager Kavis Reed came calling.
Sherman also has been coaching a team since April in something called Your Call Football. His obligation was completed only this week. It’s been a big deal in the media and don’t think some Montreal players, quietly, aren’t wondering whether Sherman’s fully prepared for the task at hand. This could be a slippery slope on which he’s about to embark.

Offensive coordinators generally sleep well at night if their teams are productive and score touchdowns. That hasn’t been the case in Montreal, where the Als drove the overmatched and inexperienced Anthony Calvillo into a brief coaching sabbatical; that is until Toronto called and he had a head coach, Trestman, and quarterback, Ricky Ray, with whom to work.
Khari Jones, Montreal’s new OC, has experience and, like Calvillo, is a former CFL quarterback. But British Columbia, under him, also had the West Division’s least-productive offence last season. ...

Drew Willy, Josh Freeman, Matthew Shiltz or Antonio Pipkin. One of these four will be the Als’ starting quarterback this season. We would have bet on Freeman, the former first-round Tampa Bay draft choice, but he reportedly underachieved at mini-camp, when there were no helmets, pads or blitzing defences with which to contend. ...


Reed went to great lengths — and expense — to overhaul a defence that allowed a league-high 580 points. Tommie Campbell, Joe Burnett, Mitchell White and Dominique Ellis in the secondary, middle-linebacker Henoc Muamba, and linemen Jamaal Westerman and Alan-Michael Cash look like solid additions. If they all start, that’s more than half the defence. And that makes us wonder about chemistry. We’re also sorry to see the release of aggressive linebacker Kyries Hebert, who provided the unit with attitude. He’ll be missed. ...


Tyrell Sutton is a more-than-competent and productive tailback who has been underused. That shouldn’t be a problem this season, given the lack of experience at quarterback. But Sutton also has been injury prone and his backup, Brandon Rutley, was traded to B.C. At some point, attrition will take its toll on Sutton. Then what?

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...ing-camp-opens

[AngeloV]

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/fo...d-by-conflicts

Perhaps, but it's not like unnamed sources have never been wrong before.