Montreal Alouettes Thread

[AngeloV]

Vernon Adams will be going on the 6-game as a result of his injury suffered yesterday against Ottawa.

The Als currently stand second in the east, it'll be interesting to see Shiltz get a shot. He's been in the league for awhile now.

Shiltz has looked good in relief both yesterday and in Hamilton. Former Michigan QB Shea Patterson will be elevated to back-up in Adams absence. Would not be overly surprised to see them go after Jonathan Jennings for insurance. Played his best in BC when Khari was his position coach.

[jerrym]

Shiltz has looked good in relief both yesterday and in Hamilton. Former Michigan QB Shea Patterson will be elevated to back-up in Adams absence. Would not be overly surprised to see them go after Jonathan Jennings for insurance. Played his best in BC when Khari was his position coach.

I agree, but with Trevor Harris's arrival via trade Shiltz will be back to being a backup. Considering how valuable a starting QB is in the CFL, the trade cost of losing American DE Antonio Simmons is relatively small as Adams is now on the six game injured list.

[ArgoRavi]

I agree, but with Trevor Harris's arrival via trade Shiltz will be back to being a backup. Considering how valuable a starting QB is in the CFL, the trade cost of losing American DE Antonio Simmons as Adams is now on the six game injured list.

I disagree, Jerry. It will take a few weeks for Harris to get up to speed with the Montreal offence and he certainly isn't the future in Montreal. With Shiltz playing as well as he is, I see Harris as insurance only and he will likely be gone after the season.

[jerrym]

The Als have released DB Dondre Wright who had been with them in 2017-18 and the Bombers in 2019 but had seen no game action this year with the Als. They also signed Austin Simmons as additional QB insurance. He had 6,000+ yards in two years with the University South Dakota after transferring there from Davenport University.

[jerrym]

Former2017-18 Argo and 2018-19 Elk KR/RB Martese Jackson has signed with Montreal, as well as two others.

The 29-year-old out of Florida Atlantic University is a four-year CFL veteran that came into the league in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, before two with the Edmonton Elks. The five-foot-five, 171-pound Jackson has made his name as a returner. In 39 career games he has 163 punt returns for 1,776 yards and a pair of touchdowns and 128 kick-off returns for 2,553 yards. He has 26 carries for 128 yards with one touchdown and 31 catches for 241 yards and a touchdown.

With Als’ returner Mario Alford on the six-game injured list, Jackson could be the replacement for Montreal’s speedster.

The Alouettes also signed national offensive lineman Kwabena Asare and American linebacker Reshard Cliett. All three will sit on the suspended list while they wait to clear COVID protocols.

National long snapper Zach Greenberg, along with defensive back Jermaine Pounder, receiver Rashad Ross and quarterback Austin Simmons, all three Americans, were released.

https://3downnation.com/2021/10/25/m...on-two-others/

[jerrym]

Former Argo Trevor Harris will be starting at QB for the Als against Winnipeg after Shiltz went only 7/13 for 106 yards against the Riders and was replaced by Harris, who went 12/15 for 123 yards, in the third quarter.

[jerrym]

The Als have re-signed WR Fabian Guerra who had signed with the team in December 2019 but was cut in April of this year. He had played in the Arena Football League where he had 70 catches for 818 yards in 2017, as well as in the AAF where he was cut early in the season.

[jerrym]

The Als are still facing a challenging situation with regards to their attendance, despite their much improved performance on the field over the last couple of seasons. While Covid plays a part in this, there are other problems as they attempt to increase attendance in the future.

Although the Alouettes are headed toward their worst attendance figure in a decade, president Mario Cecchini said he’s not concerned. That doesn’t mean Cecchini’s pleased, while admitting one of his major mandates this winter will revolve around enhanced marketing strategies and improving the organization’s community presence — aspects that were virtually non-existent last winter due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty whether the CFL would be permitted to play after cancelling its 2020 season. ...


“I think it has a lot to do with consumer behaviour that’s changing and we don’t completely understand yet,” Cecchini told the Montreal Gazette on Monday — coincidentally after attending a meeting during which the team’s attendance problems were discussed.

With one regular-season home game remaining, Friday night against Ottawa — and although a playoff berth has been secured for a second consecutive season — the Als’ average attendance at Molson Stadium is 13,357. In 2019, when the Als had a 10-8 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2014, the average attendance was 17,574. A decade ago, in 2011, when the Als were coming off consecutive Grey Cup victories, they were averaging slightly more than 24,000 at the McGill University facility. Montreal hasn’t returned to the championship game since.

Robert Wetenhall , the Als’ late owner, lost millions on the team over two decades, largely due to operating costs that weren’t monitored closely enough combined with too many administrative employees at the business office. It’s also believed far fewer complimentary tickets are distributed under Cecchini, perhaps as high as 90 per cent less.

Cecchini, who was hired in January 2020, reduced personnel while getting a handle on expenditures. Nonetheless, new owner Gary Stern’s deficit will be prohibitive this season although, on average, less than the approximate $9-million Wetenhall generally lost annually. ...


Attendance throughout much of the CFL this season has decreased as fans, undoubtedly weary of the pandemic, have grown accustomed to watching sporting events from the comfort of home. Many families simply don’t have as much disposable income to spend on entertainment. Also, it has become apparent more people are working from home and not venturing to Montreal downtown offices. ...


The league’s averaging 19,583 spectators. Not only has CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie largely ignored the problem publicly, he generally has been inconspicuous this season and didn’t make it to Montreal until last Saturday’s game against Winnipeg, when rain limited attendance to 12,605.


The team averaged 14,526 for its first three home games, played between late August and late September. The average in the three subsequent home games has dropped to 12,188.

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/f...molson-stadium

[jerrym]

Here's a look at the Als who made the All-Star team:

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...the-spotlight/

[jerrym]

HC Khari Jones promises to rule with an iron fist next year after the Als led the league in penalty yardage that hurt them repeatedly this year.

That work, or heavy-lifting as Maciocia called it, must take place in the coming days. While Jones vowed he’ll become more demanding next season, holding players accountable and responsible, talk is cheap. Before he returns to his winter home in Surrey, B.C., Jones must have a plan in place — presumably in writing — elaborating how this will occur and how he’ll take this team to the next level. If not, all bets are off the table.

“We do know there’s some stuff that needs to be addressed,” Maciocia said. “I’m going to make sure it gets addressed. We have to find solutions moving forward so we have a clear plan of what lays ahead. We have to be more disciplined as a group. You don’t just wake up and (turn on) a switch. It kicks in at training camp. How you handle training camp, day-to-day operations and meetings. Making sure everybody’s on time. When they have treatment, they all show up. If there’s a lift, everybody’s in the weight room. It comes with structure. Coming down with a plan and executing it to the letter.”


In the coaching fraternity, there are good cops and bad cops. Make no mistake. Jones, a former CFL quarterback who enjoyed his greatest success with Winnipeg, is a players’ coach. He’s a strong communicator, effervescent and always smiling, even pleasant to a fault with the media. But some things must change.

The Als were undisciplined on the field and, it’s imagined, off it as well. They took 129 penalties — exceeded only by Saskatchewan’s 148 — for a league-high 1,263 yards.


Jones justifiably fell on his sword, taking responsibility for the repeated transgressions. “It falls with me,” he admitted. “I’ll make sure (it doesn’t recur) from the start of the season. We will fine, bench, release, do anything necessary to curb those penalties. We have to do our part. If it’s more drill work, technique work, changing schemes. We have to do what’s necessary. We didn’t have a penalty problem in 2019. Maybe that was something I assumed, and assumed wrongly. It didn’t happen and I didn’t nip it in the bud when I needed to. That falls directly on me, and I guarantee that won’t happen again.”

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/f...st-next-season

[jerrym]

The Als have terminated ST coordinator Mickey Dononvan.

[jerrym]

Montreal has re-signed QB Vernon Adams through 2023.

[jerrym]

The Als have released former Argo QB Trevor Harris and four year veteran Canadian OL David Foucault.

[jerrym]

Former Elk American DL Mike Moore has signed with the Als in a trade for former Argos OL Tony Washington and RB Martese Jackson.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...ore-joins-als/

[jerrym]

Former Argo WR Mario Alford has resigned with the Als.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...rd-stays-nest/

[jerrym]

The Als signed seven players including American WR Craig Rucker who attended Argos TC in 2021.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...uel-thomassin/

[jerrym]

fMontreal has recently resigned several veterans: Americans WR Nick Usher and DL Dante Absher, as well as Canadians, FB Alexandre Gagne, and RB Jeshrun Antwi.

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...ains-alouette/

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...-remains-nest/

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...exandre-gagne/

https://en.montrealalouettes.com/202...ins-alouettes/

[Will]

The Alouettes signed Dominique Davis to be the backup to Vernon Adams Jr.

All I will say is that I hope Adams remains healthy for Montreal's sake.

[argolio]

The Alouettes signed Dominique Davis to be the backup to Vernon Adams Jr.

All I will say is that I hope Adams remains healthy for Montreal's sake.

DD could have been a productive starter if his confidence matched his physical talent. But he's had a nice career with ten years as a pro in the NFL and CFL

[jerrym]

When you consider the short cups of coffee many QBs have had in the CFL, I can't understand how a mediocrity like Davis, who is entering his seventh season, has lasted so long.