June 12, 2007

Als release Brightful, Hall, Greene and Mizell

By Herb Zurkowsky,
Montreal Gazette

Lamont Brightful, the starting safety in last year’s Grey Cup, was one of four players released yesterday by the Alouettes.

“Some of our rookie players have showed us a lot, and the coaches have confidence in them,” said general manager and head coach Jim Popp. “They’ve got a real burst and some speed. We didn’t see that with Lamont.”

Brightful, who spent time in the NFL with Baltimore and Miami, dressed for nine regular-season games, including eight starts. His play at safety made Richard Karikari expendable last winter. Brightful was trying out at defensive-back at training camp while etienne Boulay and Matthieu Proulx, a pair of Canadians, vie for the starting safety position.

Also released were defensive-back Santino Hall, defensive-tackle Ed Greene and fullback Chris Mizell. Hall spent portions of two seasons with Saskatchewan.

In other camps news, veteran defensive-tackle Eric Wilson, the former Winnipeg Blue Bomber, cleared his medical and is expected on the field for the first time this morning. Syvelle Newton, a quarterback who had been moved to receiver, decided to leave. A new arrival is 6-foot-5, 220-pound receiver Sean Coffey, who spent time in the NFL with San Diego. Coffey is the all-time leading receiver at Missouri.

This and that: Defensive-back Chip Cox, released by the Washington Redskins last week, is expected to fly to Montreal today. … Linebacker Dwayne Taylor is awaiting the results of an MRI on his triceps. … Offensive-tackle Josh Bourke, a third-round draft choice by the Als in 2004, has been released by Green Bay. Bourke, 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds, signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2006 but spent the season on injured-reserve. “We’d love to have him,” Popp said. … Shaun Diner is out at least a week with a concussion, sustained Saturday in Toronto. … Defensive-back Pascal Masson, signed as a free agent from Calgary, is out four to six weeks with a torn ligament in his ankle. … Defensive-tackle Steve Charbonneau, yet to participate at training camp, has been sent home with a virus.