Scoring continued to be an issue for the Alouettes, who failed to reach the 400-point mark for a third straight year in 2016. The Alouettes made one of the biggest moves of the off-season when they traded for two-time Grey Cup winning quarterback Darian Durant. They’re hoping the 11-year veteran can inject some life into an offense that managed just 37 total touchdowns in 2016.
QUARTERBACKS: The team and its fans held their collective breaths when Durant sustained a knee injury during a practice session early in training camp. Luckily, the injury wasn’t serious, saving the Alouettes from a potentially devastating setback before the first snap of the regular season. Durability has been a problem for Durant, who hasn’t played an entire season since 2010. He threw for 3,839 yards and 14 touchdowns last season with the Roughriders and added 308 yards and six rushing scores. At 34, Durant can still offer Fantasy owners one of the league’s better dual-threat signal callers, but the uncertainty of the Montreal offence and his history of bumps and bruises makes him more of a high-risk, high-reward performer at this point.
The Alouettes will need to keep their star quarterback well-protected in 2017 (Dominick Gravel/MontrealAlouettes.com)
Vernon Adams started the last three games of the 2016 season, ending his rookie campaign with a 254-yard, three-TD effort against the Tiger-Cats, but don’t assume he’ll get first crack at the job if/when Durant goes down. Jacory Harris has all of 23 pass attempts in his CFL career, but has the size and mobility to intrigue. The Alouettes’ quarterback of the future just might be rookie Matthew Shiltz, who accounted for 26 total touchdowns last season at Butler University.
RUNNING BACKS: At this point, it’s anyone’s guess who will get the bulk of the carries in a running attack that managed just 12 touchdowns on the ground and finished seventh overall (1,446 yards). Injuries nearly completely engulfed Tyrell Sutton, who had just 412 yards and played in only seven games just one season after he ran for a career-high 1,059 yards. At 30, Sutton’s age is a concern, but early word out of training camp indicates he might be in for a rebound campaign. Considering his injury history and the fact that he didn’t score last season, Sutton falls into the risky category for Fantasy players.
Brandon Rutley led the Alouettes with 494 yards and four touchdowns, but had just one game in which he reached the 70-yard plateau. He is a good receiver out of the backfield (35 catches, 305 yards, two touchdowns), yet it will be just as hard for Fantasy owners to buy in on Rutley as it will be with Sutton. Wayne Moore, Montreal’s second round pick in 2016, did not play last season, but the former McMaster star offers size (6-foot, 225 pounds) and youth over Rutley and Sutton. Stefan Logan is 36, and while he projects more as a return specialist, don’t be surprised if the CFL journeyman factors into the ground game with an occasional run or two.
SLOT BACKS/WIDE RECEIVERS: Entering the final season of what should be a Hall of Fame career, Nik Lewis will remain a valuable weapon for the Alouettes, especially if he and Durant can quickly establish a rapport. Even with the upheaval at quarterback last season, Lewis caught a career-high 102 receptions for 1,136 yards and three touchdowns. Lewis failed to score in his last seven games, but the upgrade at quarterback should result in more visits to the end zone for Lewis, who will most likely cross the 1,000 career reception mark.
Nik Lewis catches a pass in traffic during a game in Toronto in 2016 (Dominick Gravel/MontrealAlouettes.com)
Like Lewis, expect B.J. Cunningham to thrive with Durant firing the ball to him on a frequent basis. Cunningham reeled in 65 passes for 855 yards and four touchdowns last season and will replace the departed Duron Carter as the Alouettes’ second option. Sure-handed Samuel Giguere had 36 receptions and has at least 34 catches in each of his first five seasons in the league. Deandre Reaves might be the fastest player on the roster, but he must prove he can handle Montreal’s complex playbook. Devon Bailey, acquired from the Eskimos in late April, is a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder who is working his way into more playing time and might emerge as a bigger factor as the season goes on.
Another player to keep an eye on will be Ernest Jackson, who lands in Montreal after winning a Grey Cup in 2016 with the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Jackson was named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player a year ago after racking up 1,225 yards and double-digit touchdowns (10) in a memorable season in the nation’s capital. He’s sure to be a favourite target of Durant.
Youngsters Malcolm Carter and Alexander Morrison are both tall wideouts who could also work their way into the Alouettes’ plans; however, Lewis and Ernest Jackson remain the only reliable option for Fantasy owners seeking to add a Montreal player.
DEFENCE/SPECIAL TEAMS: The Alouettes brought the heat to opposing passers last season, as they recorded 47 sacks, the fourth-best total in the league. Veteran end John Bowman led the way with 10 takedowns and doesn’t appear to be slowing down as he approaches 35. Bowman has double-digit sacks in each of his past four years and seven of his last eight campaigns. Fellow end Gabriel Knapton has 29 sacks in his first three seasons, including nine in 2016. Chip Cox led the team with four forced fumbles, marking the sixth time he had at least three forced fumbles in a season.
Montreal had 14 total interceptions, ranking fifth in the league. Jovon Johnson led the team with three picks. The venerable Logan topped the league with 1,186 punt return yards, averaging 13.5 yards with one touchdown, numbers that helped Montreal lead the CFL in total punt return yards and average per return (13.2). He was just as solid on kickoff returns, averaging 23 yards per return.
