February 13, 2020

Argos, Alouettes swap kickers in trade

Dominick Gravel/Shannon Vizniowski

TORONTO — The Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts swapped a pair of kickers in a trade on Thursday.

The Argos received kicker/punter Boris Bede from Montreal in exchange for kicker Tyler Crapigna.

Bede has played his entire five-year, 80-game career in Montreal and in 2019 the native of Toulon, France converted on 31-of-35 field goals (88.6%), while leading the league in kickoff yards (5,772) and kickoff average (69.5), while finishing third in the CFL in punt average for punters who had at least 100 punts (44.6). The six-foot-four, kicker is the CFL’s all-time leader in kickoff average at 69.3 yards, more than three yards longer than number two on the list.

The Tiffin University and Laval University alum was a CFL East All-Star in 2015 after nailing 36-of-40 field goals (90.0%). For his career, Bede has made 141-of-171 field goals for 82.5% and has kicked at least a 52-yard field goal in each of his five seasons while accumulating a punt average of 44.2 on 510 punts.

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“We knew that we had difficult decisions laying ahead of us and this is one of them. I want to thank Boris for everything he has done for the Alouettes,” said Montreal Alouettes General Manager Danny Maciocia. “On top of giving us some salary cap maneuvering space, we acquired an experienced CFL kicker, on top of signing another kicker with good NFL experience. We should have a nice battle for this position in training camp.”

Crapigna is back with the Alouettes after spending some time with the team in 2019. In 49 career-games in the CFL, the 27-year-old kicker converted 98 of his 115 field goal attempts maintaining a 85,2% average. His longest field goal was of 53 yards, made with the Roughriders. In three seasons in the Prairies, he amassed 8,370 yards on 139 kickoffs. In 2019 with the Argonauts, he amassed 2,576 yards on 41 kickoffs, for a 62,8 yard average, which placed him fourth in the CFL.

He spent his first three seasons in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, before heading to Toronto in 2019. The Nepan, Ont. native played collegiately for the McMaster University Marauders. He won the Vanier Cup in 2011 off of his double overtime field goal. He was drafted in the fifth round by the Calgary Stampeders in 2014 (40th overall).