Alouettes 2024 talk

Alouettes de Montréal
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Yes, I know that the Alouettes 2023 season is not over, yet, but nevertheless I have added a topic for 2024.

It is important. "voire’ imperative, that the Alouettes re-sign their most important players on defence, i.e. Darnell Sankey, Shawn Lemon, Tyrice Beverette and Mustafa Johnson. The fact that all these 4 players are presently signed and with the Alouettes is definitely an advantage, since they can re-sign them before the end of 2023 or before free agency begins.

I include what I feel these players will command/ask in order to remain with the Alouettes.

Darnell Sankey: Between $162,000 and $174,000.

Shawn Lemon: Between $156,000 and $168,000.

Tyrice Beverette: Between $132,000 and $144,000.

Mustafa Johnson: Between $120,000 and $132,000. This player could always, unfortunately, try the NFL.

While there may not be too many funds available, if any, under the 2023 approved cap, the Alouettes should pay bonuses to some of these players, before end of December 2023, so the salary impacts would be less against the 2024 approved cap; while they may exceed the 2023 cap, the excess has to be less than $100,000., since the penalty will be twice the excess and they would lose their number 1 2024 draft choice.

Richard

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Mathieu Betts is gonna be high on my shopping list

Same with Dru Brown

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Mathieu Betts will re-sign with BC, before the end of December,2023.

Richard

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I will trust it when I’m gonna see it

Maybe Betts wants to play closer to home and for his after career, being a star with the Alouettes will help him more then being a star in BC

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This is why I keep saying the Als need to move on from Matte, Sewell, Ellingson and Stanback.

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Darnell Sankey would have remained in the CFL if a team was willing to pay him that much. Instead, teams wanted someone more mobile in the middle since the CFL is a passing league.

Shawn Lemon at this stage of his career is still pretty much just a 2nd & long pass rusher. Doubt he gets much interest for anything other than for rotation purposes.

Mustafa Johnson is too short by NFL standards. They would not be interested.

The player contract for 2024 that would interest me would be that of Austin Mack. Yes, he should be signed already. But he is likely due to earn slightly more than minimum. Are the Als going to extend him this off-season with a raise or are they going to insist that he plays on a relatively low-dollar deal in 2024 like Winnipeg did with Dalton Schoen?

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Of the four, I think Ellingson is 100% gone. Sewell, who knows? We just re-signed him this past offseason, I think? Stanback could be a value addition if he accepts a reduced contract. Matte is still playing at a high level so we’ll have to see what LBJ, AC, and Maas think of his value relative to his cap hit.

I’ll say that if we can afford to make a change anywhere, it’s probably on the offensive line, where we have depth.

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We have an emerging playmaker in Uguak. Why overpay for Betts? And when I say overpay, I don’t mean to disparage him. He’s a great player. But he is coming off a monster year and someone is going to offer him stupid money. If that’s us, it leaves us less able to improve the roster at positions of greater need.

I would prefer to keep developing Uguak so he can eventually be our own Betts. And for Maciocia, Edme, and co. to keep finding diamonds in the rough like Mustafa Johnson so we can keep getting great value out of entry-level contracts.

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Why don’t have both ? 2 good Canadian DE is luxury

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There is a 0% chance we start Canadians at both end spots. You know how Thorpe is. :smiley:

I am usually not a fan of signing the hottest offseason free agents, because you will almost never be getting good value relative to their contract. Look at Geno Lewis and Trevor Harris. Great value in 2022, poor value in 2023 after they got their big paydays. You’re basically over-paying for what they’ve done in the past, for another team.

To me it’s better to re-sign Lemon to a cap-friendly deal, continue to develop Uguak, and keep scouting the U.S. for another stud defensive end. Edit: What gives me hope is that the team wasn’t shy about basically admitting they made a mistake going with Usher and Davis to start 2023.

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I totally agree with disciplineandpunish,i.e. “why overpay for Betts” or any other hot offseason free agents>

The most important is to sign their top potential free agents; if they do so, I don’t expect the Alouettes to be interested in signing free agents at “too lucrative contracts”.

I definitely expect the Alouettes to move from Sewell and Ellingston; unless Stanback agrees to a reduced contract paying in the vicinity of $100,000 + incentives, he won’t be re-signed.

Richard

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This team is finally drafting and recruiting well. Why reward players from other teams instead of building loyalty with their own? Unless a player reaches out because he want’s to play in Montreal, I don’t see the point. The next draft is rich in Offensive Linesmen with 10/20 ranked prospects, seven of them from the NCAA, Als can draft one or two of these or they could take one and draft Cantin-Arku who started at MLB for Syracuse, who could make a fine DE in the CFL.

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Toronto got great value with Orimolade same with WPG and Jefferson. If both of our best DE are Canadian, Thorpe won’t have the choice to use them.

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Calgary FA list is now available too and Mike Rose could be FA.

He’s an other one who would be extremely high on my list to replace Sewell.

Rene Parades could be interesting too if we want a change with our kicker

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Comme information complémentaire, cette liste potentielle d’agents libres de Calgary est disponible sur le site 3DownNation.

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With a large influx of new players doing well. Maciocia has his work cutout for himself not to have the team’s future poached by the other GM’s.

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Fair point. I’d just rather give Tyrell Richards a chance at DE and find another guy like Mustafa Johnson from the American college ranks. Let someone else break the bank for Betts.

If we’re going to spend anywhere in 2024, I would spend it at quarterback. That is our biggest position of need IMO.

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I’ve pretty much given up on Richards but they can keep drafting. Geoffroy Cantin-Arku is projected as a late first rounder 6,5 240 Totaled 108 tackles, 79 solo, with 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, one pass defended, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in three seasons at Syracuse, this season he’s at Memphis where he started all nine games racking up 50 tackles, 2FF, 1FR, 1 BK and captain of ST.

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Richards was starting to break out before his midseason injury. I wouldn’t give up on him just yet. Injuries have really hampered his development. I’m hoping he has a clean 2024 season.

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After 12 seasons in Calgary I expect he stays put … four years at Concordia might give the Als some edge **** IF **** he were to leave, but I doubt it … at 38 I expect he is pretty comfortable where he is.

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