Contained in the CFL: New QB, shedding Lewis will make Alouettes season arduous

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By some means the celebs appear aligned. The Alouettes are being written off earlier than enjoying their first recreation, and being led by a quarterback who can relate to that.

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Cody Fajardo, you see, believes he has been the proverbial underdog a lot of his profession. He didn’t obtain a scholarship supply till enjoying within the state championship as a highschool senior, shocked many by profitable the beginning job on the College of Nevada and didn’t get his first CFL begin till his fifth season.

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“I at all times root for the underdog and I do know lots of people do as nicely,” Fajardo advised the Montreal Gazette this week. “I’m excited to have this underdog function. I really feel like I’ve been right here.”

The Als launch their common season Saturday (7 p.m., TSN1, RDS, TSN 690, 98.5fm) at Molson Stadium in opposition to Ottawa — a crew that gained solely 4 of 18 video games final season. However that was then and that is now.

Montreal reached the East Division ultimate final season, turning its season round after common supervisor Danny Maciocia fired head coach Khari Jones, changing him on an interim foundation for the rest of the 12 months. The Als, 1-3 at the moment, completed 9-9, second within the division.

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However the uncertainty on the possession stage final winter, after the CFL assumed non permanent management of the franchise, led to a mass exodus of gamers. Earlier than Pierre Karl Péladeau bought the crew in March, quarterback Trevor Harris, receivers Eugene Lewis — the division’s excellent participant in 2022 — and Jake Wieneke, together with linebacker Adarius Pickett, simply to call a couple of, signed elsewhere as free brokers.

“I attempt to not put an excessive amount of inventory into folks’s expectations,” Maciocia stated. “You can put us first and I wouldn’t put an excessive amount of inventory into that. I believe we’re going to have an entertaining crew … younger … however dynamic, too. We’re going to make errors alongside the way in which, however we’re going to make them at 100 miles per hour. Once you’re making errors (at that velocity), one thing good can come out of it.

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“We’ve acquired a chance to construct it a selected approach. You can even construct it and stay aggressive.”

Fajardo is youthful and extra cellular than Harris, however is he an enchancment? He was benched by Saskatchewan late final season, main some to invest he may be emotionally fragile. And whereas he’s reunited with new head coach Jason Maas — the Roughriders’ offensive co-ordinator who was fired at season’s finish — he additionally inherited most of the assistant coaches from final season. How will these relationships evolve ought to issues go bitter?

The receiving corps stays younger and largely inexperienced, particularly with veteran Greg Ellingson — counted on to exchange Lewis — and Tyson Philpot, final season’s division excellent rookie, each on the six-game injured listing. Is there a deep risk, a game-changer, amongst those that stay?

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If not, the Als must nickle-and-dime their approach downfield, finishing brief passes. That’s hardly a recipe for achievement. At the least they nonetheless have the makings of a potent floor recreation, with the return of William Stanback and final season’s emergence of Walter Fletcher. A slimmed-down Stanback, twice a 1,000-yard rusher, was restricted to 5 regular-season video games after fracturing his ankle within the opening match.

Defensively, there are simply as many query marks. The unit arguably improved after Noel Thorpe changed Barron Miles, however was affected by inconsistency. As efficient because the defence was in Montreal’s division semifinal victory over Hamilton, the group unquestionably denied the Als a Gray Cup berth the next week, at Toronto, the Argonauts’ offence beating them like a piñata.

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A lot of the defenders have returned, though the Als added middle-linebacker Avery Williams and subject halfback Ciante Evans by way of free company. Cornerback Jumal Rolle was signed as a free agent from the Tiger-Cats, solely to subsequently retire. He’ll get replaced by Dionté Ruffin, who performed 9 video games with Calgary.

At the least the Als appear set on particular groups, with the return of Chandler Worthy. Discipline purpose specialist David Côté stays constant, whereas punter Joseph Zema has a powerful leg. Worthy was the division finalist as particular groups participant.

In the meantime, whereas the arrival of Péladeau ought to present the franchise with stability, to not point out an proprietor with deep pockets who seems ready to spend. The businessman has a penchant for being unstable and making brash impulsive strikes. Can he presumably stay stagnant ought to his new commodity flutter?

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It has taken a while, however the Als seem to lastly be aligned, insisted Maciocia, who now can sleep peacefully and easily fear in regards to the on-field product.

“Are we going to exit and rating 40 or 50 factors a recreation? That’s not what I’m saying,” he stated. “However we’re constructing one thing fascinating.

“Are we going to be aggressive? Yeah, I believe we’re going to be aggressive. What number of wins does that translate into? I don’t know, however I’m trying ahead to discovering out.”

Predictions, legendary Canadiens head coach Toe Blake as soon as stated, are for gypsies. The Als don’t seem like as sturdy as Hamilton. However each the defending Gray Cup champion Argonauts, breaking in a brand new beginning quarterback — Chad Kelly — and the Redblacks stay mysteries.

Their success, or lack of, finally will outline the Als’ 2023 season.

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Correction: Because of an enhancing error, an earlier model of this story misidentified Danny Maciocia. He’s the crew’s common supervisor, not its head coach.

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