SHERBROOKE – The Montreal Alouettes were back at practice at Bishop’s University’s Coulter Field on Monday morning, with only one scheduled practice on the agenda. The players took the opportunity to work out some details ahead of their meeting-filled afternoon. It was the team’s final practice before flying to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers, in the first of their two preseason games, on Wednesday.
Competition in the backfield
While many experts believe that the Alouettes possess the most dangerous receiving corps in the CFL, they seem to forget that the team’s ground game was simply dominant last season.
Paul Charbonneau is the team’s new running backs coach, and his group of backs is looking to prove that last year’s success wasn’t a fluke. Tyrell Sutton was named to the CFL all-star team after a memorable 2015 season, where he was the league’s rushing leader with 1,059 yards in only 16 games. Despite Sutton’s dominance last season, nothing is set in stone. It’s simply the reality of a professional training camp. The running back position is another spot on the roster where the competition is fierce. Sutton and the versatile Brandon Rutley are the returnees, but they’re competing with speedy back Jewel Hampton, the Alouettes 2016 second round draft pick Wayne Moore, as well as Cam McDaniel. All three backs have excelled since the start of training camp.
It’s tough for any of the running backs to show their full potential during practices, meaning the preseason game on Wednesday should give the team a better indication of how the backfield situation will unfold.
Local fullback Jean Christophe Beaulieu is already in his third season with the Alouettes, as the Trois-Rivières native has been perfecting his craft and seems to be more involved in the offence than in previous years. Things are looking up for Beaulieu, who already plays a key role for the Alouettes on special teams.
Rapid Fire
The Alouettes offence looked to be firing on all cylinders on this ninth day of camp, as offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo seems to have found his groove. Smooth route-runner Chandler Jones got some separation and caught a pass before juking past his defender on his way to the end zone… Mike Davis also stood out at practice this morning, catching numerous passes including a 60-yard bomb… Quarterbacks Kevin Glenn and Brandon Bridge were quite efficient today, both completing the majority of their passes… Mitchell White picked up where he left off yesterday, adding another interception to his already impressive training camp. The former Michigan State Spartan has been as consistent as can be so far… The Alouettes work ethic this training camp has been remarkable, as every rep has had game-like intensity, much to the delight of the coaching staff.
An Impressive Statistic
The Alouettes’ current roster is filled with young quarterbacks who tore up the college ranks south of the border. Rakeem Cato, Vernon Adams Jr. and Tajh Boyd all developed their respective games at prestigious football programs where the competition was intense. When combining their passing yardage from each of their final years playing college football, the totals reach an impressive 10,387 yards. These three exceptional signal-callers are all currently competing for a spot on the Alouettes roster.
Don’t miss the Alouettes’ first preseason game on Wednesday at 8 P.M. (Eastern Time) where they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field (TSN, RDS, TSN690 and 98,8fm).
