MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – The Alouettes began pulling the strings on Monday which they hope will unravel the three-way tie that currently sits atop the CFL’s East division. Montreal, Toronto and Hamilton all share identical 3-3 records heading into Week 8, and with five of the CFL’s eight teams also sharing the mark league-wide, games now not carrying the must-win moniker are at a premium.
So as Marc Trestman and his men try to earn their second consecutive road victory on Friday, fans can expect to see a slightly different Alouettes bunch take to the field in Edmonton.
“The roster is going to change this week,” admitted Trestman. “I would like to have something a little more definitive by Tuesday, so the guys can have an idea of what is expected from them. We can go a lot of different ways and move a few players around people, but it’s still too early to make any conclusions.”
The same holds true for star running back Brandon Whitaker, who felt great last week, but seemed to hit a snag during the team’s first of three practices leading up to their showdown against the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday night.
“He’s got a bruised rib and we’re going to be very careful with Brandon,” explained Trestman. “When he warmed up, he had a twinge in the area, so we kept him out for the rest of practice. That would elevate Victor Anderson if things don’t change.”
Cornerback Seth Williams injured his ankle during a jump ball with receiver Brandon London, after landing awkwardly on the turf near the end of practice.
“It looked like he twisted his ankle,” hinted Trestman. “It didn’t look like it was his Achilles and he was able to move it around which is good news. We’ll have to reevaluate his situation in more detail tomorrow and leading up to the game.”
The Alouettes did receive good news as kick returner Trent Guy was back in uniform and took part in the entire practice with his teammates, showing no ill effects from his injury which forced him to miss last week’s contest against Winnipeg.
“Trent Guy is feeling 100 percent and was moving around well,” added Trestman.
Jefferson added to practice roster
Newly signed quarterback Jordan Jefferson from the LSU Tigers was also at practice showing off his cannon. He was added to the team’s practice roster on Friday when the team returned to work following the bye week.
Jefferson (6’4”, 223 lbs.) had previously signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2012. The Covington, LA native amassed 4,733 yards and tossed 34 touchdowns during his four-year college career with the LSU Tigers.
The 21-year-old holds the school record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,018 yards and ranks fifth in LSU history in passing touchdowns (34) and rushing touchdowns (12) by a quarterback. He helped the Tigers remain undefeated last season, leading them to the BCS championship game before losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide in January.
Notes: Montreal native Ameet Pall practiced with the Alouettes for the time since joining the team on June 25 after being released by the Calgary Stampeders. The former defensive lineman for the Vanier Cheetahs paid close attention to his position coach Mike Sinclair and was seen learning the ropes from veterans like John Bowman … Quarterback Stephen Garcia is still at home following the bye week. He was excused from practice for personal reasons.
