What will Alouettes be evaluating in preseason finale?

When Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia was asked, on Tuesday, about the final roster decisions that needed to be made before the start of the regular season, he mentioned four specific position groups.

Those four things were:

– Selecting the starting American receivers.

– Figuring out who the number two quarterback is going to be.

– Finding a way to keep some of the talented young defensive backs on the roster.

– Determine which Canadian offensive linemen will play against Ottawa on June 10th.

Let’s break down the competition at each of those positions in order to figure out who we need to watch heading into the final game of the preseason on Friday night.

American receivers:

Based on the way the Alouettes offence has been operating throughout training camp, it looks like they will use three American receivers and two Canadians.

Greg Ellingson is the veteran of the group. The 34-year-old has been in the CFL since 2013, and he’s put together five 1,000-yard seasons in his career. He has also worked with head coach Jason Maas in Ottawa and Edmonton, so he’s familiar with the offensive scheme.

“He’s a veteran presence,” starting quarterback Cody Fajardo said. “He’s a possession receiver that can run by you. A lot of people want to talk about his age, I’m seeing him run by guys still. He’s a guy who knows exactly what to do, where he needs to be. As a quarterback, that helps you throw (the ball) confidently.”

*Update: Ellingson will not play against Hamilton on Friday night.

Fellow receiver Cole Spieker has been practicing with the starting offence since the first day of training camp. The 26-year-old played in three games with the Alouettes last year. His best outing came last October in Toronto when he caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Rookies that still have a shot to crack the starting lineup include Austin Mack, Keshunn Abram, John Brunner, Trevon Clark, Quartney Davis, and Tyler Snead. Mack has also been practicing with the starters since the first week of camp. Abram and Snead have also had that same opportunity at various times during the team’s stay in Trois-Rivieres.

Backup quarterback:

Davis Alexander is the only returning quarterback from last season. He finished the year third on the depth chart behind Trevor Harris and Dominique Davis, but he has an opportunity to be Fajardo’s backup in 2023.

He’s competing against Caleb Evans and Mike Glass. The trio all played during last week’s preseason win against the Ottawa Redblacks. Evans got the start and had a strong drive to open the second quarter. Alexander threw the Alouettes’ only touchdown of the game late in the fourth quarter and Glass put the Als in position to kick the game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock.

“In the room, we’re all laughing and all having a good time,” Alexander said. “That’s what camp always is. You’re always competing, always playing for a job, playing for a spot. It’s been good. We’re able to learn from each other’s mistakes.”

Glass, who is a CFL rookie, is the oldest of the three potential backup quarterbacks at 26 years old. Alexander and Evans are both 24.

Keeping extra defensive backs:

The Alouettes have several veteran defensive backs that will likely be in the starting lineup when they open the regular season against Ottawa.

Nafees Lyon, Wesley Sutton, and Najee Murray, who were all starters last year, are back in 2023. Murray has moved to strong-side linebacker, but free-agent acquisition Ciante Evans should replace him in the secondary. Another free agent, Dionte Ruffin, has been serving as the starting corner on the wide side of the field for most of camp.

There are newcomers that haven’t looked out of place, and they could be used if one of the starters were to suffer an injury.

Former Green Bay Packer Kabion Ento, who was a wide receiver in college, has looked sharp. He was particularly good in the game against the Redblacks last Friday. Ja’Len Embry, Reggie Stubblefield, Kordell Rodgers, and JR Reed have also looked good throughout camp.

“There’s so many more rules than I expected (in the CFL),” Ento said. “Everything is new. I feel like I’m adjusting well, but you can always get better. We have great guys in our locker room who are willing to help me. We have great coaches and great guys on the other side of the ball, too. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and I’m just here to compete the best I can.”

Picking the offensive line:

Maciocia made it a point to improve the offensive line during the off-season. He signed East Division All-Star Justin Lawrence and he traded for former second overall pick Jesse Gibbon. Lawrence is expected to anchor the middle of the offensive line, while Gibbon offers positional flexibility.

Last year’s starting left and right tackles, Nick Callender and Landon Rice, are both back. Veterans Kristian Matte and Philippe Gagnon are also in the fold at guard in 2023. Pier-Olivier Lestage, who became a starting guard soon after his arrival last summer, will continue to be a cornerstone piece up front.

Young Canadian draft picks like Rodeem Brown, Patrick Davis and Theo Grant will try to stick on the final roster.

American tackles Jamar McGloster, who finished last season on the Alouettes’ practice roster, and rookie Matt Dale will also look to make the club.

Unfortunately for the Als, Sean Jamieson (knee) and David Brown (knee) will both start the season on the six-game injured list.