Training Camp Notebook – Day 1: A new beginning

The Montreal Alouettes opened their 2024 training camp in Saint-Jerome on Sunday at Centre Sportif Claude-Beaulieu.

The team made a few roster moves on Sunday:

Linebackers Bryce Notree and Jeremy Banks were cut. Notree was cut prior to practice while Banks was released after practice.

The team suspended defensive back J.R. Reed, running back Mike Weber and receiver Preston Williams.

They also added receiver Charleston Rambo to the active roster.

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The Alouettes come into this training camp as the defending Grey Cup champions, but don’t expect to hear much talk about last season. The key leaders on the team, including head coach Jason Maas, made it clear that this is a new year and that the entire team is putting the championship season behind them.

“This is a new year, new start, new beginning with a lot of fresh faces,” Maas said after practice. “It’s about us coming together as one. There isn’t going to be any talk of last year. There won’t be any talk of defending or repeating. It’s all going to be about this year and out connection with each other because we’re going to have a new story and a different story this year.”

The most interesting part of practice came in the form of one-on-one battles between receivers and defensive backs, offensive and defensive linemen, and running backs and linebackers.

Receivers Jalen Wayne, Tyjon Lindsey, Charleston Rambo all made impressive plays during the drills. Running back Sean Thomas Erlington made an incredible one-handed catch.

On the offensive line, guard Pier-Olivier Lestage, Ja’Chai Baker and Josh Donovan did a nice job of blocking the defensive linemen that they went up against.

The Alouettes will be back on the practice field on Monday at 9:15 a.m. at the Centre Sportif Claude-Beaulieu. You can find the Alouettes entire training camp practice schedule right here.