ALOUETTES GM MAKES DEFT DEAL TO LAND `DIFFERENCE-MAKER'
Maciocia didn't have to surrender player from active roster to get No. 1 pick Richards
Heading into Tuesday's CFL draft, Danny Maciocia knew he would get a good player in the first round. But the Alouettes' general manager wanted the best player — Syracuse linebacker Tyrell Richards.
“This guy was head-andshoulders above everyone else,” Maciocia told the Montreal Gazette on Wednesday. “I wanted the best one. There's a big difference. This player is a difference-maker in my eyes. The general consensus around here was that there's no doubt he was, by far, the best player available.”
Maciocia and Chris Jones, his Edmonton counterpart who also doubles as the Elks' head coach, reached a verbal agreement on Sunday afternoon. Edmonton would trade the first overall draft choice to the Als for the fourth overall pick, along with the rights to Canadian offensive tackle Carter O'donnell.
The minimal cost to pry the pick away from Edmonton was astounding. O'donnell has spent the last two seasons on the Indianapolis Colts' practice roster, where he could earn as much as US$252,000 next season. Even if he doesn't stick with the Colts, he and his agent will exhaust all potential NFL avenues before returning to the CFL, where his entry-level contract might be $70,000 to $75,000.
That Jones didn't ask for a player off Montreal's active roster is remarkable.
“The foregone conclusion in the league was there was no way they were going to move the pick,” Maciocia said. “But if I don't try, what's the worst that can happen? I'm told no. At least I know I tried.”
But Maciocia wasn't finished. Knowing the Als hadn't had a first-round draft choice since 2018 — and cognizant of the mess he inherited from his predecessor, Kavis Reed, when he was hired in 2020 — the GM secured a second pick in the opening round, from Winnipeg. Maciocia traded Canadian defensive tackle Cameron Lawson and the 13th pick for the ninth and 18th selections.
Lawson, selected 16th in 2020, has the potential to be a good player; it just wasn't going to happen with the Als because of the way they're structured defensively. He dressed for only four games last season.
Instead, with the ninth pick, the Als took Calgary receiver Tyson Philpot, who should provide more of an impact than Lawson made.
Philpot, 21, had 77 catches for 1,574 yards and 14 touchdowns in only 16 games with the Dinos. The 5-11, 189-pounder led the nation in touchdown receptions last season (nine), has good hands and runs routes well. Coincidentally, Maciocia's final game as head coach at Université de Montréal was the 2019 Vanier Cup, when the Carabins lost to Calgary.
Canadian receiver has always been a non-productive area for the Als — at least since the retirement of Ben Cahoon. That's one of the reasons why they signed free-agent Hergy Mayala from the Calgary Stampeders in February.
If it was a pleasant surprise to see Philpot still available at No. 9, Maciocia didn't want to risk having him slip to No. 13 and initiated trade discussions with the Blue Bombers.
Most will agree the Als were the big winners Tuesday and Maciocia looks like a genius. Of course, what transpires over the long term ultimately will define how deft the moves were. For now, however, there's nothing to criticize.
The Als would have picked second in 2019, but Reed relinquished that right when he signed offensive-lineman Tyler Johnstone in 2018. Johnstone was limited to six games over two seasons before injuries ended his career, something Reed couldn't have envisioned. Nor could Reed have predicted the Als would go 5-13 in 2018.
Reed then traded the Als' first-rounders in 2020 and '21 to Hamilton for quarterback Johnny Manziel. While the trade also brought Tony Washington and Landon Rice, two starters on the offensive line, Manziel was the cornerstone of the deal and he lasted only one season before his contract was terminated when he contravened off-season commitments.
We'll never know the potential damage Reed inflicted on the organization by relinquishing those two first-round picks, but that has been corrected by Maciocia.
Richards, a 6-4, 232-pounder, can play middle linebacker or line up on the edge as a rush end. He's a potential starter, where he would join fellow non-import LB Chris Ackie. Even if Richards doesn't start, he'll make an impact on special teams.
Richards didn't play for Syracuse last season after his attempt to transfer schools was denied, but he was dominant at the CFL combine, leading Maciocia to believe the transition to the pro game won't be onerous.
“He dominated,” Maciocia said. “There was nothing in which he didn't dominate. He came as advertised. This is a kid, I think, who can have an immediate impact for us. His one-vs.-ones were dominant. You can't hide that fact.
“Defensively, when you look at him, you have to figure out who he is. What role is he occupying on this play? It won't necessarily be a good blocking matchup for teams.”
This is a kid, I think, who can have an immediate impact for us. His one-vs.-ones (at CFL combine) were dominant.