Redblacks rejig roster to prep for Alouettes
The Ottawa Redblacks will have some new faces for Friday’s game against the Montreal Alouettes, clear even to those fans in the uppermost rows of the stands at TD Place stadium.
Defensive end Marlon Smith will assume the international roster spot of released kicker Delbert Alvarado, whose job goes to recently signed national Chris Milo, who fills the roster spot of defensive lineman Vincent Desloges, who has been shifted to the practice roster. Got that? Good. There’s more. John Boyett has been activated from the practice roster to stand in for defensive back Jerrell Gavins, still not ready for duty after being injured July 24 against the Calgary Stampeders. Coming off the onegame injured list are defensive lineman Andrew Marshall (for Kalonji Kashama), tailback Chevon Walker (Jeremiah Johnson) and receiver Khalil Paden, who in his 2015 regular-season debut replaces wideout/ punt returner Chris Williams.
Williams picked up a lower-body injury of undisclosed nature and severity against the Stampeders and, even after the Redblacks (3-2) enjoyed a bye week in the schedule, couldn’t practise this week.
“I still think you need to make big plays in this league and punish defences if they’re squatting on routes or anything like that,” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said Thursday about proceeding without the speedster who’s top seven in receptions, receiving yards and all-purpose yards.
“We have other guys with plenty of speed and who can make the deep-ball play, and we’re going to have to take a few shots tomorrow night.”
Paden, who had 21 catches for 305 yards and a touchdown after joining the Redblacks midway through their first CFL season, will line up at slotback. Greg Ellingson shifts into Williams’ wideout spot.
“KP is going to come in and do a great job,” Ellingson said. “We have faith in him, and he knows the plays. No matter who has to substitute in, we’re still going to have a productive offence.”
In the absence of Williams, there will be additional pressure on the Redblacks’ other starting wide receiver, Maurice Price.
Acquired from Calgary in January, Price has just 14 receptions for 110 yards, well below all expectations, including his own. The 29-year-old said Thursday he used the bye-week break to assess his first five games and to push the reset button.
“I don’t want to make it all about me,” Price said.
“Personally, I’m not where I want to be or not having the season that I envisioned, but, at the same time, my No. 1 goal coming into the season was to stay healthy for all 18 games. So far so good.
“I don’t really make statistical goals anymore. It’s just overall be ready, be prepared and make a play when a play comes my way.”
Boyett will see his first game action since the 2014 National Football League preseason with the Denver Broncos. Signed last month by the Redblacks, he will be a backup DB with Jacques Washington starting at safety and Brandyn Thompson at Gavins’ halfback position.
“I’m not sure what to expect as far as how much or how little I’m going to play,” Boyett said. “I’m just going to put on my helmet, and, when they call my name, I’m going to run out there and try to help the team in whatever role they give men. So, if I’m playing every snap, I’m playing every snap. If I’m standing on the sideline and handing out water, then I’ll hand out the water.”
The Alouettes (2-3) will look different Friday, too, particularly to those with recollections based on pre- and regular-season games against the Redblacks in June.
A notable recent addition to their injured list is Tyrell Sutton, the CFL’s No. 2 rusher with 357 yards, but the most significant change has been the insertion of rookie Rakeem Cato at quarterback following injuries to Jonathan Crompton and Dan LeFevour in the season opener against the Redblacks.
Those old enough to remember the CFL of the early 1980s will think of a young Damon Allen when they see the slightly built Cato, who in four starts has 1,100 passing yards with five touchdown throws and three interceptions.
The 23-year-old from Miami said he expected the Redblacks to continue to rely on man-to-man defence.
“They play a little bit of zone here and there,” Cato said, “but mainly they just want to be bullies. Their defence wants to be better than the offence and take away things. It just means you have to come out and be more physical and win the turnover battle.”
Alouettes head coach Tom Higgins was at his cagey CFL veteran best when asked about defensive back Jerald Brown and defensive lineman Michael Sam.
Bothered by cramps and dehydration, Brown hadn’t practised this week and wasn’t on the Alouettes buses for the trip to Ottawa, but Higgins said he remained on the active roster and was “only a phone call away.”
As for Sam, who last year entered the international spotlight by becoming the first active college or professional football player to publicly come out as gay before failing to crack the roster of two NFL teams, Higgins offered only that the Alouettes had brought more than 44 players (the game limit) on the trip.
He also repeated that Sam would play at some point in August. Including Friday’s matchup with the Redblacks, the Alouettes have four more games this month.
“The nice thing is I know sooner rather than later I won’t have to be talking about this,” Higgins said. “His play will be what people can talk about and he can talk about it himself.”