Williams traded to Als
Wide receiver Chris Williams has been traded to Montreal for defensive end Gabe Knapton in the first major move by new B.C. GM Ed Hervey
They were the Legion of Zoom, a quartet of receivers that were supposed to make opposing defences tremble.
It never worked out that way for the B.C. Lions and now, last year’s much-ballyhooed addition, Chris Williams, is on his way to Montreal, traded for defensive lineman Gabe Knapton.
Williams was signed by the Lions to a two-year deal in February from Ottawa, where he put up 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns, putting him firmly among the league leaders despite playing just 14 games. He suffered a partial ACL tear, forcing him to miss the rest of the season and the first six games of the 2017 season with B.C., where he joined Manny Arceneaux, Nick Moore and Bryan Burnham on a stacked receiving corps.
Circumstances never quite worked out to have them on the field together enough to gain any chemistry, and the 5-foot-9, 155-pound Williams had just 38 catches for 415 yards and a single touchdown.
“You look at the depth of our wide receiving corps, with Manny Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham, and we just felt there was an opportunity to trade a quality player like Chris Williams to address an area of priority for us,” Lions GM Ed Hervey said. “Again, our offensive and defensive lines are areas that we want to consider where we want to upgrade. We’re going to build our team from the inside out. Chris Williams was a player that we felt we could put out there.
“You have to give value to get value, and Chris was that guy.”
The 6-3, 263-pound Knapton had just three sacks and 38 tackles in 17 games with the 3-15 Als this season, but sacked opposing quarterbacks 29 times in the three previous seasons. Even if the 28-yearold doesn’t recapture his form, the four-year veteran will bring an experienced presence to the defensive line.
“Aside from his ability to apply pressure and get to the quarterback and be disruptive, he brings a level of work ethic,” Hervey said. “When you watch him on film, he’s very active and always working. He brings a level of toughness and energy to an area of priority for us.”
The Lions now have six receivers on the roster; Arceneaux, who just re-signed with the team, Burnham, Moore, Shaq Johnson, Danny Vandervoort, and Dontre Wilson. Burnham, who was fourth in CFL receiving yards, led the Lions with 1,202 yards and seven touchdowns. Arceneaux was seventh with 1,137 and six touchdowns.
“Everything is a work in progress,” Hervey said. “We’re never satisfied with where we’re at. That’s the process we’re in right now. We’re making sure we’re a competitive football team, and the most competitive football team we can be.”