I understand that “hot offensive linemen trade talk” is not the sexiest of topics, but Dejon Allen traded from the Toronto Argonauts to the BC Lions is massive news.
I can count on one hand the number of linemen who have had a bigger impact in the CFL recently and trust me, I will have fingers left. He helped anchor the best offensive line in football and was a big part of the Argonauts winning two Grey Cups in three years.
Normally a team’s offence takes a dip when the starting quarterback is lost, yet Toronto did a lot of winning with McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Chad Kelly and Nick Arbuckle, who was your 2024 Grey Cup MVP.
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This is a huge trade especially for a Lions team that allowed a league-worst 43 sacks and have turned their attention to Nathan Rourke at quarterback.
This isn’t even close to the biggest news since the conclusion of the Grey Cup. A lot has happened!
I’m not even going to include the tectonic shift of a trade of Vernon Adams Jr. to a Calgary team that missed the playoffs for the first time in two decades. I’m guessing we’re all caught up on that transaction.
For many of you, it can be difficult to keep up with all the trades and signings, especially during the holidays. There is a better chance I’ll keep all those New Year’s resolutions until summer than there is you being able to list off every significant move that has taken place since the Grey Cup.
Let me help you fill in the pieces of what you may have missed.
WINNIPEG IS KEEPING THE SOUL OF THEIR OFFENSIVE LINE INTACT
Oh, you thought I was done with the beefy bruisers up front protecting quarterbacks and helping running backs win rushing titles? Stanley Bryant and Patrick Neufeld both signed one-year contract extensions already.
This is big news as it hammers home that Winnipeg is nowhere close to entering a rebuilding stage as they bring back two foundational parts of the Bombers offence. Every year you will find Neufeld at right guard clearing a path for rushing leaders like Andrew Harris and Brady Oliveira while Bryant is a big reason Zach Collaros will one day be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Both men are nearing the end of their illustrious careers and they deserve one more championship chance playing together.
THE SIGNIFICANT TWO-YEAR EXTENSIONS
Jalen Philpot signed an extension to remain with the Stampeders and will now get to catch passes with new quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (Bailey McLean/CFL.ca)
Let’s do this like Oprah Winfrey giving away cars. You get an extension! You get an extension! Each one of these deals keeps the player with their team until the conclusion of the 2026 season.
1. Jalen Philpot isn’t leaving Calgary. On first glance you can shrug your shoulders on this deal, but Philpot is under 25 years old, Canadian, and just had a mini breakout season in his third year with the Stampeders.
2. Javon Leake and Tre Ford in the same back field for two more years! I loved the 2023 Argonauts version of Leake that saw him win Most Outstanding Special Teams Player but Leake 2.0 in Edmonton that saw him become a dynamic part of the entire Elks offence feels like something special.
3. Rene Parades will continue to convert field goals at a 90 per cent clip in Calgary. The man is close to 40 years old, yet his production has not dipped and, in fact, he set a new career-long with a 57-yarder on OK Tire Labour Day Weekend.
4. Mathieu Betts will have two more years to bring the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award that he won in 2023 with a record breaking 18 sacks back to Vancouver. The Lions could have the best one-two Canadian punch with Rourke throwing touchdown passes and Betts preventing them.
THE TRE FOR ERA IS OFFICIALLY OFF AND RUNNING
Pun totally intended for the most dangerous running quarterback in the CFL.
The Elks let their pens do the talking with a three-year contract extension for the 26-year-old passer. This is now Ford’s team with McLeod Bethel-Thompson in Montreal in exchange for Cody Fajardo, a perfect backup for the young Canadian.
Everyone has been waiting to see what Ford and this offence could look like if he was given the keys to the car. Ed Hervey and company have done just that and now we all get to see just what the ceiling for this potential star is.
Make no mistake, the journey ahead for Ford’s development is still a long one but these moves have set in motion the chance for it to get properly started.
HEY MONTREAL, SAVE SOME DEALS FOR THE REST OF US!
Kabion Ento 🤝 Interceptions at Tim Hortons Field#CFLGameday: LIVE on TSN, RDS
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/u3l2R9RyxZ— CFL (@CFL) August 3, 2024
Has anyone been busier bolstering/reshaping his team than Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia?
A lot of people would ease into the off-season after winning the Grey Cup in 2023 and finishing with the best record in 2024. Instead, Maciocia’s moves were a combination of maintaining this elite foundation while taking a big chance as well.
Let’s start with the players all locked up for the next two seasons. 2022 All-CFL centre Justin Lawrence hasn’t missed a game since signing with Montreal. Kabion Ento has been a turnover terror since an impressive playoff run in 2023 as a rookie and was named as an East Division All-CFL in 2024.
Another newly minted All-CFL player rewarded with a two-year extension is defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund. Isaac was nominated as the East Division’s Most Outstanding Canadian in his first season with Montreal.
Rounding out this quartet of quality is another awards finalist, Tyrice Beverette. Beverette led the league with 137 defensive plays as he stuffed the stat sheet finishing the year as a member of the All-CFL team and represented the East as their nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
All four of these players are under-30 and all have been ultra productive for this remarkable two-year run.
Finally, let’s end with Alouettes big swing that a year from now may not fell as daring but in January it certainly does; the Davis Alexander three-year contract extension.
This is nothing against the 26-year-old who proved he belongs by going 4-0 as a starter putting up solid numbers in his four-week run for an injured Fajardo. Alexander has been working his way up the Alouettes quarterback depth chart for three years for this opportunity and clearly Montreal’s coaching staff has seen enough in practice and games to turn the team over to him.
But to move away from the established older quarterback to the younger passer is usually something we see with franchises who are rebuilding. The Alouettes have the talent to win the Grey Cup in 2025 and are 26-13-1 (regular season and playoffs) with Fajardo starting 32 of the team’s 36 regular season games.
This is a bold move done by Montreal who are clearly eyeing not only next year with their run of so many veterans signing extensions, but also to the future by believing in their young quarterback. This decision caught me by surprise and was the most fascinating move made in what has already been a crazy off-season.