Montreal Alouettes release Aaron Hunt, what is next?

With the Montreal Alouettes announcing on their Twitter feed that they have released Aaron Hunt, it seems that no one is safe on the team's roster.

Granted, the sole reason why Hunt was brought to Montreal was to be the anchor of the 3-4 formation. Unfortunately for him he took the bullet for the defense's shortcomings on the field.

From observation it seemed that Hunt did not immediately find his groove in the team's concepts. However, the entire defensive front struggled in trying to pressure the opposing quarterbacks.

Statistically speaking the Alouettes pass defense have allowed at least one receiver to catch 100-yards or more in three out of four games. The run defense has been decent as they allowed an average of 63.3 yards from the primary ball carriers.

As stated by many experts, it takes a while for a defense to come together especially when transitioning into a new formation.

With Hunt out, what could general manager Jim Popp consider doing? This week, NFL training camps are set to begin. Popp could buy himself time and survey which released NFL players have experience playing in the 3-4 formation that could fit into the team's philosophies.

Another option the Alouettes do have is potentially seeing the market value of kicker Brody McKnight. McKnight could garner a big body player in return for the team's defense.

There is no question that the heat has gone up by a few degrees on the Alouettes defense. Management simply cannot release every player from this unit. But could they consider firing positions coaches, if so, how safe is Jeff Reinebold's position?

It seems that below Reinebold there isn't a position coach within the hierarchy that has a deep CFL pedigree to assume Reinebold's role if he were to be relieved of his duties.

For now, Alouettes fans must accept the fact that they will need to be patient and allow this defense to find themselves in these schemes. One thing is for certain the dust has yet to settle on what could happen with future of the team's roster heading towards their bye week in early August.

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