Which Rookies To Keep An Eye at Alouettes Training Camp

Which Montreal Alouettes rookie players everyone should keep an eye in training camp that could make the 2012 roster?

In this element it is hard to gauge which rookies will provide an immediate impact considering how management tends to bring in players from very small schools that we never heard of. But for the names that partisans have recently been hearing, here is a cast of players who could have a say this year.

Bo Adebayo, Western Kentucky, DL: If he wasn’t granted his Canadian papers prior to the draft, who knows the future of Adebayo in the CFL. But because of his non-import status, he became an intriguing prospect, and the Alouettes got great value when they made him their third round selection.

Even though he did have a tryout with the NFL’s Detroit Lions, the organization was afforded to take a gamble on him knowing there was a chance he could venture up north if things didn’t pan out down south.

Adebayo is very good on run defense; he is very stout at the point of attack in shedding the block and making the play behind the line scrimmage. He has great closing speed in tackling the opposition.

In pass rushing situations coming off the edge he is very explosive, very smooth turning the corner in attacking the quarterback. The most important thing he has a high football IQ. It seems he is never out of position.

If you want a first hand idea of Adebayo checkout his highlight package.

Given time, Adebayo will be a solid rotational player for the Alouettes looking to replenish their non-import quota on the front line.

Patrick Lavoie, Laval, FB: There was one certain projection that came to fruition during the CFL Draft and that was Lavoie being selected within the first two rounds of the CFL Draft.

In speaking to a RSEQ coach, he is happy that they most likely won’t have to deal with Lavoie in the conference.

Lavoie, who is a former receiver, is considered to be one of the best blockers in the nation. Very little praised was heaped on him in the Laval offense because he continually did the grunt work for the Rouge et Or.

Given how he is physically big, he could provide another set of hands for the Alouettes if he comes out of the backfield for a pass.

Finally, his ability to immediately play on special teams will go a long way for this organization. Last year, all three phases took their lumps as they could not create a momentum changing play. Lavoie would instantly aide the process and eventually transition to the fullback position when he is ready to go.    

Anthony Barrette, Concordia, OL: Barrette was the Alouettes second round choice in the 2011 draft. He did attend last year’s camp but went back to Concordia for his fifth year to fine tune his skills.

This year there is a small chance that Barrette will crack the starting five on the offensive line. But he will bring added depth to this group. He will be eventually groomed to take over for Scott Flory who is now entering the last couple of years of his professional career.

Barrette is a wide body with a strong lower base. Even though he played at tackle with the Stingers, it should be an easy transition to shift inside considering former Alouettes great Bryan Chiu has prepped him the last couple of years.

He might not have an immediate impact, but he most certainly will provide depth to a position that continues to be the staple of the team’s success. Learning from the likes of Flory will go a long way in helping Barrette become a future starter for the organization.

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Could The 2008 Alouettes Draft Class Be One Of The Best Ever In Team History?

Taking a look back at Jim Popp’s illustrious draft history, to date, his best year could be the 2008 class.

The team only had six selections. However, it was quality of those choices that has made this organization a dominant force in the last four years.

Shea Emry, LB, UBC: With their first selection in the opening round Popp chose the B.C. native. Emry has proved his general manager was correct.

He has worked his way up the ladder into a starter’s role, and being the eyes of the defense in making adjustments on the fly. Presently, Emry is considered to be one of the premier non-import CFL players playing at his position.

Furthermore, he has been apart of three Grey Cup teams, winning it twice.

During the 2011 season he suffered an upper body injury. His absence was greatly felt as it altered the game day ratio, and the team struggled to replace him in the lineup for the rest of the year.

It really showed in the East Division semi-final playoff loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the inexperienced Bear Woods looked uncomfortable in trying to contain Avon Cobourne.

By the time the season starts, he will only be 26 years old. Of course provided he does stay healthy, Emry has many bright years ahead of him to become one of the best at his position.

Andrew Woodruff, OL, Boise State: He was their second round choice and Woodruff is becoming one of the best guards in the league.

He has been apart of two Grey Cup winning teams in Montreal, and was instrumental in playing a big role in the 2010 championship victory.

He has displayed a nasty streak which has aided this line in continuing to be one of the better units in the league. With Scott Flory entering the last stage of his professional career, Woodruff could assume his leadership mantle and carry the torch for many years down the road.

With his ability, the sky’s the limit for him and is on the cusp of receiving league recognition as one of the best.

Paul Woldu, DB, Saskatchewan: Another key contributor from this class who was taken in the fifth round of the draft.

For a Canadian product playing a position that is normally occupied by an import player. Woldu defied expectations as he was able to crack the Alouettes lineup in 2008.

As his career progressed, he was immersed in the game day rotation as special team’s ace, and an all around solid team contributor.

Because of his non-import status, it enabled the team to be more flexible with their ratio status.

Woldu was apart of the three Grey Cup teams, winning it twice with the club. Ironically enough the two victories came against his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders who he signed with this past offseason.

Even though his Alouettes career has come to an end, it will be the Roughriders who will enjoy his ascension as it seems he is destined to have a more prominent role with his new team.

Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, OL, Laval: With their sixth round selection, this might be the ultimate diamond in the rough in selecting offensive lineman, Luc Brodeur-Jourdain from Laval University.

Historically speaking, the Rouge et Or program is known to be a powerhouse in CIS football winning many Vanier Cups in a short period of time.

However, the bulk of players who move onto the CFL do not pan out. In the case of Brodeur-Jourdain, he has been a revelation to the team’s offensive line.

Coming into the league he converted from a guard to centre. Brodeur-Jourdain has had some big shoes to fill once Bryan Chiu’s announced his retirement from the team on the eve of the 2010 training camp.

He effectively became the full time starting centre midway through the 2010 season and hasn’t looked back. Even though he plays a position that will never be recognized, he has helped paved the way for the likes of Cobourne, and Brandon Whitaker to have successful seasons.

Being a local product, it enables the Alouettes to use him in many marketing campaigns as a role model that the next generation of kids can look up to in hopes of one day playing professional football.

As for the other two selections in Terrence Firr, and Gurminder Thind I contacted the Alouettes media department, and they replied that both did not dress for a game during their time with the team.

The Alouettes can proudly say that that the 2008 class has been instrumental in their recent Grey Cup runs. It has produced four starters which is rarified air considering that a CFL team would be lucky to get one impact player from a class.

The scary part, the players who are still apart of the organization are only getting better, and slowly becoming the next generation of leaders on this football team.

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Three Players The Alouettes Could Target at The CFL Draft

CFL free agency begins next week. But we’re not far away from the CFL Evaluation Camp set for the first weekend of March in Toronto, Ontario.

Currently, the Alouettes do not possess a first round pick, since they traded it at last year’s draft to the B.C. Lions for kicker Sean Whyte. I’m certain general manager Jim Popp is content that he got himself an impact player in Whyte who provided huge dividends in 2011.

This year, with the 11th overall selection, the team could go in many directions with their draft plans. It is very deep in Quebec players, and if the team would like to replenish their local talent, they could have a plethora of prospects fall into their lap.

Here are three players they could target by the time they make their selections. But if Popp is feeling lucky and confident he could potentially trade up and alter the draft landscape.

Ismael Bamba, WR/Returner, Sherbrooke Vert et Or: As mentioned in my last article, with Danny Desriveaux about to be granted his release. The Alouettes would need to address their receiving non-import ratio.

Bamba transferred from the University of North Dakota to Sherbrooke, and had a splendid 2011 season. He made the Vert Et Or‘s special teams lethal, as he had game changing punt returns for touchdowns that contributed to their victories.

Furthermore, his ability to read his blocks on receiving plays made him dangerous on offense.

The Alouettes need to address their return situation, as they had no impact plays for their returners. Granted this position has been primarily occupied by an import player. Bamba is an exception to the rule since he played against stronger competition at North Dakota and in the RSEQ where special teams are important.

The only question, is he motivated when he isn’t the primary target on the play? Otherwise, he has great tangibles a team would look for in a football player.

Arnaud Gascon-Nadon, DE, Laval Rouge et Or: Another Canadian player who transferred from Rice University to the Laval program. He has great length, and has shown with his speed from the edge that he could disrupt plays.

From what was stated by Alouettes Anwar Stewart, that his days could be numbered with the club. The Alouettes haven’t had a dominant local defensive lineman since Steve Charbonneau. Moreover, the team‘s pass rush was invisible in the last three games of the year, as they had zero sacks.

Gascon-Nadon has been privileged to learn from different coaching styles during his collegiate career. So his assimilation to the next level should not be a problem since high demands were placed on him at Laval.

However, how healthy is his knee? During the Vanier Cup it seemed that he was hampered by his brace, and at one point did take it off for more mobility. As a result, heading into evaluation weekend plenty of team scouts and doctors could take a closer look at this situation.

Even though he received a high pre-draft grade, he could fall into the Alouettes lap if there are lingering concerns. Thus, they could afford to allow him to learn, and develop behind the veterans on the roster. The sky’s the limit for this prospect, and he would fit in well with Alouettes.

By the way, for those who are curious if Gascon-Nadon is on Twitter? He is under the handle of @AGN45.

Courtney Stephen, DB, Northern Illinois: Here is one of the rare success stories of a Canadian football player realizing his football dreams playing in the NCAA by taking a different path than others.

For those unaware of whom he is, give him a follow on Twitter @TheCStephen.

Initially, Stephen started his collegiate career at Laurier University, becoming one of the premier defenders in the OUA. He was the Canadian version of the honey badger before LSU’s star defensive back, Tyrann Mathieu received his nickname.

He took the great leap of faith by taking his talents from the CIS to DeKalb, Illinois where he redshirted in 2010. But in 2011 he showed why the NIU coaching staff had faith in him as he made an impact on special teams.

The Alouettes are in a unique situation with their secondary. They could conceivably allow soon to be free agent Paul Woldu to walk next week. Without question he would garner serious offers. Stephen could be a perfect replacement for Woldu because of his size, intelligence, and athletic ability.

Stephen has been coached by the best in the CIS and NCAA, so he knows what it takes to play well at the next level. I am sure the Alouettes wouldn’t mind have the Canadian version of the honey badger on their roster.

Even though the actual draft is three months away, a lot could transpire at the E-Camp, and weeks on ahead. But for the present time, these three players could be on the Alouettes radar.

You can follow me on Twitter @MoeKhan19

Listen to me every Friday morning from midnight-2am on The Midnight Snack, every Tuesday night on Gamepoints, and other shows on TSN 990.

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