Why De'Audra Dix should be given another opportunity by the Montreal Alouettes

As the Montreal Alouettes complete the first half of the CFL season before their bye week. Heading into the second half of their schedule, questions will linger if the organization could make changes to their roster.

Already the team has parted ways with their big off season signing in Aaron Hunt.  As they approach an important division game versus the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, they could be staring at a 2-4 record and in last place by Saturday morning.

There is no denying the Alouettes secondary has underperformed. So far in five games, they have allowed a 100 yard receiver in three of those contests.

If the Alouettes are looking to bring in reinforcements, one player who is available and knows the team very well is De'Audra Dix.

Dix was apart of the organization that included their two successive Grey Cup triumphs, and now is patiently waiting for an opportunity from a CFL team.

So far, defenders such as Wopamo Osaisai and Seth Williams have repeatedly been picked on by the opposition. It seems the Alouettes do not have anyone to step in to replace these two players.

Why shouldn't Dix be given a chance? If the worst case scenario is he provides experienced depth to this position group, it gives this team another veteran who knows what it takes to win football games.

Granted last year was a trying season for the entire defense as this unit resembled a make shift recreational squad by the time they lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the playoffs. But Dix has the nose for the football, and is agile enough to cover the quicker receivers.

Right now, the Alouettes secondary has had issues with smaller receivers in the league. If Dix is brought into the fold, it would not take long for him to immerse himself back onto the team considering how many close friends he has on the roster.

If the Alouettes secondary does experience another rough outing versus the Blue Bombers, could management make changes, and if so, could Dix be receiving a phone call from management? They have nothing to lose in bringing Dix back onto the roster as already their secondary has been dominated by the opposition.

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Post game thoughts on the Montreal Alouettes victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In their first regular season home game, the Montreal Alouettes were able to upend the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 41-30 to even their record to 1-1.

Why did the Alouettes win?

Fast starts in the first and third quarters respectively set the tone for the home side, as quarterback Anthony Calvillo was able to dissect Winnipeg's defense as he passed for 443 yards and three touchdowns. In-total he found nine different receivers who had at least one reception.

Secondly, the involvement of running back Brandon Whitaker was the difference on why the Alouettes were able to come away with the victory.

Last year's three games against the Blue Bombers, Whitaker was able to churn out 306 total yards. On Friday night he continued on with the beat as he had accumulated 235 total yards.

Furthermore, in 2011, the Alouettes had a record of 8-2 when Whitaker had 20 or more touches on the football. Head coach Marc Trestman kept with that script as he allowed Whitaker to take over the football game.

What do the Alouettes need to improve on?

As it has been stressed by many people even including former Alouette Anwar Stewart it will be a process for the defense to understand the schemes and angles in the 3-4 formation.

Already we're seeing the second level of defense being more aggressive, as Shea Emry was in the Blue Bombers backfield throughout the football game.

But it is their secondary that will need some tinkering. With the absence of Dwight Anderson who suffered a finger injury during the practice week did not help the cause.

The secondary was torched by the Blue Bombers offense, as they gave up seven plays of 20 yards or more. Moreover, in the second half, they had four pass interference calls against them. Furthermore, first year player Wopamo Osaisai who replaced Anderson in the lineup was beaten on several plays by the opposition.

Fortunately for the Alouettes, the Blue Bombers were playing from behind, and never were able to keep up with their attack.

Proceed with caution

If I am the coaching staff,  they will need to emphasize to Calvillo to pick his spots on when to bail out from the pocket.

Towards the end of the first half, Calvillo attempted to run for a first down, but landed awkwardly with a Blue Bomber defender on top of him. As a result, it required him to briefly go to the locker room to get it checked out. But shortly thereafter he was back on the field.

The Alouettes know that Calvillo can ill-afford to take any unnecessary hits to his body, considering what he endured the last few seasons. Otherwise, if he does, it could be mean serious problems if he is out for a long duration of time.

Moving on

This was the first of four East division games for the Alouettes before their mid-August bye week. It was imperative for them to get an early win over a Blue Bombers team that still has two more road games to play before their home opener.

Now the Alouettes will face the Calgary Stampeders at home in a rematch of their week one loss on the road. In-fact, this will be their third game in 13 days, and one must wonder how could Trestman approach the upcoming week?

But for now, the nerves of the entire fan base can be relaxed knowing that the Alouettes have one win under their belt.

Follow me on Twitter @MoeKhan19

Listen to me every Sunday/Tuesday nights on Gamepoints, every Friday morning on The Midnight Snack and various shows on TSN 990.

Photo credit: www.windsorstar.com