Cody Fajardo – QB:
Fajardo was the first free agent to sign with the Alouettes this winter, and he may just be the most important. He had an outstanding 2019 season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he helped lead the Riders to the Western Division Final in 2021. The entire organization took a step back last year, and changes were made. Fajardo also tore his MCL in Week 2 of the season, which didn’t help matters.
He will be able to get a fresh start in Montreal, and he’ll be doing so with head coach Jason Maas, who was his offensive coordinator in Regina. That familiarity should help both men in their transition to their new team.
Fajardo is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. He has shown that he can beat a defence with his arm and his legs. Think about a backfield that has Fajardo, a healthy William Stanback and a speedy running back like Walter Fletcher, and you have a trio that can cause some headaches.
The Als offence will look different, but there’s no reason to believe they won’t be entertaining.
Caleb Evans – QB:
Fajardo is expected to be the starting quarterback in 2023, but that doesn’t mean Evans can’t contribute in his own way. During the 2022 season, Evans set the CFL’s single season record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, with 16.
A lot of those majors came on quarterback sneaks, but the 24-year-old has flashed some upside both as a passer and as a runner. It’s not crazy to think that he could be a starting quarterback in the CFL soon enough. Learning from Maas, Fajardo and company should help him in his development.
The former Ottawa Redblack will be in a fierce battle with Davis Alexander for the second spot on the depth chart.
Greg Ellingson – WR:
Ellingson is one of the great receivers the CFL has seen over the last decade. He’s put together five 1,000-yard seasons in his career, and his production hasn’t dropped off much either. The 34-year-old amassed 598 receiving yards on 38 receptions in only eight games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last year.
Sure, he needs to find a way to stay healthy, but he still has plenty of game left. He’ll also serve as a mentor for some of the younger receivers on the roster like Tyson Philpot and Kaion Julien-Grant.
Ellingson and Maas have worked together before, as the two were in Ottawa (2015) and Edmonton (2019) together. In both those seasons, Ellingson surpassed the 1,000-yard mark.
He’ll go into training camp as the number one American receiver on the depth chart.
Justin Lawrence – C:
This signing was huge. Lawrence is coming off a season in which he won the Grey Cup as the starting centre for the Toronto Argonauts, and he was also named an East Division All-Star.
The 27-year-old brings a nastiness and a level of physicality that not many players in the league can bring. He also brings a level of stability to the centre position. Veteran Sean Jamieson is still under contract, but he is coming off a season-ending injury in 2022. The timeline for his return isn’t clear at this point.
With Lawrence, the Als also get younger on the line, which is a good thing. Based on some of the moves they made this winter, that’s appears to be something that they wanted to prioritize.
Jesse Gibbon – G:
The acquisition of Gibbon also gives the Alouettes some youth on the offensive line. Gibbon is the only player on this list that wasn’t signed as a free agent, as he was acquired in an off-season trade with the Edmonton Elks.
The 26-year-old was drafted second overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 2019 CFL Draft. He was then traded to the Elks during the 2022 season. The Als gave up a 2024 second-round pick to land a lineman with a high ceiling that can contribute right away.
Gibbon will be in a fierce battle for a starting spot at guard in 2023. The competition will be stiff, as the Als have Kristian Matte, Phil Gagnon, David Brown, Lestage, Patrick Davis, Rodeem Brown and Gibbon competing for two spots.
No matter what happens this year, Gibbon should be a factor on the Als line for years to come.
Avery Williams – LB:
Alright, it’s time to look at some of the new faces that will be featured on defence in 2023. Williams was a key signing at middle linebacker for Montreal.
Williams, who spent the first four seasons of his career with Ottawa, played under defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe in 2018 and 2019. The 28-year-old was named an East Division All-Star in 2021, after he made 89 tackles, two sacks and an interception in just 13 games.
In 2022, he amassed a career-high 92 tackles, two on special teams, two sacks and an interception in 18 games.
Williams is also familiar with key members of the Alouettes front office in Jean-Marc Edme and Pier-Yves Lavergne, who were both in Ottawa.
It says a lot about a player when multiple football people who worked with him before want to recruit him to a new location.
Expect him to quickly emerge as an important leader on D.
Ciante Evans – DB:
Evans is the only player on this list who has already been a member of the Alouettes. The 30-year-old signed with the Alouettes as a free agent from Calgary back in 2019, but he left the organization for Hamilton after the pandemic.
Evans has shown that he can be one of the best defensive backs in the league. He was named a CFL All-Star in 2017 and a West Division All-Star in 2017 and 2018. He also brings championship experience to the defence, as he won a Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018.
He’ll head into training camp as one of the projected starters in the secondary in 2023.
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