The Montreal Alouettes have signed a new deal with American defensive back Greg Reid.
The five-foot-nine, 190-pound defender was voted a CFL all-star after his first season in the CFL in 2019. He made 71 defensive tackles — third place on the team — and knocked down ten passes, which put him among the CFL leaders in that category. The former Florida State University Seminole also made three interceptions, forced one fumble and recovered one.
The Als also re-signed veteran Canadian offensive lineman Kristian Matte, American defensive lineman Antonio Simmons, as well as American receivers Dante Absher, Fabian Guerra and Teo Redding.
“Kristian is another example of a veteran who has this organization’s success at heart and wants to help the team have success, as he is an important cog on our offensive line,” Alouettes’ general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement.
The six-foot-four, 296-pound Matte will be entering his 11th season with the Alouettes after receiving his first nomination as an East Division all-star in 2019.
The St-Hubert, Que. native played all 18 games in 2019 and was voted the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman for a fourth consecutive year. On top of limiting opposing teams to 39 quarterback sacks, Matte helped create the openings that allowed the team to finish in second place in the CFL with 2,236 rushing yards.
The 35-year-old joined the Alouettes in 2010 after the team drafted him in the first round, seventh overall. The former Concordia University Stinger is in constant communication with quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. on every play and played an important role in the latter’s success last season.
The six-foot-three, 246-pound Simmons played in all of the Alouettes 18 games in 2019, his first season in the CFL. The 24-year-old registered 45 defensive tackles, three quarterback sacks and forced one fumble. He previously played at the NCAA level with the Georgia Tech University Yellow Jackets for four seasons where he amassed 83 tackles, 16 for loss and seven sacks.
The six-foot-three, 180-pound Absher joined the Als in 2019 and spent a good part of the season on the team’s practice roster. The 27-year-old receiver saw action in the Alouettes’ last two regular season games during which he caught eight passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. During the Eastern Semi-Final against Edmonton, the former Glenville State Pioneer amassed 60 receiving yards on five receptions.
The five-foot-11, 200-pound Guerra played with the Columbus Destroyers in the Arena Football League in 2019, where he was named Rookie of the Year. In 2018, he won the National Arena League championship with the Carolina Cobras. He also spent time in the Alliance of American Football with the Memphis Express.
The 24-year-old receiver from Miami, FL played NCAA football with the Fairmont State University Fighting Falcons where he was voted to the 2015 and 2016 All-MEC second team, and to the 2014 All-MEC first team. He ended his collegiate career with 233 catches, 2,805 receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns in 30 games. The receptions were a Fairmont State record, while the yards and touchdowns ranked second and third in school history, respectively.
The six-foot-one, 181-pound Redding signed deals with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and the Washington Football Team following his NCAA career with the Bowling Green University Falcons. The 26-year-old played with the New York Guardians in the XFL this spring, making five catches for 102 yards in five games.
