After Eugene Lewis left to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the CFL when he signed with the Edmonton Elks in free agency, the Montreal Alouettes could use a bonafide No. 1 receiver.
One intriguing option could be free agent Brandon Zylstra. He has spent the last five seasons in the NFL but is currently a free agent without a contract after finishing the 2022 season with the Detroit Lions. When the 30-year-old was last in the CFL he had a productive two-year run in Edmonton where he caught 134 passes for 2,195 yards and eight touchdowns in 22 games in green and gold.
His head coach in Edmonton was Jason Maas, who the Als hired this winter to be the team’s bench boss. Zylstra’s familiarity with Maas makes Montreal a logical landing spot for the 2017 CFL all-star.
“I don’t know if he’ll come back to Canada or not. I’ve kept in contact with Brandon because having coached him you establish a relationship with people. I’ve always reached out to him every year just to say ‘Hi’ and hope he’s doing well. We’re well aware of his situation,” Maas told 3DownNation.
“Whether he comes back up to Canada, I’m one of those guys rooting for him to stay down there. I know the type of career he’s had and the amount of money that is down in the NFL. When you look at your life, that’s where you probably prefer to be. If he ever came back up to the CFL, I know he’d have a ton of suitors and we’d be one of them.”
The Als have undergone a lot of changes following a season that saw Montreal win a playoff game for the first time since 2014. The franchise has a new owner in Pierre Karl Péladeau, new team president in Mark Weightman and new starting quarterback in Cody Fajardo to go along with Maas as a new head coach.
The Alouettes lost Jake Wieneke when signed a two-year contract to join quarterback Trevor Harris on the prairies. Montreal did address the pass catcher position by inking veteran Greg Ellingson during free agency but could still use another weapon for Fajardo.
There’s no guarantee Zylstra ever returns north of the border. The six-foot-three, 215-pound target has made over $3.8 million USD during his time in the NFL since going down south in 2018. Maas has spoken to him in the past and Zylstra believes he gets better and better each year south of the border.
“When you’re around the NFL for that many years, it’s super competitive so I know to stick down there you’ve gotta be that same way and improve. I’d be excited if he did come up here but I hope he stays down there,” Maas said.
The 47-year-old offensive play-caller is not the only member of the Alouettes that would like to see Zylstra in team colours. The man Maas took the head coaching duties over from, general manager Danny Maciocia, would also be keen to see Zylstra in la belle province.
“It’s a possibility but I would think he’s the type of guy that’s going to exhaust every opportunity, every avenue before he considers coming back up to Canada,” Maciocia said.
“He’s a quality football player. He’s played for Jason. We know he’s a quality receiver. We know that he’s played in the system. He would be a value add for anybody that can get their hands on him.”
Zylstra’s last season in the CFL saw him record 100 receptions for a league-leading 1,687 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games while averaging 16.9 yards per catch. That type of production would command top salary cap dollars in the CFL and Maciocia confirmed the Alouettes could have the space to fit him in.
“There’d be an opportunity for us to take a run at him but there’s a lot of things that can change between now and then,” Maciocia said. “I’m sure that if that ever comes to fruition, it’ll probably be closer to training camp I would say.”