The Montreal Alouettes have signed 10 players, including five of their picks from the 2023 CFL Draft and both of their selections from the 2023 Global Draft.
Second-round pick fullback David Dallaire, fourth-round pick offensive lineman Theodore Grant, fifth-round picks fullback Jacob Mason and receiver Shedler Fervius and eighth-round pick Maxim Lavallée have all signed after being selected in the draft earlier this month.
The six-foot-three, 217-pound Dallaire was a member of the Université Laval team that won the most recent Vanier Cup. In that game, the 23-year-old made four catches for 23 yards, as well as a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 30-24 win over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
The Saint-Georges, Quebec native was voted a Quebec conference all-star in 2022 after scoring seven touchdowns, including five on the ground, during the regular season. He caught 18 passes for 279 yards while adding 86 rushing yards on 22 carries.
The 24-year-old Lavallée was also a member of the Laval team that hoisted the Vanier Cup last year and he was also voted as a Quebec conference all-star in 2022, finishing first on his team with 38 total tackles. In 2018, the five-foot-nine, 185-pound Gatineau native was named defensive rookie of the year for the Rouge et Or.
The Als also signed Swedish defensive lineman Simon Sandberg who was their first pick in the 2023 CFL Global Draft and Australian punter Rhys Byrns, their 14th overall pick in the second round.
Sandberg received an All-Pac-12 honourable mention in 2022 while suiting up for the Oregon State University Beavers, registering 17 tackles and two for losses in 13 games. The Karlstad native also knocked down two passes.
In 40 games during his four years with the Beavers, the 26-year-old amassed 51 tackles, eight tackles for losses, one sack, five pass knockdowns and one forced fumble. The six-foot-three, 295-pounder participated in this year’s CFL Combine in Edmonton.
Byrns was named to the All-Sun Belt’s first team during his last two seasons with the University of Louisana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. He led the conference with a 46.3-yard average on punts, which was the 11th-highest total in the country in 2021. The six-foot, 191-pounder had 19 of his punts travel 50 yards or more during that season.
Last year, he maintained a 43.4-yard average per punt. In five seasons, Byrns totalled 10,704 yards on 246 punts (43.5-yard average). He was also voted second-team All-Sun Belt in 2019 and 2020.
The team also added 2022 CFL Draft pick defensive back Tysen-Otis Copeland, Canadian linebacker Alec Poirier, and American defensive back Kordell Rodgers.
The team released Global running back Taku Lee and national offensive lineman Jakub Szott.
