The Montreal Alouettes are looking for a C-word to fill their vacant free safety position — the kind with 11 letters, not four.
“We’re going to have a competition, I can tell you that. That’s what our team’s been built on,” head coach Jason Maas told local media.
“We talk about C-words on our team a lot, and competition’s one of the biggest C-words that we have. Culture and competition — you gotta love it, you gotta want it. That’s what training camp is all about.”
The Alouettes are in need of a new man in the secondary following the retirement of veteran Canadian starter Marc-Antoine Dequoy in February. The two-time All-CFL selection had reached a deal to return to his hometown team after a drawn-out contract negotiation, but had a sudden change of heart and opted to step away from the game instead.
Maas indicated he was aware of the physical toll the last few seasons had taken on Dequoy, so his decision was not entirely unexpected.
“With injuries, and you’re getting older, and you’re more towards the end than the beginning of a career, I can always see how that weighs on people,” he said. “Am I surprised? No. Disappointed? Yeah, I’d love to have the guy back and competing and doing those things. But not every player gets to determine when they’re done, and for him to look at it that way, and believe this is what’s best for him, I can’t agree more with that. I always wish him the best and, going forward, I’m glad he’s healthy enough to walk away and be able to do things in the next chapter of his life.”
Even if Dequoy had returned this season, it would have been under the guise of a competition. Montreal has built quality Canadian depth at the position with incumbent backup Arthur Hamlin and 2025 second-round pick Nate Beauchemin, boosted by the much-anticipated signing of 2023 first-round pick Jonathan Sutherland in January.
A highly-touted selection out of Penn State, the Ottawa native arrives after bouncing around with three different NFL franchises over the past three seasons and has his head coach excited about the possibilities.
“We drafted him where we drafted him for a reason,” Maas said. “He comes from a very prestigious program down south. He was afforded a couple of opportunities in the NFL, things happen, and he’s up here now. I know when we drafted him, he came into our building right away, and you could just tell by talking with him, he’s a very mature guy. He loves football. I think he adds value to us from the get-go; it’s just a matter of where and how. But he’s the right type of individual, and watching how he plays, the competitiveness in him, he fits to what we are. I’m obviously very much looking forward to a guy like that competing to get on our roster.”
From the moment he was drafted, Sutherland has been speculated as the heir apparent to Dequoy. That their arrival and departure should line up so exactly feels fortuitous, but the reality might not be so simple. Dequoy was a college cornerback who made the transition to safety thanks to his elite speed and playmaking ability. Sutherland forged his reputation playing down in the box with the Nittany Lions, and could be more at home as a coverage linebacker.
“Everybody’s a little bit different in how they play. Sutherland played a different position than what Dequoy played in college, so he has physicality. No matter what, that’s just the type of player he’s been,” Maas said. “He’s had to be that, being closer to the box. Dequoy played further away from the box. He was still able to come down into the box and play around it, blitz off the edge and make tackles in space, but they played a different position altogether. I think anytime you’re in that linebacker mode, those guys are always looked at as physical players first before they are anything.”
“I think (Sutherland) believes he can play free safety in our league, which I don’t doubt. When I watched his film at Penn State, tackling is a big thing. He can do that, he can cover people, he can cover space, I know he can play special teams. I watched him play special teams and I watched him run down and tackle people, so I think he fits to our game. Now, whether that’s at the SAM linebacker position, WILL Linebacker position, or free safety — I think he’s multi-talented, to be quite honest with you.”
While Hamlin fits more of a traditional free safety mould, Beauchemin has also spent time in the box. At points during his rookie season, the 2024 Presidents’ Trophy winner was listed as a backup at weakside linebacker.
The team’s current plan is to audition both of them for the vacant position, with the flexibility to pivot to another spot if either loses out in the competition.
“I think they’re both gonna dictate where they play, to be honest with you. I think they’re both capable of playing multiple places on our defence, on our special teams. I don’t think you can pigeonhole either one of them,” Maas said. “Is (safety) where they’re gonna start? Sure, but I know (defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe) will have a couple of ideas in his mind. The best players play, and the best players play all over the place. I think we’ll find homes for everybody.”
Maas insists that all three players — Sutherland, Hamlin, and Beauchemin — have a legitimate chance to fill Dequoy’s shoes. None can be counted out of a position battle that should take top billing throughout the preseason.
“It’ll be a major competition in camp. It’ll be one of those things I think everybody will be looking at, who can take advantage of this opportunity being given. What’s best for the Alouette defence? That’s who’s gonna play,” he said.
“It’s gonna be a good battle for those three guys starting out at free safety, and I know Noel will do a good job of whoever starts, the other guy’s probably gonna have another position to play, another package to play. And then of course, all three of those guys are gonna be stout on special teams for us. We’re in very good hands in that position.”
