The Montreal Alouettes made a big move on Wednesday bringing back Canadian defensive end Lwal Uguak. Uguak was an essential piece of the puzzle in Montreal’s Grey Cup run and was subsequently signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now he is back in the nest to help Montreal pursue the goal of being back-to-back champs.
Uguak played in all 3 of the preseason games with Tampa which saw him record 2 tackles including a sack as well as a knockdown. He played primarily on the interior of the defensive line in the preseason and finished with a strong grade from Pro Football Focus with the third-highest grade on the Buccaneers. He was also named to PFF’s Team of the Preseason.
Unfortunately, he was placed on Tampa’s injured reserve with a shoulder injury on August 28 and waived from injured reserve on September 5.
Uguak played in every game for the Alouettes in 2023 after being drafted in the first round of the CLF Draft 7th overall. His first 12 games saw him listed as a 2nd-string defensive end before being elevated to being a starter for the final 6 regular season and all 3 playoff games. He recorded 17 tackles, 5 passes defended, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble over the regular season.
He began to look like a future star late in the season as he recorded 4 sacks in the final 5 games of the season. The 3 playoff games saw him tally 11 tackles and 3 passes defended. By my count over the playoffs, he had 8-run stops, 6 QB hurries, and 2 more assisted run stops. In the Grey Cup, I tallied 4 run stops, 2 QB hurries, and a shared run stop.
Uguak’s return to Montreal is a significant boost to their status as the current Grey Cup favorite. Last year he showed himself to have potential to be a star as a CFL rookie. He recently showed he can make a significant impact at the NFL level as he continues to improve. His versatility to contribute in the pass rush as well as aiding in stopping the run will be essential. Montreal has seen their opponents have success running the football against them in their last 3 games which is an area that Uguak can contribute in.
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