The Montreal Alouettes announced the extension of 3 players on Tuesday, as Canadian defensive back Arthur Hamlin, American offensive lineman Des Holmes, and American defensive back Don Callis were all extended through the 2027 season.
DB Arthur Hamlin (6’0, 190 lbs)
The extension of Arthur Hamlin is a key future-proofing move, locking down who is projected to be the team’s starting safety this season for an extra season. He was taken 29th overall in the 2024 CFL Draft and has since played in 28 CFL games with 6 starts, recording 22 tackles. With Marc Antoine Deqouy now retired, Hamlin will have big shoes to fill.
Hamlin played well when called upon over his young career. Last season, he had 4 starts and received strong grades from Pro Football Focus with a 73.9 overall defensive grade over the season.
OL Des Holmes (6’5, 303 lbs)
Holmes had 5 starts last season over the regular season, which was his first in the CFL, and also started in the East-Semi Final. Holmes had the single best game among left guards from my perspective when he allowed only 1 pressure in the East Semi-Final and helped open holes for Stevie Scott to rush 133 yards, the most in a CFL playoff game since 2021, leading to him being recognized on our All-November Team.
DB Don Callis (5’11, 181 lbs)
Callis played his first CFL season last year and appeared in 4 regular-season games and recorded 2 special teams tackles. He would also dress in the East Final and Grey Cup. He recorded 7 defensive tackles this past preseason. Before joining Montreal, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Troy in 2024, however, he was injured a few days prior to the preseason. We have not yet seen a lot of Callis in the CFL yet, but Montreal's strong track record of getting talented pieces in their secondary leads me to believe that the defensive backs they want to keep around are players to keep an eye on.
“Hamlin has developed at an impressive pace since joining us,” stated Alouettes’ General Manager Danny Maciocia. “He is ready to take on greater responsibilities, and we are ready to give him more. Callis and Holmes provide us with excellent depth; they are two very talented players, and I am extremely pleased with the progress they have made over the past year.”