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Montreal Alouettes Sign Former NFL Quarterback, Other Roster Moves

The Montreal Alouettes extended the contract of offensive lineman Justin Lawrence and signed two more players, including former NFL quarterback James Morgan.

The Montreal Alouettes have shown signs of keeping the core Grey Cup champion team together by re-signing most of their top players. They continued that trend, bringing back one of their starting offensive linemen while adding new talent to the roster.

The Alouettes extended offensive lineman Justin Lawrence’s contract through the 2025 season. The Als also announced also announced the signings of quarterback James Morgan and offensive lineman Ja'chai Baker.

“Justin has played an important role in protecting our quarterbacks. In his first year with us in 2023, he was a great fit on our offensive line,” Montreal general manager Danny Maciocia said in a statement. “He understands our playbook well and our running backs have also achieved success thanks to his blocks. We are happy to have him back.”

Lawrence started all 18 games last season for the Alouettes in his first year with the squad. He previously played for the Calgary Stampeders after being selected in the fifth round of the 2018 CFL Draft. He was with Calgary through 2021 before joining the Toronto Argonauts in 2022. He’s won three Grey Cups with three different teams and earned a 2022 CFL East All-Star selection.

Morgan joins Montreal after playing in the USFL for the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2023. His NFL career started with the New York Jets, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He played for the Jets, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals.

Baker spent the 2023 season in the XFL with the Orlando Guardians and Houston Roughnecks. He previously took part in minicamp with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. Baker played for multiple schools before finishing his college career with South Alabama.

The Als also added a note that safety Zach Lindley has retired from football. Lindley was an eighth-round pick in the 2022 CFL Draft, playing in 23 games with Montreal.

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