Shawn Oakman poised to become towering force on Alouettes' defensive line

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At age 33 and potentially nearing the end of his CFL career, defensive-lineman Shawn Oakman wants at least one more opportunity to win a Grey Cup.

And after spending last season with Edmonton, which went 7-11, missed the playoffs and fired general manager and head coach Chris Jones after an 0-5 start, the tackle was seeking stability.

“It wasn’t about the wins and losses in Edmonton,” Oakman said this week after a practice. “I had a different role. They had a lot of young guys there that needed my help. The wins that we got were great, but it was more about growing.”

There shouldn’t be any growing pains in Montreal. The team won the Grey Cup in 2023 and had the league’s best record (12-5-1) last season before imploding in the East Division final against Toronto. Even with new starting quarterback Davis Alexander, the Als should be competitive in 2025, prompting Oakman to sign a one-year, free-agent deal in February.

The 6-foot-8, 280-pound behemoth is looking forward to playing under defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe. And the feeling is mutual.

“It’s a dominant, in-your-face defence,” said Oakman, a Philadelphia native. “That’s my mentality. That’s my personality. It should be a perfect fit. He (Thorpe) is an attack coach. He wants our defence to attack and get after the quarterback, crush down on short passes. I think I should fit right in.”

In 14 games last season with Edmonton, Oakman had 32 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. He signed with the Elks as a free agent after three seasons with the Argonauts. In 53 career games, he has 122 tackles, 21 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception.

Oakman won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2022. The Als host the Argonauts Friday at 7:30 p.m. in their regular-season opener.

“As a coach, you look at the body of work there,” Thorpe said. “He’s a big fit for us. When we got him, it was great news. It’s not only what you see on the field, but there’s also the work ethic, how he approaches practice, how he conducts himself in the meeting rooms. He’s a consummate pro.

“He has been in the league and you’ve been able to watch him from an opposite sideline, see how disruptive he can be and the problems he causes, ” Thorpe added. “He’s a challenge to block. That’s a guy you want on your team. The guy has been outstanding for us and is a great fit. He has that blue-collar, hard-working mentality.”

Oakman won’t be the only addition to Thorpe’s defence.

Byron Vaughns could start at rush end, while Tiawan Mullen should be one of the outside linebackers. Both are import rookies.

Vaughns, 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, spent two years at the University of Texas before transferring to Utah State. Although he was the most valuable defensive player in the Mountain West 2021 championship game, it’s considered a small conference. So he completed his college career at Baylor. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent last season, but didn’t play a game for them.

Vaughns had a sack in Friday’s final exhibition game at Ottawa and, knowing final cuts were coming on Saturday, said he had a couple of stiff drinks to ensure he slept. He also probably had a good feeling that night he would survive.

“It was a blessing to wake up (Saturday) and not get that phone call,” said the native of Fort Worth, Tex. “It will be extra motivation throughout the season knowing the team trusts me as a rookie. Other than being 6-foot-4 and 230, 235 (pounds) I think I had a great day (against Ottawa) on special teams. That’s where a lot of opportunities get overlooked. Those were the opportunities I had to make the best of.”

Thorpe said he likes Vaughns’ ability to rush the quarterback, versatility and change of direction. With only three weeks of training camp and two exhibition games, rookies must make their mark early and often with the coaches.

“When given the opportunity, they have to make plays,” Thorpe said. “That’s how you earn a spot on a team. When the opportunity presented itself, those guys made plays. That put them in position to get on the roster. It’s always about the effort level and how they pursue. It’s about physicality.”

Meanwhile, it appears Canadian Sean Thomas-Erlington will be the starting tailback against Toronto, backed up by import rookie Travis Theis.