Just when you think the team might stay pat for the coming season we are hearing that the BC Lions have moved Jovan Olafioye to the Montreal Alouettes.

One might think that the main reason for the move is his enormous salary, which might be an indication of what teams are looking at when players simply make far too much money, unlike the NFL.

Olafioye and his salary was reported to be somewhere around $200,000 which is apparently far too rich for BC saw him end up with the Al’s for that ever elusive “future considerations” player to be named at a later date.

Olafioye is six-foot, 325 lbs and just what they needed in the roster depth and apparently if the “league cap” of $5.15 million wasn’t in place he might be in the lower mainland.

Lions head coach/GM Wally Buono told the media “If we didn’t have to deal with the cap, would I have done this? Probably not.”

Olafioye had 126 consecutive starts with the Lions and was the CFL’s top lineman in 2012 and also played an instrumental part in helping BC win the Grey cup in 2011.

It’s expected that he will play left tackle and help protect the Al’s new QB Darian Durant on his blind side of the play.

He is the second so-called high profile player that the Lions have dealt as earlier in February they sent veteran DB Ryan Phillips to Montreal after he was released from BC after 12 seasons of play.

Earlier in the 2014 CFL draft Montreal selected Foucault 5th overall but the 28th year old signed with the Panthers after appearing in five games over two seasons and being released prior to training camp last season, so one can’t blame him for leaving.

His agent Darren Gill stated that “he would have signed, but it became apparent that the Al’s wanted an American starter at the tackle position, thus the reason for the move.”

We are hearing that the Lions are trying to increase the non-import depth and talent chart, while Montreal are possibly looking at moving in the other direction on the roster.

Buono said trading Oliafoye is not an indication B.C. wants to play another Canadian on its offensive line. But it does offer the Lions more options.

Buono mentioned “You’ve got to have the depth and quality to be able to back up the tackle, guard or centre and I believe by getting David, he gives us the ability to do that and it also gives you the ability to change the ratio  to put another import starter in a position maybe you didn’t do last year.

Buono continued “When you go to training camp and have all these pieces in place, then you’re not scrambling. Montreal is very fortunate to get Jovon. He’s a great guy and a very good football player but we’re fortunate to get someone of David Foucault’s skillset. He’ll determine his own fate but I’m happy we have a choice now and an option.”

Gill feels extremely confident he and Buono can hammer out a deal for the services of Foucault in the next short while and he mentioned “Wally and I have a good history of working together.”

He continued “Speaking to Wally throughout this process before the trade was executed, I feel he understands where we feel our value is.”

Thanks to Jovan for his time spent in BC.