The bidding for B.C. Lions defensive lineman Mathieu Betts might be fierce, however there’s a number of causes that the Leos have the within monitor to retain him.
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Even earlier than he strolled throughout the stage to select up his shiny new trophy, Mathieu Betts was going to get the bag.
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His trophy for Most Excellent Defensive Participant appeared nearly inevitable after the Montreal native’s breakout season: 18 sacks, a Canadian document, and a career-high 44 sacks as a part of an typically dominant defence that noticed the B.C. Lions make the Western closing.
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An every-down-impact defensive lineman with a Canadian passport is value each little bit of his 250 kilos in … properly, perhaps not gold, since that is the CFL, however silver on the very least. He had a base wage for a reported $160,000 when he signed in B.C. two years in the past — coming off a sack-less season in Edmonton — and hit each efficiency bonus in his contract to succeed in the $189,000 ceiling this season.
Now with a defensive participant trophy in it, that bag goes to get lots heavier for the pending free agent subsequent yr.
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Each single workforce within the nine-team league might be opening up their chequebooks to attempt to woo the ratio-busting, quarterback sacking defensive finish. His hometown Alouettes alone would fortunately take out a second mortgage to signal a personable, French-speaking star — even when they made it to this weekend’s Gray Cup with out him this yr.
The Lions are properly conscious they’re going to must pony up for his companies, however like yanking too fast on an fool mitten, pulling too onerous in a single course can smack your self within the face. There’s another notable defensive gamers who’re pending free brokers, together with linebackers Josh Woods and Ben Hladik, and defensive finish Sione Teuhema. Even the Belgian Categorical, D-lineman Tibo Debaillie, supplies value as a world designee.
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There’s not a ton of money to unfold round, however Lions co-general supervisor and director of operations Neil McEvoy isn’t in a rush to do the mathematics simply but. The Leos are nonetheless ready to exhale after their anguishing loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers final weekend, and are utilizing Cup week to take a breath, loosen up and refocus.
“We’ve received to sit down again and take a breath,” he stated. “I’m telling our guys that now; let’s not make any rash selections. Let’s sit again, take a breath, benefit from the Gray Cup after which begin working.
“I wish to preserve as many guys as I can. I nonetheless assume it is a strong workforce with a superb core of gamers. However in at the moment’s free agent world … there’s going to be change. That’s simply the fact of it. However I’m going to attempt to preserve as many guys as I can.”
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Betts is aware of the market will dictate his house subsequent yr. However there are some issues cash can’t purchase.
Motive No. 1: Relationships
“I like this workforce. I’m grateful to be a part of the Lions and having performed with wonderful teammates, nice group,” Betts stated this week. “I wish to (return) for positive … I like being right here. I loved my previous two seasons right here.
“Clearly my contract is up, and haven’t talked to anyone about something, however in fact they know I prefer it right here and now we have a connection. I had fun this yr with all the blokes; Woody (Baron), (David) Menard, Sione, (Josh) Banks. We had a superb group. I used to be blissful to share it with these guys.”
Motive No. 2: Relating his experiences
Betts didn’t know a lot in regards to the workforce nor the group when he signed in B.C. as a free agent in 2021, however the cash and the Lions’ challenge have been too good to show down. Now he’s a convert, and desires to transform his friends throughout the league too.
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The 6-3, 250-pounder had two sacks in his six-game rookie season in Edmonton, coming off two Vanier Cup-winning years at Laval. His subsequent two seasons: 12 tackles, zero sacks.
It took coming to B.C. to spark the high-motor Betts’ resurgence; seven sacks in 2022 earlier than his 18 in 2023.
“I’ve been speaking to numerous guys, making an attempt to usher in guys or no matter,” he stated. “They know now we have a superb place, now we have a superb group, they know Rick (Campbell) is nice to his gamers. Clearly they respect us as a soccer workforce, doing what we do on the sector. And Vancouver is among the very nice cities in Canada. There’s numerous good issues to be a part of right here.
“I can’t converse for anyone from free company. I personally two years in the past determined to hitch this challenge and with out actually understanding something about it. I used to be overhearing good issues in regards to the gamers, the coaches … I didn’t comprehend it for myself. Now I do know that it’s a superb place; it’s a spot that I like for positive.”
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Bonus motive: the non-football relationship
Betts and his fiancee, Camille Dalcourt, are attributable to tie the knot in January. He says she loves town and the province.
“She loves flying in for the video games and discovering a number of the nice spots round this province. We went to the Okanagan throughout one bye week and each beloved it there,” Betts advised bclions.com’s Matt Baker.
Motive No. 3: Unfinished enterprise
In each of Betts’s seasons in B.C., they’ve misplaced to Winnipeg within the West closing. This yr stung greater than final, as they felt they have been prepared as a unit to take the subsequent step.
Nicely, in 2024, the Lions will host the Cup, and so they need to play in it too.
And Betts actually seems like he desires to be there in orange and black.
“We preserve constructing. I believe you be taught and also you get higher. So I believe that’s what we’ve received to do. It’s the one resolution for us now,” he stated. “We all know the place we need to be. We all know the outcome we wish. That’s to be in that Gray Cup sport subsequent yr.”
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