Elks: Edmonton Eskimo Thread: 2018 Edition

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MoontoScott

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Jun 2, 2012
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Looks like White and Perkins have been released so clearly Gable is the go to guy. There does not appear to be another import RB in camp? Wow, pretty thin considering our injury history the last few years.

2 more receivers signed? By my count we now have 17 receivers on the roster list. Why would they sign this many? Are they going to play with one football or four?
 

Cerebral

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Aug 4, 2003
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Calgary, Alberta
Looks like White and Perkins have been released so clearly Gable is the go to guy. There does not appear to be another import RB in camp? Wow, pretty thin considering our injury history the last few years.

2 more receivers signed? By my count we now have 17 receivers on the roster list. Why would they sign this many? Are they going to play with one football or four?
There was a lot of buzz around Shaquille Cooper following the rookie camp so seeing all three of Van, White, and Perkins get caught before camp leads me to believe he's almost a lock for the backup spot. I love White but I'm glad we moved on - I just don't think he'll be able to stay healthy, and Gable is an every-down back already.

At receiver, I'm excited that Behar looks to be getting a look with the starting offence. I'm hoping we can finally develop a legit starting Canadian at receiver - Chambers was a disappointment and while Coehoorn had some flashes, he never developed into the guy I thought he'd be. Hazelton-Walker-Behar-Mitchell-Williams looks really strong to me, with Williams and Mitchell being likely breakout guys with Zylstra and Bowman out of the lineup. Add in some promising youngsters and Criner and our depth at receiver looks great.

The two positions I'm most worried about (besides safety where I hope King gets overtaken by Woodman/Hoover right away and eventually Onyeyka/Beaulieu) are linebacker and defensive line. Losing Ladler really hurts and while having a healthy Sherritt/Konar will be great (for how long though?), I'm not sold on Edwards starting yet. Hopefully there is a good competition in camp for that spot.

On defensive line, I'm worried that we're going to have the same issue we had at linebacker last year where we stuck with a Canadian at the spot even when our depth was destroyed. Boateng looked good in spurts last season but I don't see him as a regular starter yet. We don't have a ton of depth behind him, and any injury would really hurt our ratio. Bazzie should be a stud, but he's going to need a partner on the rush from the opposite side. At tackle, our depth is really hurt with Bowers retiring - Ceresna, Sewell, and Moore are a good start but I think we're going to need another legit player on the inside at some point this year.

It should be an interesting camp, and it's tough not be excited when studs like Grymes and Walker are back for the whole season. I'm dreaming that McCoil gets healthy and comes in after the NFL cuts to join Sewell and Konar.
 

joestevens29

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Apr 30, 2009
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Rottier, yes it does sound like that. But Bowers is a real idiot if he thinks he's in position to just skip camp and sign back on in the middle of July. The guy isn't even an established starter yet.
Could just be a guy that realizes his dream isn't going to happen.

The guy was in the NFL making decent coin at one time and I'm sure what he was getting in the CFL was quite the step down. At least he gave the CFL a shot, there are a ton of guys that never even give the CFL a shot.
 

Kyle McMahon

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May 10, 2006
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Could just be a guy that realizes his dream isn't going to happen.

The guy was in the NFL making decent coin at one time and I'm sure what he was getting in the CFL was quite the step down. At least he gave the CFL a shot, there are a ton of guys that never even give the CFL a shot.

Yup, if I was an American with a seven-figure bank account (Bowers would fit this category if he avoided extravagance while in the NFL), I strongly doubt I'd move to Canada to play for less than or little more than a hundred grand a season.
 

joestevens29

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Apr 30, 2009
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Hope he is a failure on the football field.
I don't know what to think. Personally I think the guy is a jackass and media whore who's had a few chances already. On the other hand he could be a guy that brings in some money and recognition for the league.

Wonder what the odds of him lasting the full two years are as well.
 

joestevens29

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Apr 30, 2009
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Yup, if I was an American with a seven-figure bank account (Bowers would fit this category if he avoided extravagance while in the NFL), I strongly doubt I'd move to Canada to play for less than or little more than a hundred grand a season.
I have to think he has some money put away otherwise I think he'd stick around a bit longer
 

Jimmi McJenkins

Sometimes miracles
Jan 12, 2006
74,794
33,495
Alberta
But why 17 receivers when it was an area of relative strength with proven starters?
Probably because they are probably easier to come by (if that makes sense) and if one of the invitees ends up being able to compete with the competent started you've made your team even better.
 

joestevens29

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Apr 30, 2009
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so Ojo was already cut. wow.
I kinda chuckled last week when fans were upset that Durant could just get up and retire like he did. Fans were complaining that it's not fair to the team.

Then you have a cut like this. Any fans feeling for the player now?
 

MoontoScott

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Jun 2, 2012
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I'm guessing that Ojo really didn't recover from that injury. It's amongst the most devastating and a lot of guys are just never the same after enduring something like this. I know of non-football players who have had it and claim that walking is never the same, never mind keeping up with wide receivers.

Perhaps he keeps rehabilitating and show up with the Esks later this year.

Like so many ex-Esks he has found out that just because you played for Jones once it doesn't mean that you are a lock to make it past training camp.
 

MoontoScott

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Jun 2, 2012
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I wonder how much John Ojo likes Chris Jones now.

A lot of these guys are still pretty young and find out the hard way (like those of us who been around a lot longer) that loyalty is hard to come by, especially in the world of pro-sports where today's hero is tomorrow's goner.
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,488
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Have to laugh at Gregor's comment yesterday " I don't even know why we are giving this guy any air time"

Well it is your show, just don't discuss Manziel if you don't want to
 

MoneyGuy

Wandering
Oct 19, 2009
6,975
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http://3downnation.com/2018/05/23/cf...er-reviewable/

The CFL Board of Governors has approved a number of rule changes for the 2018 season, including the elimination of coaches’ challenges for illegal contact on a receiver.

The rules committee made a number of recommendations in March, all of which have been adopted by the league. The other changes include:

• it is now illegal for any player to deliver a forcible block on an opponent while moving back towards his own goal line, sometimes referred to as “blindside” blocks.

• outlawed low blocks that occur outside of the “tackle box”, an area that extends from tight end to tight end and from the quarterback or kicker to two yards beyond the line of scrimmage

• widened the definition of spearing to include any situation where a player delivers a blow with his helmet as the initial or primary point of contact. This does not apply to a low running ball carrier.

• eliminated a loophole in the “sleeper” play rule by making it illegal for a player who enters the game and remains outside the numbers to receive the ball in any manner including a kick or lateral.

• simplified the rule on what constitutes a quarterback making a legal pass behind the line of scrimmage by defining it as the passer having at least one of his feet on or behind the line of scrimmage instead of requiring that the release point of the ball be behind the line of scrimmage.

• eliminated the “force out” rule by requiring a receiver catching a ball to place at least one foot inbounds regardless of whether he was contacted in mid-air.

• increased the penalty for “pyramiding” – the practice of using another player to elevate one’s self in an effort to block a kick — from five yards to ten yards to deter the behaviour.
 

MoontoScott

Registered User
Jun 2, 2012
7,718
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It's comical that the "sleeper" play was used once in the last decade and now warrants a rule change.
 

Jeffrey Pedler

Registered User
Mar 21, 2018
1,023
537
There was a lot of buzz around Shaquille Cooper following the rookie camp so seeing all three of Van, White, and Perkins get caught before camp leads me to believe he's almost a lock for the backup spot. I love White but I'm glad we moved on - I just don't think he'll be able to stay healthy, and Gable is an every-down back already.

At receiver, I'm excited that Behar looks to be getting a look with the starting offence. I'm hoping we can finally develop a legit starting Canadian at receiver - Chambers was a disappointment and while Coehoorn had some flashes, he never developed into the guy I thought he'd be. Hazelton-Walker-Behar-Mitchell-Williams looks really strong to me, with Williams and Mitchell being likely breakout guys with Zylstra and Bowman out of the lineup. Add in some promising youngsters and Criner and our depth at receiver looks great.

The two positions I'm most worried about (besides safety where I hope King gets overtaken by Woodman/Hoover right away and eventually Onyeyka/Beaulieu) are linebacker and defensive line. Losing Ladler really hurts and while having a healthy Sherritt/Konar will be great (for how long though?), I'm not sold on Edwards starting yet. Hopefully there is a good competition in camp for that spot.

On defensive line, I'm worried that we're going to have the same issue we had at linebacker last year where we stuck with a Canadian at the spot even when our depth was destroyed. Boateng looked good in spurts last season but I don't see him as a regular starter yet. We don't have a ton of depth behind him, and any injury would really hurt our ratio. Bazzie should be a stud, but he's going to need a partner on the rush from the opposite side. At tackle, our depth is really hurt with Bowers retiring - Ceresna, Sewell, and Moore are a good start but I think we're going to need another legit player on the inside at some point this year.

It should be an interesting camp, and it's tough not be excited when studs like Grymes and Walker are back for the whole season. I'm dreaming that McCoil gets healthy and comes in after the NFL cuts to join Sewell and Konar.


Boateng will be fine. He will be a double digit sack guy this year because of his motor. The man deserves to start.
 
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