Catch them ... if you can
Mix of veterans, newcomers to vie for seven receiving corps jobs
Not only will the Edmonton Eskimos have a new pitcher this season, and not only will he probably be Steven Jyles, the starting quarterback will have a passel of new catchers, as well.
Or, at least, new to Edmonton.
On a revamped team, the receiving corps is a blend of stellar holdovers like Fred Stamps, Adarius Bowman, Marcus Henry, Canadians Nate Coehorn and Tyler Scott, and free-agent newcomers Cary Koch, Greg Carr, Aaron Hargreaves and Matt Carter.
Jyles, it turns out, flung passes to the likes of Carr, Hargreaves and Bowman during his stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2010, so they should have some rapport from the start.
They’ll all be part of the competitive mix at an Eskimos training camp that will feature some compelling battles for seven starting jobs.
“Those are the guys we feel provide us with depth,” Reed said of the incoming talent. “You know, once bitten, twice shy. When we had four starters who were injured and out for three-plus weeks (in 2011), we really felt the effects of that.”
“So, we want to make certain we have quality depth,” Reed said. “For the most part, we have two, possibly three Canadians that could be viable backups, if they don’t win a starting position.”
Reed also will be eyeballing 29-year-old CFL rookie Yamon Figurs, a speedster who has had NFL stints with Baltimore, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Cleveland and Tennessee, proving he not only gets around, he has been around.
More important, he’s also a kick-return wizard, an office that has not been filled with much distinction with the Eskimos since the retirement of Gizmo Williams.
Size is a key variable for Hargreaves (six-foot-four, 223 pounds), Carr (six-foot-six, 214) and Carter (six-foot-one, 199). Hargreaves and Carter rate themselves as deceptively fast. There’s no disguising Carr’s length or his straightahead speed.
“We know we’re only going to go as far as we push ourselves and as hard as we work,” Carr said. “On paper, the numbers look good, but if we’re not putting in the work, the effort and the dedication, it means nothing.”
Carr spent the off-season at his home in Ocala, Fla., an area noted for the breeding of thoroughbred horses, including 1956 Kentucky Derby winner Needles and ’78 Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Along with fitness coach, Chris Hickman, Carr put in plenty of off-season preparatory work.
“I’m more interested in picking up a little more MMA (mixed martial arts),” Carr said. “I feel that conditioning has really helped me a lot. It builds more muscle endurance. It has taken me to a whole other level.”
Carter arrives in Edmonton after three years with the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton. He caught 30 balls for a total of 346 yards — modest numbers he believes are deceptive, like his speed.
“I was fortunate enough to be playing, but I was playing the field-side receiver spot, the furthest guy away from the football,” Carter said. “You only see so many balls out there, and I don’t think my stats are (indicative) of the type of player that I am.”
Carter feels he’s best deployed as a slotback, but knows he has to compete for a spot wherever the Esks choose to play him.
“I run as well as a lot of the guys in this league do,” Carter said. “I might not look like it, but I can get over top (deep). I’m just hoping to get a fair shake and go from there.’
Same goes for Koch, briefly part of a fabulous receiving corps in Saskatchewan, along with Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg, Weston Dressler and Chris Getzlaf.
“Me and the Riders split paths when I finished up last season,” said Koch (pronounced Coke). “Basically, they told me to prepare for free agency.
“When I broke my hand last year, rightfully so, they had to fill my spot. When I came back, it just wasn’t the same relationship we had when I was playing. No bad water, that’s the business. They had to move on and so did I.”
Koch has a nasty scar that meanders down the inside of his left thumb, a reminder of the corrective surgery he had to repair the damage inflicted when he was trying to catch “fluke ball.”
But after a 2010 campaign in which he caught 21 balls for 299 yards, a 14.2-yard average and three touchdowns, Koch caught just 11 passes for 101 yards in 11 games in 2011.
Edmonton’s situation, crowded though it may be, is exciting to him.
“It seems like we’re having just a stockpile of receivers,” Koch said. “It’s going to be good because we’re all going to learn from each other.
“That’s what training camp is for is to get everyone better around you. At the end of it ... there will be people who set themselves apart. I’m excited to see the competition in all of us.”
Rather than watching the pitchers, a savvy fan might want to keep his eye on the catchers doing their training camp reps. The competition could be quite a show.