Eskimos who should be shown door
GERRY MODDEJONGE
One of the most difficult parts of professional sports is cutting ties with players, especially those who have been around a while. Brock Sunderland has no such reservations in his first full off-season as Edmonton Eskimos general manager, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the club. Here is who the Eskimos should release back into the free-agent pool on Feb. 13:
1)
John White III, RB:
26 years old, 5 CFL seasons, 5 with Eskimos
This is an obvious choice given the Eskimos already re-signed their primary must-have free agent in C.J. Gable, who proved to be the missing piece in Edmonton’s offensive puzzle as he slid seamlessly into the role of starting running back, bringing both a size and tenacity his previous counterparts either didn’t have or couldn’t sustain. The latter was the case with White, described as a violent downhill runner by coaches past and present. The thing is, we had to take their word for more than half the time considering the five-footeight, 185-pound White has missed a total of 49 of 90 regular-season games due to injury over his CFL career. With three more inches and close to 35 more pounds on him, Gable seems to be better equipped to absorb hits, block pass rushers and drive the pile over the goal-line.
2)
Marcus Howard, DE:
32 years old, 7 CFL seasons, 7 with Eskimos
When he’s healthy, few pass rushers compare with the pure skill and pocket-predatory instinct of Howard. The trouble is, he hasn’t been healthy enough to show it for more than stretches at a time over a seven-year career that’s seen him play 68 of a possible 126 regular-season games.
3)
Simeon Rottier, LG:
33 years old, 9 CFL seasons, 6 with Eskimos
A late bloomer who rocketed to becoming the first overall draft pick in 2009. But that was then. Now, he has missed 26 of 54 regular-season games the past three years and is approaching the lifespan on his career, if he’s not already there.
4)
Swayze Waters, K:
30 years old, 5 CFL seasons, 1 with Eskimos
Downright no-brainer here. And, through no fault of his own, something Waters should expect as an American kicker in the Canadian game. Brought in to help Edmonton’s floundering kicking game after an injury to the big boot of primary kicker/punter Sean Whyte led to trial-and-error appearances by kicker-turnedscout-turned-kicker-again Chris Milo and former Eskimos kicker Hugh O’Neill, Waters was a pedestrian 11-for-15 between the uprights and missed a pair of his 13 convert attempts in five games. But it’s his citizenship that’s counting against Waters the most with White getting re-signed earlier this month.
5)
Any returner not named Henry Williams
The shadow of the Giz still looms large over Commonwealth Stadium. How else can you account for the club having no one to speak of in the return game since Williams’s departure at the turn of the millennium? Chris Edwards and Jamill Smith took steps in the right direction last year, but this is one area where the Eskimos could help themselves out mightily in free agency.