WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS ...
What Esks fans need to know about mini-camp
You can’t take the Canadian out of the Canadian Football League, but you can certainly take the CFL out of Canada. For a little while. The Edmonton Eskimos are holding their annual mini-camp in Las Vegas starting today until Tuesday. Gerry Moddejonge runs down some of the top storylines heading into Sin City. 1.MORE LIKE ‘MANY’ CAMP
As in, the many bodies that will be on the field. For the first time, the Eskimos are bringing their entire roster to mini-camp, which is normally reserved for quarterbacks and a handful of veteran faces to help with running drills and putting up-and-coming American prospects through their paces.
This time, however, the invitation was extended to many of the 85 players already under contract, plus however many new faces the Eskimos have under scrutiny.
The host of hopefuls will look to move on to main training camp in Edmonton when rookie camps open across the league May 16, while the 33 Eskimos who are either new to the club or didn’t see playing time last year will use this weekend as an opportunity to prove themselves.
2.BACK IN THE SADDLE
Mini-camp will take place without the participation of any Eskimo whose season was cut short by injury. That’s no small number, given the Eskimos’ injury parade in 2017 led to the CFL’s first injured salary list that topped the $1-million mark.
Veteran middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt was one of the lucky ones, if you can call it that, to return to practice in the playoffs after suffering an Achilles injury on opening day. Others weren’t as fortunate.
He kicked off a snowball of injuries that caught up to the team after a 7-0 start that was made even more impressive the longer it went on and the more replacements ended up being fielded.
Instead of mini-camping this week, the walking wounded will continue rehabilitating for another month before training camp.
3.BACKFIELD BATTLE
A week after Sherritt went down, running back John White followed with a season-ending knee injury. It ushered in a turnstile of replacement backs, who had varying degrees of success — along with injury struggles of their own — while contributing to the top net offence in the league.
But nobody made a bigger impact than C.J. Gable, who landed with the Eskimos in a trade from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Oct. 2, averaging 88 rushing yards the rest of the way and through the playoffs. Safe to say, it’s Gable’s job to lose.
White was released in December, only to be signed back on Feb. 15. Assuming they can only keep one in the salary cap, White’s got some ground to make up. Especially after missing nearly two full seasons over three years due to injury.
4.D-LINE IN THE SAND
Things are going to look different up front on Edmonton’s defence this year. No more Odell Willis or Phillip Hunt. No more Marcus Howard or his replacement, John Chick, either.
Not one of them was under the age of 32, unlike the youth movement that’s about to take over everywhere but the spot locked down by perennial CFL all-star defensive tackle Almondo Sewell. Free-agent pickup Alex Bazzie, 27, trade acquisition Jake Ceresna, 23, and practice roster up-and-comers Devonte Fields, 24, and Darius Allen, 26, will look to make a mark, while Canadian Kwaku Boateng, 23, will build on an outstanding rookie season.
It’s a new era for the unit that acted as the tip of the spear while leading the charge to the Eskimos’ last Grey Cup in 2015.
5.DEPARTED NFLERS
The Eskimos are looking to replace their top receiver and top defensive playmaker.
With Brandon Zylstra using his league-leading receiving yards last year to springboard into a futures contract with the Minnesota Vikings, and cover linebacker Kenny Ladler taking part in OTAs at safety with the Washington Redskins, their former teammates are left with some big cleats to fill.
Mini-camp will offer the first glimpse into what sort of answers the coaching staff came up with over the off-season. Of course, there is always a chance the answer doesn’t come from in-house and the Eskimos discover the next Zylstra-esque diamond in the rough.