Eskimos defensive line has tough act to follow
Expectations are high as much-heralded acquisition Bazzie suits up at mini-camp
They’re typically the ones applying the pressure.
But this year, the pressure’s on the Edmonton Eskimos defensive line to perform following reconstructive surgery over the offseason that’s left the unit with a noticeable facelift.
No longer will Odell Willis, Marcus Howard, Phillip Hunt or John Chick rush opposing quarterbacks from the edge.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of changes, and it’s exciting because these guys are obviously competing,” Eskimos defensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach Mike Benevides said.
“We’ve got tons of work to do, but when you look at the guys who are competing, it’s great.
“I love Odell, miss Odell, Howie and Phillip, but at the end of it, cyclical change is pro sports and these guys have opportunity.”
In fact, with the exit of troubled Euclid Cummings to free agency (before having his contract with the B.C. Lions shredded by the CFL due to legal issues), defensive tackle Almondo Sewell is the sole surviving member of last year’s starting crew.
“’We also have a couple of guys that played last year, too: Da’Quan Bowers, he’s there; Mike Moore, he’s back; and (Kalonji) Kashama, he came on late in the year, but I’m the only (starter) on the D-line now,” Sewell said.
“We’ve got to pick it up even more and jell even faster because a lot of us haven’t played in so long.”
Still, if you only get to keep one piece of the starting puzzle, Benevides says it’s perennial CFL allstar Sewell every time.
“There’s no doubt about it, when you take a look at the position he plays, the cycle he’s in his career, he’ll take three guys up and try to let the other guys get one-onones,” Benevides said. “Mondo’s the veteran inside to hold it down, and everybody else on the edge, we don’t know who they are but we’ll find some.
“The identity’s not going to change, we’re going to be an attacking 4-3 defence. It helped us be the No. 2 pass defence last year, it helped us be in the top three in terms of sacks and rushes, pressures, but the names will be different.”
One new piece coming in is freeagent acquisition Alex Bazzie, who donned the green and gold for the first time here in mini-camp after spending the past four seasons with the B.C. Lions, including posting 10 sacks as a rookie under thenhead coach Benevides.
“I’ve seen a lot of maturity in Alex, obviously,” Benevides said.
“He was a rookie with me. That was four years ago. He got the 10 sacks real quick and, like any other rookie, it was hard for him to maintain the physical play for 18 games.
“But Alex is a high-energy guy, he has an understanding of things, he could drop back and do some different aspects to the football game and how we play schematically,” he continued.
After returning to the Canadian Football League last season following a bid down south that saw National Football League stops with the Indianapolis Colts, the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals, Bazzie is looking for a place to call home.
“Whirlwind was definitely the word for it,” the six-foot-two, 228-pound Marshall product said. “There was a lot going on and everything was going by fast. It was like one team after another team after another.
“There was no stability, but I had a great experience inside of it, and just to be here now with the Edmonton Eskimos and to know I’m with a team for two years or however long it may be, this is good. I’m stable and I can just be myself and get used to the guys that I’m working with these next few years. I might find a home here and I’ll love it.”
In the meantime, Sewell has found himself beside one of his biggest fans.
“Most definitely, he’s a great veteran to be around. Actually, being on other teams, that’s a guy I watched and said, ‘ Wow, he plays so violent, he plays the game how it’s supposed to be played,’” Bazzie said.
“This team really has a competitive nature in them, regardless of what side of the ball, special teams or any of that.
“Being around guys like that, it’s made my first few days here real easy going and real fun.
“It’s been a good start. I haven’t had to do anything crazy for being a part of the team, but the guys are very warm-welcoming even before I stepped foot on the field with them.”
We’re going to be an attacking 4-3 defence ... but the names will be different.