It’s crunch time as cuts deadline looms
Head coach Maas says final cuts for players still a moving target
The pre-season schedule went by in a flash — two games in six days — and there are still plenty of unanswered questions left at Edmonton Eskimos training camp.
With such a short window in which to evaluate his players in game situations, head coach Jason Maas is placing a heavy emphasis on the last few days of practice heading into Sunday’s final cuts.
That’s right, we talkin’ ’bout practice.
“You still have to compete and finish,” said Maas. “Impressions have been made. You don’t discount two pre-season games and all the practices that we’ve had, but we haven’t gone back-to-back with pads on yet and now we’re going three in a row here.
“Guys have to be able to make it through that and give us a glimpse into their soul a little bit and see if they really want it or not.
“We’ve already had two games, they’re already in the books, they can never get those days back, but they can still make an impression these next two days with full pads on and a scrimmage-style practice (Thursday), where we’re going to test them mentally and physically.”
It isn’t an ideal situation with six days of practice, two games in less than a week, then five days of practice until final cuts, but Maas doesn’t have any issues working around the schedule they’ve been given.
“We’re still getting a lot of work in,” he said. “We’re able to get pads on and get a lot out of this work week. Mentally it’s great because we can push the guys now, we can get all the things we need in and we can also do a refresher.”
EVERY SNAP COUNTS
Everyone on the bubble would have liked another game or two to show the coaching staff what they can do, but the logistics don’t allow for it. That means with almost 90 players vying for 46 roster spots, there isn’t a lot of time to make an impression.
Every snap counts, whether there are 25,000 people in the stands or you’re running routes at 9 a.m. in an empty stadium.
“You have to take advantage of every touch you get, every carry you get on the field,” said running back Shaq Cooper, who picked up 70 yards and a touchdown in the first pre-season game, then didn’t play much in the second. “You try to make every play your best. You have to take every rep you get like it’s a game.”
Running back Jordan Robinson, who ran a punt back for a TD in the pre-season loss to Winnipeg and scored on a 37-yard run in the win over Saskatchewan, came into this camp knowing he had to treat every play like it was his last.
“There are so many guys out here and the coaches have to get everybody reps, so you can’t be upset about (not getting as many touches as you’d like),” he said, “You have limited amount of opportunities and you have to make the most of them when your number is called.”
Where is Maas in the evaluation process? It depends on the day. He
We’re able to get pads on and get a lot out of this work week. Mentally it’s great because we can push the guys now, we can get all the things we need in and we can also do a refresher.
says the final cuts are still a moving target.
“The players understand that they’re evaluated every single day. They ’re moved up and they ’re moved down based on their performance every single day.
“The players are the first ones to realize who is playing better than who. They know that we can only keep a select number of guys. There is barely a backup for every position, so guys have to understand that if you have an off day and someone plays lights out, they are probably going to move ahead of you. It’s just the reality of pro football and small rosters.”
Maas says physical ability weighs heavily in his decision-making process, but there is a lot more to a football player than being able to run fast, hit hard or make nice catches. He’s looking for the complete package: athleticism, intelligence, character, toughness and a desire to improve every day.
“There are a whole bunch of factors that work into becoming an Eskimo, not the least of which is the physical stuff on the field,” he said. “But when it’s even there, you start looking at all the other attributes. If they have those, that might put someone ahead.”