More Esks, CFL.
The Edmonton Eskimos opted to not re-sign defensive halfback Weldon Brown when his contract expired earlier this year, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders are glad they did.
“He plays consistently good, he plays at a high level, I think he’s the ultimate pro,” said Saskatchewan head coach Corey Chamblin. “He’s a hard worker. You don’t notice him in the way he does his job. It’s not a bad thing. He just does his job 100 miles an hour.”
While the Eskimos are starting three new players in their defensive backfield (Canadian Mike Miller makes his first start at safety, defensive back Marcell Young was signed as a free agent from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and rookie Aaron Grymes makes his CFL debut at cornerback), Brown is playing defensive halfback and the hybrid linebacker/defensive back position that T.J. Hill plays with the Eskimos.
“You have to be a strong, physical but smart player,” Chamblin said about the “dime” position. “That’s what Weldon is.”
Brown, 26, was introduced to the dime and also learned from Hill “how to be a pro” when he joined the Eskimos in 2010, but never played the position during three seasons in Edmonton.
“I didn’t think dime was going to be as fun as it was,” said the five-foot-10, 185-pound Brown, who hails from Shreveport, La. “I’m looking forward to this year. I know it’s going to be exciting. I’m a Roughrider now.”
Brown admitted that he would have stayed in Edmonton “if everything was taken care of (with a new contract)” and said it was “a little awkward” being at Commonwealth Stadium with a different team for Friday’s walkthrough practice.
“But I’ve got a new home now,” he said. “I’m a Roughrider, so I’m not complaining at all. I’m ready to play.”