The Edmonton Eskimos empire rises again in 2016, built on the foundations of a Grey Cup winning defense from 2015. From the preseason game in Calgary, Eskimos fans have acquired a deeper understanding of what the identity of the 2016 Eskimos will be. On defensive the Eskimos will still have a championship swagger, but there is a more aggressive tone to the style of play.
Last season, the Eskimos defense played fast and tackled hard mixing an attacking philosophy that showcased distinctive blitzing packages. In 2016, the speed and quickness is still there along with the tackling, but there is a tenacity and physicality that is intended to intimidate being mixed in with complex coverage schemes.
Front Seven Bullies
Against the Calgary Stampeders the Eskimos defense, even in vanilla preseason packages, looked to bully their opposition with their linebacking crew. The new bullies on the block on Saturday were players like SAM linebacker Kenny Ladler, will linebacker Deon Lacey and middle linebacker Jimmy Gaines, who had two tackles and fumble recovery while in for J.C. Sherritt. Also at middle linebacker / will linebacker Darryl McBride Jr., who played behind Gaines, had an interception giving the coaching staff something to think about.
Ladler is a hands-on defender who works to move the receiver off their route line and is also a solid tackler who had 3 defensive tackles versus the Stamps. He can also turn into a ball hawking and stripping dangerous nickel defensive back, who had a NCAA-leading five forced fumbles in his senior year at Vanderbilt. Ladler will look to keep the Most Outstanding Rookie streak alive for the Eskimos that was started by another unknown newcomer in 2014 by Dexter McCoil.
Even in the preseason, the Battle of Alberta comes into play and players are looking to win a job by showing they can play with intensity against the Eskimos main rival. During the Eskimos run of five Grey Cups from 1978-82 David Boone, Ron Estay, Dave Fennell and Bill Stevenson formed the famed ‘Alberta Crude’ defensive line who intimidated opposing offensive lines.
The latest version of the defensive line features Odell Willis, Eddie Steele and Almondo Sewell with new Eskimo Sam Montgomery who is listed as defensive end / defensive tackle. He had 1.5 sacks against the Stamps. Montgomery has made a case for himself showing a high motor and mean streak that if focused will contribute to the resurgence of nastiness of the Edmonton Eskimos empire.
Along with Montgomery, defensive end Reuben Frank was consistently pressuring the Stamps quarterback and had one of the four sacks the Eskimos had in Calgary. Daniel Ross made a name for himself with a forced fumble against Calgary and may have won the backup defensive tackle job behind Sewell. However, so did defensive tackle / defensive end Cedric McKinley who put a massive lick on Drew Tate in what was a chippy preseason game at McMahon stadium.
Secondary Shifts
Most teams run the CFL standard 4-2-5-1 nickel defense, but most defenses were switched in 2015 from man-to-man to zone coverage packages due to rule enforcement changes. The perception of defensive coordinators around the CFL was that the use of bump-and-run coverage would result in penalties in the secondary. In their Grey Cup run, the Eskimos proved that man-to-man with bump-and-run coverage with shifting looks could win a championship. The attacking style was predicated on platooning players at most positions, allowing the defense to play with a high motor pressuring and rallying the ball carrier.
Mike Benevides, who received Chris Jones–like accolades before Jones’ rise to fame, continues to demand similar attributes and more from the Eskimos secondary. In 2016, the Eskimos defense is even more complex, using a series of shifts and drops making the nickel defense even more effective against the standard CFL spread offense. The key to the coverage other than Ladler will be the defensive back Cord Parks who has moved in front of Deion Belue in the battle to replace Aaron Grymes.
Parks showed well against the Stamps with an interception providing evidence that he is ready to return to 2013 form where he contributed six interceptions in Benevides’ defense. Parks an explosively fast, hard hitting, cover defensive back can contribute to the intimidation factor when paired with John Ojo on the corner. The Parks and Ojo duo will often draw the tougher assignments and combined with Ladler to blanket the primary targets of the opposition passing game.
An injury to Cauchy Muamba has made way for Neil King at free safety who had 7 defensive tackles, 3 special teams tackles and was around the ball often in the first preseason game. A nicked up Pat Watkins on the opposite side corner from Ojo has provided an opportunity for Garry Peters who showed well with physicality and a forced fumble at the start of the 4th quarter against Calgary. The book on Peters is that he can crowd and bully receivers in press coverage again adding to the tenacity of the defense.
Preseason Clarity
Preseason football is often progressively elaborate and after the first preseason game Eskimo fans can draw a number of conclusions of how the will Edmonton Eskimos empire rise again defensively. Lacey, Sherritt and Ladler will be the starting line backing core. SThe defensive line starters will include Willis, Steele, Sewell and most likely Montgomery. Ojo, Parks and Marcell Young will all be starters in the secondary, but Watkins is hurt and if he can’t start Peters will get a shot at corner next to Young, and King will start if Muamba cannot be the starter.
The final bit of clarity that Eskimo fans have discovered is that the new-look Eskimos defense will use disguises and shifts in schemes all intended to create an advantage through unpredictability.
There are still some questions to be answered mostly around second teamers who will platoon with the starters to keep the defense fresh for all four quarters. The Eskimos cut down to a 65-man roster on June 14th, where more answers will be provided.
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