With Thursday being a travel day, the Eskimos concluded their practice week on Wednesday in preparation for their Friday night rematch against the Redblacks in the Nation’s capital.
Here are some news and notes circulating around the Eskimos practice this week.
Injuries
- Greg Wojt was injured against Ottawa early in the second quarter. Eskimo statement confirmed a concussion. Wojt didn’t practice this week and was put on the injured reserve list when the stating game roster was released. Coach Jones confirmed Wojt will be a week-to-week decision.
- Running back Chad Simpson was banged up against Ottawa and was eventually replaced by Kendall Lawrence. Simpson didn’t practice much during the week and is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
- Adarius Bowman left practice early on Tuesday after tweaking an ankle. He addressed the media, saying “It’s bumps and bruises and getting older.” Bowman just had a birthday and has been 30 for five days. Ah, to be young again. He jokingly asked the media circle for ice. Bowman’s a gamer; he’ll play and play well.
Game Preparation
- Playing the same team twice in a week presents different challenges for each game. Coach Jones mentioned the Eskimos had “a couple of different plans” in place but will add “a few wrinkles to what they want to do in all three phases” for Friday’s game.
- The Eskimos practiced with loudspeakers during the week to get used to the intimate and noisy TD Place Stadium in Ottawa. Coach Chris Jones said, “It’s electric. They’re excited about their football team and they’re loud for 25 or 30 thousand people but it seems like there’s more than that because they are so loud.”
Roster Moves
- Two International defensive backs signed: Kacy Rodgers and Jeremy Williams were added to the practice roster. When asked about the signings, Head coach Chris Jones said it was “more for depth purposes”. Coach Jones is known for running intense practices, so if an injury occurs, they need a player who can step in and contribute without any disruption.
- The Eskimos made a couple of moves to address their depth on the O-line. They parted ways with International Linebacker Keith Reynolds then signed former Eskimo Offensive Lineman Brian Ramsay. The combination of Wojt’s concussion and Groulx’s inexperience at the CFL level prompted all of this.
- Shakir Bell has taken off the practice roster and moved to the active roster. Chad Simpson will be moved to the one game injured list. Bell should be on the game roster when it is released tomorrow.
This and That
- A report had surfaced that Eskimo linebacker Dexter McCoil’s agent was suing the Edmonton Eskimos about his contract. McCoil set the record straight and said that’s not the case. Here’s the skinny on the issue: When a team signs a new player to a contract, the team must present a minimum contract first (one year with an option), before any other contract is offered. Apparently the Eskimos jumped ship and offered the 2-year deal first. It’s a glitch that McCoil’s agent spotted, and he is in contact with the CFLPA to have it resolved. Worst case scenario is the Eskimos go back to McCoil and offer the base contract to straighten the mess up. The whole story got blown out of proportion before the facts were known. It really isn’t an issue.
- Eskimos rookie Offensive lineman Danny Groulx took a lot of first team reps during practice and may start in Ottawa at left guard with the injury to veteran Greg Wojt. Coach Chris Jones loves his size, strength and mobility but Groulx was guilty of a holding penalty against Ottawa that negated a big run play.
- The Eskimos may have finally found a regular kick returner in rookie Skye Dawson. After getting a below average rating from Coach Jones for his play against the Argos in game one, Coach Jones improved the rating to “he did okay” behind a coy smile when asked about Dawson’s play against Ottawa. Coach Jones stated through the week Dawson’s only job is to catch the ball then get up field. “At this point, anything more than first down yardage is a plus.” Dawson had nine punt returns for 168 yards while fielding two kickoffs for 45 yards.
- Kendall Lawrence is one hell of a football player. A throwback to what an all-purpose back should be, the stalky Lawrence does it all. He is productive as a running back, is an excellent receiver, and can return both punts and kickoffs. With Bowman nursing a tender ankle, Lawrence can easily fill in should Bowman not be able to finish the game. My guess is the Eskimos will run the ball by committee against Ottawa. Running back Chad Simpson is day to day with an undisclosed injury and should be replaced by Shakir Bell who took most of the reps in practice this week. If Bell isn’t productive, Lawrence can easily step in to run the rock.
