Esks embracing new look after first few days of camp

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Eskimos team that hit the field at Commonwealth Stadium for training camp on Sunday looks quite different than did it last season.

But despite the changes that general manager Brock Sunderland made this off-season, the team is focused on the players that are still with the team, not the ones that aren’t.

“This is 2018 and once we hit the field for that first practice, or even the day before for those first meetings, we don’t look to the past,” quarterback Mike Reilly told members of the media after the team’s second day of camp.

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Mike Reilly looks to make a pass during training camp at Commonwealth Stadium (Esks.com)

“We’re building our own identity now for this team and this season,” Reilly continued. “We’ve had guys step up that maybe didn’t have that active of a role in the past year or two that are expected to be active on the field but also in that leadership position and role.”

With the Odell Willis trade and Adarius Bowman’s release during the off-season, younger players will be looked upon to step up into those roles.

Kwaku Boateng, who is heading into his second season, will likely line up on the end in place of Willis, while receivers like Bryant Mitchell, Vidal Hazelton and Duke Williams will get more reps in place of Bowman.

More recently, the Esks released Travon Van and veteran John White, leaving the reigns for C.J. Gable as the starter in the backfield this season.

“I think the guys that we’ve moved on from obviously are good players that have gone on and they’re going to contribute to the new organizations,” Maas told members of the media. “But the guys that we have in-house, the reason we made some of the decisions we made is because of those guys and how they performed in 2017.”

Gable had an incredible start to his Eskimos career last year, joining the team in September in a trade with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In just six starts with the Eskimos, the 30-year-old amassed 528 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Duke Williams will likely catch more passes this season with the departure of Adarius Bowman and Brandon Zylstra (Esks.com)

Boateng was used in a rotational role on the D-line last year, playing in all 18 regular season games and collecting 21 defensive tackles and four sacks. In seven games in 2017, Mitchell caught 32 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns while Hazelton suited up in 11 games and caught 709 yards and four touchdowns on 55 catches. Williams played in 13 games in his rookie season and caught 46 passes for 715 yards and four major scores.

Reilly and Maas both liked how the team, including the youth on the roster, looked after the first two days of camp, even if the off-season rust was still lingering.

“It’s early in camp so there’s a lot of thinking going on by some of the younger guys and some of the veterans just have to get their stuff down,” Reilly said. “Obviously, it’s not mid-season form in terms of it being the second day on the field. The energy level has been great. Defence got after it today. Offence has to step it up for tomorrow but that’s how camp goes.”

“It’s going to be physical,” said Maas, explaining what’s to come in training camp. “I can assure you that much. Mistakes will be made, like they always are early in camp, mentally. But physically, our guys will fly around, they’ll hit each other. (I’m) looking forward to it.

“That’s really football. In its essence is putting the pads on and hitting each other to see where you really are. We want to be a fast, physical football team and that’s going to start what we are tomorrow.”