Not much to show for constant roster changes in Edmonton

By Graham Kelly - INSIDE THE CFL on August 11, 2022.

The Edmonton Elks opened the season at B.C. Place with a 59-15 loss to the Lions. Last Friday they dropped their 8th game of the 2022 campaign, also in Vancouver, 46-14. Yes, B.C. quarterback Nathan Rourke was sensational but the Elks have also managed to lose four times between the maulings on the West Coast. They beat Hamilton and Montreal for a record of 2-6.

Before their July 22 home game vs. Winnipeg, Head Coach and General Manager Chris Jones made 10 changes to the line-up. They played well in a 24-10 losing cause. Did our hero stand pat or do a little tweaking for last week’s game? Of course not. He made a season high 12 alterations to his roster. So far, over 75 players have suited up for at least one game with the green and gold.

To what avail? You’re in for pretty slim pickings looking for football players at this time of year. As of this week, the Seattle Seahawks have 90 players in camp. There are 32 teams in the NFL, so close to 3000 athletes are not available to CFL teams who have traditionally bolstered their rosters around Labour Day after the teams to the south have made their final cuts. Not all those released will come to Canada. Certainly the NFL is the superior league when it comes to talent(not entertainment, in my opinion) but those who have coached or played on both sides of the border say most men who aren’t good enough to play in the NFL can’t make it up here, either. To run their six week training camps, NFL teams require a lot of bodies, known as cannon fodder. The best cuts won’t be available for another three weeks.

All Chris Jones’ mad scientist approach to his line-up has yielded are two wins over the Least of the East.

Is it possible the emperor has no clothes? That he’s overrated? Was Jones lucky to win the Cup in 2015 during his first stint with Edmonton? Should he be compared to Danny Maciocia who won for the EE in 2005 and has accomplished little since and according to insiders has already lost the locker room as head coach in Montreal?

Jones can learn from B.C. boss Rick Campbell. His 6-1 Lions are essentially the same group that missed the playoffs last year. The major difference is the youngster Rourke replaced the future Hall-of-Famer Mike Reilly at quarterback. Rather than make wholesale changes, Campbell stuck with his core group, providing them with stability. Jones blows his team up on a regular basis with predictable results. After his latest defeat, he recalled his pre-season promise. “We’re going to clean this locker room up. It’s going to look better than when we got here. We’ve just got to keep working.” He also said when they played their A game they are competitive. Isn’t it his job to make sure his team always brings it’s A game?

The Elk Board of Directors could soon be faced with a dilemma. Because attendance is down, so is revenue. Jones holds the top positions in the organization. They really can’t afford to fire him. As long as the faithful stay away, they can’t afford to keep him.

The Elks host Saskatchewan Saturday after which come home- and-home series against Ottawa and Calgary. They need to win four out of five.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Rockies the birds are singing, albeit, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and our neighbours are enjoying their most exciting sports season in years. Nathan Rourke jerseys are flying off the shelves at a record pace. Saturday they’re in Calgary to battle the Stamps, a big game because it could go a long way deciding who finishes second to Winnipeg and secures home field advantage for the semi-final.

While the Lions have a superb receiving corps to go with Rourke, the Stampeders have an excellent pass defence. Both teams protect their quarterback. Calgary is stronger on the ground.

Given the home team’s lengthy injury list, B.C. should be the big favourite. But the Stamps are well-coached and are very difficult to play against.

The fans at McMahon are going to see first-hand the most exciting player to enter the league in years. Treat yourself. Head to Calgary.