A team’s first preseason game can be a launching pad for some players. Some teams will opt to play the starters more in the second game ahead of the season. This means with more reps for the guys on the bubble, they need to take advantage of the opportunity when it arrives this weekend.
Yes, big storyline in Ottawa is LT with Vaughn retiring & Bull still recovering from injury. Also is a rookie so no sure thing. Biggest storyline with Als is who are their import receivers. Past Ellingson, nobody springs out. QB will be the top storyline with other 2 - nailed it.
The trenches are suspect. Have good depth in the middle of the OL but a bunch of unknown guys @ OT if Bryant or Hardrick goes down. Hodge surmised Drew Richmond as the most likely backup but was injured in July '21 & spent all that season & '22 in rehab. You called it on DL. Same story. Hansen, the 3rd guy in the rotation, won’t be ready for awhile. Jeffcoat is being paid to, hopefully, play 12 games based upon a bonus due then. Walker has all of 19 games. They can ill afford to have injuries on the DL. And they weren’t that great last year ending up 8th in sacks.
Edmonton, this year, for better or worse is pretty set on both sides of the ball. If Doerge is the only storyline there, Mr. Nye, that’s good for them. IMO they have to solidify their 2 HB positions & not sure how their kicking holds up.
Riders - OL & Offence in general. They have some new coaches there. The fact that apparently a lot of coaches turned them down says something, They don’t really match up with anyone in the West @ receiver & can they challenge defences downfield, a problem last year.
I never like to see teams not bringing in a bunch of guys to challenge players for jobs and I thought Ottawa did well - even with all their free agent signings.
Not to mention a lot of those guys are another year older. Yes it gives experience but they need better rotation to.
Same on the other side of the ball. Good contain worked OK last season but the teams that beat them threw the ball over those guys heads.
I thought there was more than that.
French played really well. Doege looked like a vet. Despite them being the “mostly rookie” crew I though the defence played OK. Elks had draft picks playing - Brodrique at MLB and Taylor at Safety. I think after game action they will get a lot out of film work this week. Taylor looked capable of playing Safety, but its a hard position to get right and you gotta direct traffic which he may have got wrong here and there.
Plamondon DE and Charles Pierre DT may well have moved up the depth chart.
Best of all the Teams looked decent at last. They played well as compared to last season.
I can’t disagree with you on those points. IMO Ffrench & Doege are likely headed to the PR. At QB & Receiver the Elks are pretty much set. The O looks VG this year & IMO the D looks much improved.
Interesting you mention Charles Pierre. I didn’t see the game but he’s a 375 lb monster who was an elite run stopper in college. With the 1st team getting reps on Saturday you might see a lineup with Ceresna & AC on the ends, Pelley & Charles Pierre in the middle @ times. That’s a lot of beef @ DT. And Ross has been taking reps there too in training camp. Jones has some really big guys who may be pushing OL’s around.
The Bombers should provide a good test. I suspect they’ll sit a pile of veterans but they’re going to have to play some veterans on OL.
Probably why Calgary ran outside so much…