4/14/2008 11:06:15 PM
Movin and Shakin

Offensive Backfield

Anybody who followed the Eskimos in the 2007 season should not be shocked by the amount of changes that we have made this offseason so far. Although, I'm sure some of the changes that we made were shocking in themselves, our missing the playoffs last year for the second time in a row is enough cause on most teams to make changes from top to bottom. Thankfully, the management on this team didn't make wholesale changes and gut the team. They did however, complete some big moves in the last 5 months and with a few weeks left until camp and the draft around the corner, more moves could be in the works. I'm quite partial to some of the guys that we lost, so seeing guys go elsewhere is difficult for me. As a student of the game though, I certainly understand each of the moves that we've made, and do think that we got better as a team with the moves that we've made this year.

Offensively, we traded player for player in a lot of positions which comes down to many different factors in deciding which player goes and who comes in. At quarterback we essentially lost an unproven player with a world of potential in Steven Jyles, but gained somewhat of a folk hero and proven leader/champion in Jason Maas. I love Steven Jyles and think that he can be a very good qb in this league if he gets the right coaching and opportunities, but with Ricky being as young as he is, and Stefan Lefors showing the way that he did last year…I just can't see how he would have developed here. Having played with Maas in Hamilton where he was the face of one of the oddest and most difficult seasons that I've been a part of or even seen in football, I became a big fan of his. It may seem odd to become a fan of a quarterback while he's having the worst year of his career and you're both a part of an offense that is setting records for ineptitude, but what I saw from Jason at that time is resiliency, and integrity. He never blames anyone but himself, not a receiver for a drop or a wrong route, not a lineman for a missed assignment resulting in his torn labrum. He views everything that happens on the offensive side of the ball as his responsibility, and that's something that I can relate too. Even if a qb throws behind me 4 times in a row, it's my own fault in my mind because I'm not getting enough separation by his viewing angle to allow him to see that he can throw it further. I think that his addition to this team that he has led and been a part of for so long, that he has won with and played his best ball with, in this city that he and his family live, that has been so therapeutic for him will be a fantastic change for him. I view ours as the deepest stable of proven quarterback talent in the league without exception…which is a nice feeling to go into camp with as a slotback.

At the running back position, we parted with Tyler Ebell in favor of Damien Anderson which I'm sure has some fans concerned given how well Tyler played when he was in for us this year. Tyler Ebell is a talent, there's no mistaking that. He's a unique blend of speed, power and elusiveness that doesn't come along often in a back his size and in addition to that, he catches the ball extremely well. I would be surprised if Ebell doesn't end up among the lead leaders as a running back in this league in Toronto, as his skill set alone promotes such success. The recent release of Anthony Davis in Toronto should help to facilitate an amicable relationship between Ebell and the Argos. Anderson brings a raw power approach to the game that may have been more appealing to the offensive minds for us this year. I wouldn't be surprised to see a more power/downhill approach to our running game this year, and I have no doubt that Damien has the capabilities to have great success in this offence in 2008. I wouldn't be surprised if the muscle bound stature of Anderson contributed to the decision to feature him over Tyler for this year, as questions of Tyler's durability arose throughout the 2007 season.

I think that all players involved in these backfield moves benefit from the changes which is rare. Jyles will get to play more than he would have, Maas will sleep much better in his own bed to say the least. Ebell will get to star in one of the biggest CFL cities, and Anderson will get an opportunity to provide Esks fans with that bruising smash mouth game that so many have craved. ©

Next up… Receiver and Offensive line changes.