Jun
Expect surprises as cuts shape final roster
Courtesy Edmonton Journal:
The Edmonton Eskimos released five players Monday, including injured wide receiver Willie Thornton, as head coach Richie Hall and his staff begin paring the roster in advance of Thursday’s deadline to be down to 46 players.
Besides Thornton, the CFL club also released non-import kicker Ryan Elaschuk, import defensive back Darrell Hunter, non-import running back Eric Lee and import wide receiver Sean Young.
“They did a good job in training camp, but when you compare them to the other players, we felt the other guys had been more consistent,” Hall said of the cuts that leave the Eskimos with 69 players in training camp.
Hall said the decision to release Thornton was a tough one because the speedy receiver was injured in last Tuesday’s first pre-season game and, because of a jaw injury, was unable to practise since then. Hall said the injury was frustrating for Thornton because it didn’t affect his abilities as a receiver, but did prevent him from practising.
“To me, that’s real frustrating,” said Hall.
The first-year Eskimos head coach said he and his staff still face a lot of very difficult decisions on players because there have been a number of battles for positions, particularly among the receivers, running backs, linebackers and offensive tackles.
“On the O-line, especially on the edges, that’s a real tough battle,” he said as six players continue to fight for the two spots.
“The linebacker positions, when you look at our receiving corps, the young guys have performed very well and they continue to improve.
“Our camp has been very competitive and there’s no easy decisions for us. Will people be surprised(by some of the upcoming cuts)? I think so, but you’re always surprised if you’re one of the odds guys out. You’ve prepared yourself to be here and, if you are not, that’s a shock.
“The scary thing about it is the closer you get to the 25th, the reality of the business comes into effect. We’ve been together for a long time and people develop friendships, but the reality is we can only keep so many players. The players here can help our team, we just can’t keep everybody.”
