Training camp is officially over for the Edmonton Eskimos.
The final practice was held on Thursday at Clarke Stadium and it featured a mock game.
Head coach Jason Maas said he was happy with the way the defence and special teams performed, but felt his offence didn’t bring the right intensity to Thursday’s scrimmage.
“For lack of a better term, (the offence) took more of the day off,” Maas said.
“We still did make plays on the offensive side but I thought the intensity on defence was ratcheted up a notch. We need to be better to compete on both sides in practice like that, it was a mock game style. We did get a lot of work done, we implemented special teams with it. The amount of plays we ran, the work we got in on three phases was great. I just thought the defence showed up with a little bit different intensity.”
The session ended about a half an hour early after another fight broke out, causing Jason Maas to call his team in and officially end training camp. Quarterback Mike Reilly said the end of training camp is always a welcome day for the players.
“It was a good camp. It was a weird schedule playing two games right at the beginning and having no game to really finish,” Reilly said. “Usually after the last pre-season game that’s where you’re like, ‘Hey, camp’s over.’ We tried to simulate that today a little bit but I say it every year, guys get tired of playing against each other, hitting each other and we’re ready to see some other colours. I’m looking forward to seeing what the management does in terms of the decisions to give us our final team.”
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The Eskimos will now go through the process of cutting their roster down to 46 players and to set their 10-man practice roster.
Audibles
Listen Below: Quarterback Mike Reilly discusses today’s scrimmage which marked the end of training camp
Eskimos player profile
Jordan Beaulieu
No. 16
Defensive back: 5-11, 198 pounds
Born: Sept. 27, 1993 – Montreal, Quebec
School: Western
Defensive back Jordan Beaulieu was the Eskimos second selection of the 2018 CFL Draft as he was picked in the 3rd round (24th overall). Beaulieu appeared in 24 games with the Mustangs and recorded 48 total tackles, two tackles, five pass knockdowns, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Beaulieu was named OUA All-Rookie in 2014.
He said his first pro training camp has been an eye opener.
“I knew this was the pros but the speed at which the game is played here is amazing,” Beaulieu said. “My first team period I was like man this is fast and I would say how the big guys move. The O-line, how they come up and block as fast as they do, that really shook me. Every day it got a bit slower knowing my plays.”
Roster notes
Defensive backs Johnny Adams, Forrest Hightower and Arjen Colquhoun didn’t take part in Thursday’s scrimmage along with receivers Bryant Mitchell and Juron Criner.
The team will be back on the field on Sunday to prepare for their regular season opener next Thursday in Winnipeg.