There’s one word to describe the Elks’ play in their first preseason game: yikes.
Maybe the better word though is evaluation. Leaving the bulk of starters back in Edmonton meant giving crucial reps to guys fighting for spots. It also means the Stampeders’ 31-4 win was not totally unexpected. Don’t panic EE fans, there were some bright spots.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Canadians moving up
Joel Dublanko is showing why he was the first overall pick in 2024. The 27-year-old has taken a noticeable step forward at the middle linebacker position. Three defensive tackles and a really nice interception in this game back that up. He seemed to be around the ball whenever he was on the field. He has had an excellent camp so far and I would expect to see more of him this year.
Edmonton did not have a first-overall pick this year due to selecting Zach Mathis in the supplemental draft last year. That seems to have worked out quite well. The six-foot-seven receiver caught all four targets sent his way and seemed to be a go-to guy on second down. He’s not the fastest guy on the field, but he has great hands, long arms, and would likely win any kind of jump ball. We saw a bit of him at the end of last year but I predict an expanded role this season, especially in red-zone situations.
Quarterback queries
We will finally see Tre Ford as the set number one this year. Ed Hervey got a veteran in Cody Fajardo to support him in the number two spot. The battle for third is between William McElvain and Cole Snyder, who joined the team just four days before this game.
McElvain went seven-of-12 in his one-and-a-half quarters of work. He did look a bit more poised in the backfield but it’s easy to see how the bigger field is harder for him to track.
Snyder was able to move the ball down the field well in the fourth quarter. With only a few days to learn to system and the game, I thought he performed better than expected. He still locked in on a receiver a bit much and held on to the ball longer than I’d like, but he bettered McElvain by eighteen yards in three fewer attempts.
None of the QBs had a lot of help with the young offensive line giving up five sacks. Not a single starter in that group went to Calgary, so I’ll watch this area closer next week.
Bubble guys to watch
The Green and Gold may end up with three Fords on the roster. Defensive back Demetries Ford showed his speed and cover ability on a beautiful one-handed interception in the third quarter. The Arizona State product added three defensive tackles and one on special teams. He did have a blown tackle in the fourth that gave up a touchdown, but I can see him as a special teams guy with a backup role.
Kearis Jackson, J.J. Laap, and Jalon Calhoun are in quite the battle for the American backup receiver spot. Jackson and Laap both went four for six on targets caught. Laap had more in the fourth quarter with a really nice toe tap on the sidelines. Calhoun did not catch any of his targets but his speed raised an eyebrow for me and he had a decent return for 34 yards. Jackson won the yards total in this game, but this fight will be one to watch as camp finishes out.
Kickers duel
Probably the hottest competition for a starting spot is at the placekicking position between Vincent Blanchard and Campbell Fair. Blanchard comes in as a fourth-round draft pick from last year and Fair was a sixth round pick in Calgary the year before. Both have had up and down camps to this point.
Only Blanchard was able to go for a field goal in this game and, although it was a crazy knuckleball, did make his 40-yard attempt. The Laval product has quite the leg but is hit-and-miss on consistency. He did see some punting in this game, but had the lowest average of the kickers. Fair was able to get a couple of punts in and was close to starter Cody Grace’s numbers. I’ve seen improvement in his punting but his placekicking remains inconsistent.
This is a very tight battle. I’d guess that Fair ends up on the practice roster with his ability to do both positions but next week will be telling.
Nice tribute
The game featured a nice welcome back for Mark Kilam from the Stampeders. It was a nice recognition for what he did in Calgary and a classy move by the organization.
The Elks are back home for their final preseason match this Friday at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium. More starters should hit the field and we’ll get a better picture of what’s to come in Week 1.
