July 24, 2021

Training camp report | July 24

Scrimmage time is almost here.

Saturday was the final practice for the Edmonton Elks at The Brick Field at Commonwealth Stadium, as the club looks forward to Sunday’s scrimmage.

It’ll be the closest thing to a pre-season game for the Green and Gold this season, as the team prepares for their long awaited return to game action on Saturday, August 7 against the Ottawa RedBlacks.

You can get your tickets for the home opener by clicking here.


SPOTS UP FOR GRABS

 

Sunday morning’s scrimamge (11:00 a.m.) will be a key moment for a host of players on the proverbial bubble.

With Edmonton’s projected starters expected to get only 10-12 of the approximate 50-60 snaps being planned, the majority of Sunday’s action will be for players looking to ensure they aren’t sent home when final roster cuts are due on July 30.

“There are some spots that need the competition to sort out some positions,” head coach Jaime Elizondo pointed out. “Our first group will get minimal work just to get game feel.”

“There’s a lot of jobs on the line, so there’s great competition at a lot of positions. I’m looking forward to seeing some separation – who handles things well tomorrow, who doesn’t, who takes a step forward, who takes a step back when the lights come on so to speak.”

Along with sorting out some position battles, giving players a feel for what the pre-game schedule will look like – from when they go on the field, how long they’re back in the room after warm up – will also be a key goal of Sunday’s scrimmage.

“Just all those situations that come up in normal pre-season games that we haven’t been able to replicate in practice, that’s what we’re hoping to get done,” Elizondo added.

The scrimmage will be Edmonton’s lone during training camp, as last weekend’s was scrapped to provide extra rest for players, and ultimately would’ve been turfed regardless due to smoke.


GREAT DANE

Steven Nielsen is taking aim at his first pro roster.

The pride of Dragoer, Denmark is competing for a spot along the Elks offensive line. It’s hard to miss the six-foot-eight product of Eastern Michigan, who was taken second overall by Edmonton in the 2021 CFL Global Draft.

After signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and attending the team’s training camp last season, Nielsen is adapting to his first taste of Canadian football.

“Of course there’s the yard between the offensive and defensive line. Your sets are a little different, and the timing on your punches is a little different, so there are definitely some technique things that I had to get used to,” Nielsen explained of the biggest adjustments.

“The game is different than what I’m used to, but so far I’m having a lot of fun and it’s just fun to play football again. It’s been a while.”

Now in his second pro camp, Nielsen is trying to own the moment and carry forward some lessons from his training camp stint with the Jags.

“I think just being a pro. The difference from college to the pros is so different. You have to be accountable to yourself and it’s all up to you,” Nielsen explained.

“So I think that’s definitely something that I’ve carried on from when I was with the Jaguars to here is just being a pro. Being professional, showing up on time, doing everything you’re supposed to do.”

For Nielsen’s full media availability, click here.


REVAMPED D-LINE

Veteran Mike Moore is now one of the “old heads” on the Elks defensive line.

The four-year CFL vet, with three of those coming with the Green and Gold, is an experienced presence for the Elks on the d-line. It’s a unit that no longer has key 2019 members Almondo Sewell (Montreal), Nick Usher (Montreal), and Kendal Vickers (Las Vegas) in the mix.

“We’re just trying to get that love like we used to have, that brotherhood,” Moore said of the new group coming together in camp. “I definitely see it coming. I think we’re going to be very close.”

Click here for Moore’s complete availability, including how he’s staying in touch with Sewell, who’s now a member of the Montreal Alouettes.