EDMONTON – Sometimes the next game is the most important one for a pro football player — it’s never guaranteed and you never know when it is going to come.
For Derrick Moncrief, Sunday’s game against the Ottawa RedBlacks will be as sweet as any he’s played.
“It’s such a blessing to be back on the field. I haven’t played a game since October last year,” Moncrief said. “It’s been a long offseason. No free agency for me and, man, I’m just looking forward to getting out there on the field, the process of practising, and trying to get a W for the team.”
The freshly signed Elks linebacker is slated to start against the RedBlacks on Sunday, after only joining the fray a week ago. The two-time West Division All-Star has been working towards getting healthy and has had to bide his time over the last several months. Moncrief missed the last two games of the 2023 season with a neck injury while he was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Moncrief (#29) directs the defence during July 12 practice
The wear and tear of an accumulation of injuries affected the Oklahoma state products game, and it resulted in Moncrief being released prior to last February’s CFL Free Agency as a part of the Riders mini rebuild under new Head Coach Corey Mace. The move came as a bit of a surprise as Moncrief was just one year removed from one of his most productive seasons as a pro. The linebacker wracked up 49 tackles and four interceptions in 2022, earning a West Division All-Star nod, but at 31-years-old he found himself looking for an opportunity.
“He wasn’t healthy a year ago and did not look healthy, quite honestly,” General Manager and Head Coach Chris Jones said. “He did not have a very good outing there for a few weeks there in Sask, but now he’s healthy. He’s in great shape. He’s down to about 211 pounds, which is where he should be, so we look forward to seeing what leadership he brings to our football team.”
GAME NECESSITIES
- Game Time: 5:00 p.m. MT
- Game Theme: Dino Day
- Depth Chart
- Game Notes
- Media Availabilities
Moncrief has an excellent football pedigree and he’s proved it while wearing the Green and Gold. The Prattville, Alabama native was a major standout for the Elks defence in 2021 after joining the club following a two-year NFL stint. In nine games with Edmonton, he accumulated 23 tackles and four quarterback sacks.
Derrick Moncrief (#10) as a member of the Elks in 2021
If Moncrief is as healthy as he has looked during his first week of practice, he could be a key catalyst in an Elks resurgence. He’s an experienced and intelligent player, and the time needed to adjust to the Double E’s defensive system should be negligible as Moncrief has nearly a half decade of experience playing under defensive coordinator Jason Shivers.
“It’s a match made in heaven for me to get back into this system with these guys,” Moncrief said. “When I came into the CFL, coach Jones was my first head coach my first two seasons. Getting back into this system, there’s not much of a drop off from where I left off at and I’m just excited to get back into the process.”
Adding a potential All-Star player is a good get for the Elks on the field, but what Moncrief can provide a young team in a leadership capacity can’t be understated. The Elks have been on the cusp of being a more than competitive team in the league this season, and adding a highly motivated veteran can’t help but be a positive.
“When (the game is) taken away from you, it makes it a little bit more important,” Jones said about Moncrief’s excitement to hit the field.” You can’t play forever. He knows that, and he’s in a position now that he knows to cherish every snap he gets.”
DRU INTO THE LINEUP
The Elks have a little bit more clarity on who they’ll have to defend against on Sunday. RedBlacks starting quarterback Dru Brown had been in concussion protocol after leaving his Week 5 contest against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but was a full participant in Ottawa’s Thursday practice and is in line to start at Commonwealth.
Ottawa @REDBLACKS QB Dru Brown was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. Barring setback, appears he will play versus @GoElks on Sunday.#CFL
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) July 12, 2024
The 27-year-old already has a pedigree of strong performances in Edmonton, having been an instrumental part in last year’s Blue Bombers 38-29 Week 10 win. Brown completed 17 of 24 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the game en route to orchestrating a 22-point come-from-behind victory for Winnipeg.
“He’s a damn good player, and he was their starting quarterback for a reason,” Jones said about Brown. “They’ve got a pecking order over there of guys that have experience, and Drew certainly did a good job against us last year. We’ve got our hands full.”
The RedBlacks have done a good job of supporting Brown with the addition of former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Ryquell Armstead. Known as ‘Rock’, the 27-year-old currently sits fourth in the league in rushing with 275 yards and is coming off a 136 all-purpose yard performance against Winnipeg last week.
“He’s a good, good player. He’s in his first year in the league, so a lot of people don’t know who he is. Right now, he’s playing at a dynamic a level as anybody in the league, probably the best in the league right now,” Jones said. “He catches ball out of the backfield and he certainly can run. I mean, he’s 220 pounds and he’s got a lot of twitch to him.”
As much as the RedBlacks pose a difficult task for the Elks, the locker room is ready to show that they are through with the could-be victories and can close out a hard-fought win.
“We want to get back out there. We want to get a win,” quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson said. “That’s what it’s all about — find a way — but you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We know our process is really great. We know we played some really great football. We know we should have won all four games, but should have, could have, would have, as we’ve been saying, doesn’t count.”
“We’ve just got to find a way to get a win and I think everything will shift at that point, but it’s one day at a time” he added. “Appreciate practice. You appreciate the guys working their butt off out here. You appreciate what we’re building. We appreciate the team that we can be and we’re just working towards that.”
LINEUP NOTES
Outside the addition of Moncrief, who draws in for rookie Leon O’Neal Jr., the next big addition to the Elks lineup is former CFL All-Star defensive lineman Shawn Oakman. The 6-9 monster in the middle will start for Robert Nkemdiche, who left practice on Friday with an injury. Coach Jones doesn’t believe there will be a big decline in productivity inserting Oakman into the lineup, but the coach will have to wary of how much stress he exerts on the big bodied defender.
“I got to work with Oak when I was there for those six months in Toronto a few years back, and he affects the play,” Jones said. “I mean, you go to PFF (Pro Football Focus) and he’s got a really good pass rush grades and he’s got a really good run grade. Now it’s just a matter, with him, you have to manage his reps.”