The Edmonton Elks began their Pre-Season on Friday, May 27th, 2022 on the road in Winnipeg, Manitoba with a 30-20 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in front of a healthy crown of 20,518.
A lot of concerns by fans would be evident with the retooled Edmonton Elks via both free agency and via the 2022 CFL Draft. And rightfully so. After completing the 2021 season with a disappointing 3 – 11 record, changes in droves were inevitable for the 2022 Edmonton Elks Season.
One of the areas of concern in Edmonton was the inconsistent play of the Quarterback position with very few long drives during the 2021 Season. This then resulted in an abundance of 1 – 2 punts. Which then led to very little time taken off the game clock on a regular basis. Thus, leaving very little positive yardage per play which then resulted in a tired defense playing more than 30 minutes per game with a short field more or less.
The Edmonton Offense looked good with a lot of great plays by Nick Arbuckle at Quarterback who was slotted in a 2nd String on the recent Depth Chart. Nick Arbuckle completed his stint with a very respectable 9 for 10 in passes completed, 145 passing yards, and 2 touchdowns. If there is one player that has to regain his form with success this year for the Edmonton Elks, it will be Nick Arbuckle.
He will most likely be given the keys by Coach Chris Jones in engineering the offense. It will be Nick’s job to lose. This for the most part is also best for the development of other current depth players at Quarterback with Kai Locksley, Taylor Cornelius, and recent 2022 Draft Pick Tre Ford. Tre Ford did take some snaps in which he showcased his athletic ability. Although he only went 1 for 3 in the passing department for a total of 17 yards, Tre Ford showed his dual-threat skills running the ball on 5 carries for a total of 47 yards with a 9.4 yards average per carry.
One aspect that was few and far between from last season was the fact that Edmonton had a total of 32:31 on the field by the offense. This led to a day with a great average of yards gained per play where collectively, the offense had a total of 455 yards. The offense went 23 plays for 211 yards on 1st down with an average of 9.2 yards per play. This was then followed by 21 plays on 2nd down for a total of 217 yards with an average of 10.3 yards per play. On 3rd down, the Elks offense was very respectable with 3 plays for 18 yards, with an average of 6.0 yards per play.
Just like many teams resting their starters, the Elks Defense was no different. 3rd sting Safety Scott Hutter led the way with a total of 7 tackles, including 2 on Special Teams. He capped off the night with 1 interception. Anytime you have any player that can show their skills as a non-starter, it’s always good in showing potential depth going forward. After all, this is pro football. Bodies will go down due to injuries which is inevitable.
Next Pre-Season Game
On Friday, June 3rd, 2022, the Edmonton Elks will host their final Pre-Season Game with their Provincial rivals the Calgary Stampeders. More importantly, this is the Stand With Ukraine game with all proceeds going towards displaced Ukrainians as newcomers to Canada. Alberta is home to a big Ukrainian-Canadian population historically. It’s only fitting that all proceeds are going towards a great cause.
Recent Transactions
The following 7 players both National and American have been cut from the Edmonton Elks as of Saturday, May, 28th, 2022:
Dominic Davis | AMER | WR | 5’9 | 195 LBS | 1996-12-08 | Los Angeles, CA | USC
Floyd ‘Max’ Redfield | AMER | DB | 6’1 | 205 LBS | Mission Viejo, CA | Indiana University Pennsylvania
Nate Brisson-Fast | AMER | DL | 6’5 | 270 LBS | 1996-06-10 | Ferndale, MI | Central Michigan
Stefan Claiborne | AMER | DB | 6’2 | 205 LBS | 1997-10-29 | Clinton Township, MI | Western Michigan
Alex Gayle | NAT | RB | 6’1 | 205 LBS | 1999-07-27 | Edmonton, AB | Edmonton Huskies
Shaydon Philip | NAT | DB | 6’4 | 246 LBS | 1997-08-22 | St. Albert, AB | Alberta
Kevin Dubois | NAT | RB | 5’8 | 216 LBS | 1995-12-14 | Laval, QC | Montreal
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