Some notables from the Eskimos’ depth chart, which is available for download here:
It looks like Chris Rwabukamba’s temporary gig as starting free safety has the chance to take on a more permanent role. The Eskimos have placed Ryan Hinds on the six-game injured list, after he took a lower body injury last week in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions. Rookie cornerback Robert Sands, whose right leg was wrapped up late in the fourth quarter last week, joins him on the six-game. Running back John White goes from a game day scratch to the one-game injured list, where last year’s return man, Jamal Miles is sitting for the second week in a row.
J.C. Sherritt draws in at will linebacker for his first taste of regular-season action. An undisclosed injury kept him out of the team’s second preseason game against the Riders and last week’s season-opening win against the B.C. Lions. Dexter McCoil, who filled in for Sherritt, takes the backseat this week behind him.
K/P Grant Shaw will have some company on the depth chart this week, with Hugh O’Neill listed as his backup.
Shamawd Chambers and Simoni Lawrence trade trash talk
They fight like brothers, Simoni Lawrence says of he and his former teammate and (still) best friend Shamawd Chambers. The two came into the CFL together in 2012, with Chambers as the Esks’ first-round draft pick and Lawrence a free-agent signing from Upper Darby, Penn. They roomed together that year and from Day 1, their friendly rivalry took off.
Their friendship has survived Lawrence being traded to Hamilton last year. Their fiery Twitter exchanges have lived on and when the Esks were in Toronto last year to play the Argos, Lawrence made the trip and sat with Chambers’ family at Rogers Centre.
“That’s my family. When I came to the CFL him and his mother really took care of me when I came to Canada. Anything I needed, even when I went out to Hamilton,” Lawrence said.
“Family and brothers fight all the time and we’re no different. This will just be on television. If we’re playing video games, we almost get in fistfights and stuff like that, so (on game day) I’m allowed to really hit him. This will be awesome.”
On Thursday, Chambers felt like getting the ball rolling early. Having read something Lawrence had said to the Hamilton Spectator on Wednesday, Chambers called his own media scrum for some choice words about his friend.
When the TiCats arrived in Edmonton, Lawrence responded. Things get good around the 45-second mark. It’s worth noting that Chambers hung around the scrum and responds around 1:40. It was pretty funny stuff. We have video of it here.
King vs. King headlines Week 2 CFL picks
There’s no question as to who Ryan King is taking in his CFL picks this week when it comes to the Eskimos (the first Esk to not pick his team in these scenarios becomes my main story that day).
“Eskimos, man!” the Eskimos’ long-snapper exclaimed on Wednesday after his team’s practice wrapped up.
Friday’s game will be the third instalment of what he called the King vs. King game, where he’ll face his brother Neil, who’s in his second year with the TiCats. Still, he’ll have no problem taking his own team in this match up.
“I think we’re two wins on the road (counting the Esks’ preseason win in Regina). We get to come home, all of us are really excited to get some home wins for our fans and to protect our house. I’ll go with us.”
Last year, the King brothers gave their mom a half-and-half jersey so she could support both of her boys when Edmonton played Hamilton. The other halves of that jersey found their way to their dad this year.
“It’s a huge game. The whole fam will be here,” Kings said. “We’ll have family dinner (Thursday) night and I get up the next day and play a game. It’s pretty cool.
“One of our buddies is having a party during the day and there’s a whole Hamilton section in the house and there’s a whole Edmonton section in the house where they know me and Neil so that’s cool. They get to go in and choose a Hamilton shirt and go party on the Hamilton side or they choose the Eskimos shirt and go on the Eskimos side.”
Here’s how King sees the rest of this weekend going. Mike Reilly was 2-2 last week.
Ottawa (0-0) at Winnipeg (1-0)
“I’ll give it to Ottawa. There’s a lot of former Eskimos (on the Redblacks) and they’re a very veteran team. I think they’ll have a strong team this year and I think they’ll be a lot better than what some people think they will be, because they’re a new team and they’ll take a couple of years to get going.
“Hopefully for them, for a new team, you do hope that things work out and that they’ll sustain a new team in Ottawa.”
B.C. (0-1) at Montreal (0-1)
“B.C. I know B.C. is pretty fired up after they lost to us last week and I think Montreal is struggling a little bit early in the season, so I would give that one to B.C.”
Saskatchewan (1-0) at Toronto (0-1)
“I’m going to hope Toronto pulls this one off. They’re at home and you always like to see the East teams take down the West teams, so I’d hope Toronto comes out and plays strong and that Saskatchewan doesn’t play their best game. I think Saskatchewan will be pretty good this year as well. Hopefully Toronto can pull it off.”
O’Leary’s picks (season record: 2-2)
Winnipeg over Ottawa, B.C. over Montreal, Saskatchewan over Toronto and I’m taking the Eskimos to beat the TiCats at home.
If you recall — and you may not want to here — the Eskimos won just once at home last year, when they beat Winnipeg 35-27 in Week 13. A win at Commonwealth on Friday night would instantly match last year’s record and would put the Eskimos halfway toward matching their win total of a year ago. This is a home crowd that is starving for something to cheer about, and not just in a one-off, OMG-we-won-at-home kind of way. It’s just the first home game in a long season, but in a way there’s a lot at stake for the Eskimos here.
The Eskimos are facing a TiCats team that had its tail handed to it a week ago in Saskatchewan, giving up 10 sacks and trailing 24-1 at the half. The weather shouldn’t be an issue for them this time like it was in Regina, where 90 mm of rain fell over two miserable days. Friday’s forecast calls for a sunny, 25-degree day, which should give a more accurate glimpse of what Kent Austin’s team will look like this year in its quest to get back to the Grey Cup game.
Check back for stories later this afternoon/evening on Aaron Grymes, Cary Koch (video of his scrum is here) and more.
