There is NO REASON the Elks shouldn’t be a playoff team. Zilch. NONE. First of all six out of nine teams make it, so the fact they haven’t made it since 2019 seems like a statistical anomaly. I don’t know if it is but it feels like it. And it’s not just that they should make the playoffs. They kind of need to. The fanbase is already restless. A portion (and maybe a large portion) felt alienated by the past regime. Marketing can only do so much. A regime change can only do so much. They have to win games. Jason Gregor said this was the most important game in “Elks franchise history.” And it’s tough to disagree. They haven’t won a season opener since the 2019 season. You have to get off to a good start. A week two bye ahead of your week three home opener will do you no favours in filling the stands if you lose in week one. Especially against a Redblacks team that figures to be one of the bottom two teams in the league. So let’s state the obvious. You gotta win week one. You gotta win.
Now let’s look at the positions. Starting with quarterbacks. Cody is the guy I wanted back, no if ands or buts about it. He also has some limitations. He can’t throw a deep ball that well, but he’s been surrounded by possession receivers. Fajardo doesn’t need to be Bo-Levi or Nathan Rourke, he just needs to be Cody. With the players around him he just needs to play within a system. He needs to be consistent.
For running backs this team has a stud in Justin Rankin. I’ve talked about it a ton – he should be in (or aim for) league MOP. He’s going to have an improved offensive line which will benefit him greatly. He’s also going to have to have a more consistent season, not the peaks and valleys he had last season. There’s no denying how great he is. The CFLPA had him as an All-Star RB last season, and he was voted the Top 15 player by TSN. His ceiling is higher than anyone on the team. Because his ceiling is league MOP.
Wide Receivers – I’m gonna be honest, don’t love some of the cuts. I AM NOT A FOOTBALL COACH IN THE CFL. I AM NOT A GM IN THE CFL. But man, i thought Binjimen Victor and OJ Hiliare should have been on this roster. But shoutout TJ Luther and Josh Cephus. Two guys with incredible camps, and two guys who won roster spots. Also two guys who won starting jobs for week one. Let’s see what they can do. What they’ve already done is impressive. Austin Mack should be a 1300 yard 8 TD guy. Kaion should take a jump to 1000 yards, but needs to figure out his drops. Joe Robustelli can be a guy who pops out for 900 yards and 7 TD’s as a possession receiver. Carter Kettyle had an unbelievable rookie camp. I don’t think he dropped a ball. Brendan OLeary-Orange is a big body with a huge catch radius. Same with Zach Mathis. Any week any of these receivers can be the guy.
I think this is the best offensive line in football. Coulter Woodmansey is the highest paid non-QB in the league, Carter O’Donnell should be in the NFL, Brendan Bordner and Jordan Murray are both All-Star caliber players, and David Beard was the team’s Most Outstanding Lineman nominee last year. So go out and be the best line in the league. Cody Fajardo needs it, and Justin Rankin will ascend because of it.
The defensive line is already hit with injuries to Brandon Barlow and Darian Newell, which is pretty gut wrenching. But you still have game breakers on both edges in Malik Carney and Robbie Smith. Carney especially. That guy is a monster. So fast and so strong. I could watch him work one on ones all day. Your tackles are super talented as well in Brinkman and Jordan Williams. Two guys who can really plug up holes at the line of scrimmage.
Your linebacking core is also supremely talented. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a guy who likes to tackle more than Joel Dublanko. Nick Anderson is probably the most purely talented player on this entire roster. And I love Kenny Logan’s game. I wish this entire article wasn’t me talking about how much I love this roster. About how I’m talking about how amazing everyone is on a team that went 7-11 last year and hasn’t had a winning record since 2017. But I seriously mean it. The talent is there.
I think this could be the best secondary in the league. CFL West All-Star should be the floor for JJ Ross and Tyrell Ford at each corner spot. Kobe Williams might actually be the most underrated player on the roster at field half, and Kordell was the team’s DPOY nominee on the other. Chelen was ROY nominee at Safety. Like, I’m sorry man, people are going to call me a homer. Read this and think I’m not being objective. I promise I am. These are just my thoughts as of right now. If this team starts 0-3 my articles and my podcasts will be much more scathing, I can promise you that.
Special teams – I like Vincent Blanchard, but with Jesus Gomez on the PR he needs to be looking over his shoulder a bit. He’s got a big leg but 78% on FG’s last season needs to be ratcheted up a bit. We gotta be north of 80%. Ideally up around 85%. Jake Julien can place the ball like very few punters in the league (I think), and Javon Leake is an absolute game breaker as well in the return game.
So what happens this season? I think this team goes 12-6 and starts 4-1. Maybe 3-2. I think they win both Ottawa games, beat Winnipeg on the road, and win one of the two against B.C and Montreal. Like I said, this is a team that needs a fast start, and this is a fanbase that needs a fast start. I think they get it.
So what about the rest of the season? I think they’re a Western Final team. My honest prediction is that they lose to B.C. in the Western Final. I think this is the year B.C. takes the step to the Grey Cup. Nothing against the Elks, but this B.C. team has lots of shades of it being “their time”. I think Edmonton could host a playoff game, but I have a tough time writing off Saskatchewan following their Grey Cup win. So I’m not going to pencil in a hosted playoff game, even at 12-6.
To wrap it up, is this the year the Elks win the Grey Cup? I don’t think so. Could they? Well yeah. But what I do think is this is the year they take a massive, massive step. The team wins consistently. They give the fans something to cheer about. They fill the stands. They have players take huge leaps. And that’s what this team needs. You have to walk before you run. And these steps are all in place. If “running” is a Grey Cup victory, I believe they’ll be power walking to a 12-6 record, a final four finish, and a much much happier fanbase.
