Elks optimistic of brighter 2024 after several seasons of futility

Yet, as training camp wrapped up, two words were consistently on the lips of general manager and head coach Chris Jones and his players.How could a team that’s been so far out of the playoff races over the past half-decade see itself as a contender for the league crown in 2024?“We want to win the Grey Cup,” said Jones. “I mean, that’s why you play the games. You’ve got to be a loser if that’s not your goal going in.

“We want to play well enough to get into the playoffs, play good solid football,” said Jones. “We want to play good football here in front of our fans. And we want to win enough games to win the whole thing.” On the field, the Elks have placed their faith in a new quarterback, free agent signing McLeod Bethel-Thompson. He played in the USFL in 2023, but led the Argos to the Grey Cup in 2022, and tossed for 4,731 yards in the process.

The third big cog of the offence is running back Kevin Brown, who finished second in the league with 1,141 yards on the ground. The biggest question mark around the team is the rebuilt defensive line. Last year, it was a bright spot in a disappointing season. But A.C. Leonard and his 12 sacks disappeared into free agency. Jake Ceresna and his 12 sacks were traded to Toronto for receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr.Jones said he expects to rotate a committee of six players through the line. Even so, a lot of focus is on former Arizona Cardinal, Miami Dolphin and Seattle Seahawk Robert Nkemdiche, who played 38 NFL games.

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