5 Things to Know for 2024: Edmonton Elks

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

As the 2024 season approaches, CFL.ca is here to catch you up with the 5 Things To Know series. Each article will look at key storylines facing each team this season, while examining off-season movement and where your team might stand in 2024.

Three years out of the playoffs is enough for the Edmonton Elks.

But perhaps there’s some light at the end of the tunnel. The Elks made significant strides in the second half of last season. They’ve also taken a very pointed, aggressive approach to their off-season as they look to return to the post-season for the first time since 2019.

As head coach and general manager Chris Jones enters his third season at the helm, Edmonton has made a surprising splash at quarterback. They were one half of the winter’s biggest trade. And they’ve got a few players who look poised to cement themselves amongst the league’s elite.

If the Elks are to make a playoff return, they’ll need to do so in what will almost certainly be an ultra-competitive West Division. With some of their improvements, though, there’s plenty of reason for optimism in 2024.

MCBETH RETURNS

With the success of Tre Ford in the second half of 2023, Edmonton’s decision to sign free agent McLeod Bethel-Thompson caught many by surprise. But Jones felt his team needed a veteran quarterback with a proven, winning track record. So, when Bethel-Thompson became available after a year away from the league, Jones and the Elks pounced.

Bethel-Thompson has almost 50 CFL starts under his belt. He’s a Grey Cup champion and has gone over 4,000 yards passing twice in his career. And in 2022, his most recent season north of the border, Bethel-Thompson led the league with 4,731 passing yards, 387 completions, and 579 attempts.

Adding MBT to the fold creates an interesting quarterback dynamic to watch in 2024. Ford possesses incredible athleticism and was the spark that brought Edmonton back to relevance last season. But he could also benefit from spending meaningful time with a more polished pocket passer like Bethel-Thompson.

The Elks need to make sure Ford is part of their offence this season. They also have to keep in mind how crucial he is in the big picture. But with a post-season return the only priority, it’s Bethel-Thompson’s ball for now.

BLOCKBUSTER ADDITION

There’s something to be said about setting up your new, big money quarterback for success. And by acquiring receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. from Toronto early in the off-season, Edmonton has attempted to do just that.

The Elks acquired the two-time East Division All-Star from the Argos in January, sending standout defensive lineman Jake Ceresna the other way. Edmonton is getting Bethel-Thompson’s top target from the 2022 season. That year saw Gittens Jr. reel in 1,101 receiving yards to go along with five touchdowns in what was truly a breakout campaign.

Gittens now joins 2023 free agent signing Eugene Lewis to give Bethel-Thompson a pair of elite receiving threats. With Kyran Moore and Dillon Mitchell also in the fold for this season, Bethel-Thompson has himself a nice array to work with in the passing game.

NO LONGER UNDER THE RADAR

I had the opportunity to write this same primer for Edmonton one year ago and we identified a pair of players poised to breakout: tailback Kevin Brown and linebacker Nyles Morgan. And as it turns out, their solid finishes to 2022 did indeed carryover to last season. Now Brown and Morgan are bona fide impact makers and will both be crucial to any Elks success this year.

Brown made the most of his first season on top of the depth chart full-time. With 1,141 rushing yards, Brown finished second only to Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira in that category. Even more impressive, Brown’s 6.1 yards-per-carry average led all regular running backs in 2023. And with Edmonton’s offence ready to take a step, don’t be surprised to see Brown add to his five total touchdowns from last season.

Then there’s Morgan. In his first full season as a starting middle linebacker, Morgan finished second overall with 107 defensive tackles in 15 appearances. Morgan also racked up four sacks and an interception to punctuate what was his arrival as one of the CFL’s best linebackers.

VERY SPECIAL TEAMS

Outside of Bethel-Thompson, the Elks made their biggest free agent splash by signing return dynamo Javon Leake after he took the league by storm in 2023. Last season saw Leake lead the league with 1,216 punt return yards and four return touchdowns with Toronto. His addition instantly pushes Edmonton’s special teams to a different level.

It’s important to frame Leake’s addition properly, too. His 1,216 punt return yards last year was the highest total in nearly 30 years and third highest in league history. Only Edmonton legend Gizmo Wiliams (1,440 in 1991) and Baltimore’s Chris Wright (1,236 in 1995) have had more prolific single seasons returning punts than Leake’s most recent foray.

The Elks have added an absolute game changer who’s not even 26 years old yet. It feels like Leake is just getting started.

HOLD THE (DEFENSIVE) LINE

Edmonton’s biggest challenge, at least on the surface, looks to be replacing a pair of impact makers on the defensive front. The Elks have already traded Ceresna to the Argos, while A.C. Leonard’s future is up in the air as he remains an unsigned free agent. As of right now, Edmonton is without 24 sacks from last year as Leonard and Ceresna finished tied for second overall with 12 each.

It’ll have to be a committee approach trying to make up for a pair of significant departures like Leonard and Ceresna. Tasked with the challenge will be the likes of Elliott Brown and Noah Curtis, both entering their second CFL seasons, among others.

I’m also intrigued by newcomer Joseph Jackson. A free agent signing in January, Jackson racked up 23 sacks off the edge during three years at the University of Miami. A 2019 fifth-round pick of the Cowboys, Jackson has appeared in eight NFL games with Dallas and Cleveland and spent last season with USFL Birmingham.

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