Different general manager, different fortunes for the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL draft?

Under Ed Hervey, the club failed to see<a href="http://www.coltsshopauthentic.com/shop-by-players-10-donte-moncrief-jersey-c-1_3.html">Donte Moncrief Authentic Jersey</a>  a single Canadian draft pick develop into a starting role during his four years of calling the shots around Commonwealth Stadium.

Part of that had to do with rolling the dice on futures prospects – up-and-coming Canadians who sparked interest in the NFL looking to exhaust any and all opportunities before eventually coming northward, if they ever do – including Stefan Charles, Tevaun Smith and Arjen Colquhoun.

While it can sometimes be worth risking early draft picks for the chance at having some tantalizing talent land on your doorstep somewhere down the line, none of Edmonton’s recent gambles have yet to step foot in the CFL.

But that’s not to say new Eskimos GM Brock Sunderland is opposed to considering futures

“I’m a value guy, so it depends on where they’re at and what round they’re in and how high they go,” said the former Ottawa RedBlacks assistant GM, who’s only been sitting in the big chair in Edmonton since April 25. “If they’re<a href="http://www.officialchargesshop.com/shop-by-players-drew-kaser-jersey-c-1_21.html">Drew Kaser Youth Jersey</a>  going to be a first-round, sure-fire pick then I’ll probably lay back a little bit.

“It also depends on where the organization is and this organization’s very stable so it can be a little more patient.”

At the same time, the Eskimos have some more immediate roster matters to tend to.

This draft will be an interesting on for Edmonton, who holds the fifth-overall pick as the first of eight selections. Not only because of the change in GM, but also because the team has geared up to switch how their Canadian ratio works on defence after getting rid of a Canadian defensive tackle spot previously patrolled by Eddie Steele and Don Oramasionwu.

Instead, there will be another American on the interior of the defensive line next to perennial all-star Almondo Sewell, while they brought in Canadian and former NFLer Cory Greenwood in free agency to take over the WIL linebacker spot where NFL-bound Deon Lacey, and Dexter McCoil before him, had shone.

So it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to bolster their depth there a little sooner in the draft than the typical special-teams linebacking fodder<a href="http://www.officialvikingshop.com/shop-by-players-customized-jersey-c-2_57.html">http://www.officialvikingshop.com/shop-by-players-customized-jersey-c-2_57.html</a>  necessary to fill ratio requirements.

The sudden retirement of starting Canadian wide-out Nate Coehoorn last month had to throw a wrench into their plans for the receiving corps, which also saw the re-addition of Shamawd Chambers while Devon Bailey left to join the Montreal Alouettes as a free agent.

This is the same Eskimos club that chose to go with future prospects with their first two picks a year ago, which also included a rare occurrence where they didn’t draft an offensive lineman. While they reported at the time they were happy with their O-line depth, it certainly doesn’t hurt having a hungry youngster come in to push the established heavies.

ZERO TO 18

Chris Morris has been around long enough that he doesn’t need a crystal ball to make a pigskin prediction.

The head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears football program wasn’t too heartbroken that none of his players heard their name called in last year’s draft.

After all, the Bears have contributed current Eskimos offensive linemen Simeon Rottier (first overall, 2009) and David Beard (16th overall, 2015) via the draft, as well as former Eskimos centre Gord Hinse (11th overall, 2009).

While the program has seen its share of ups and downs over the past four seasons under Morris, no more can the individual talent that has been developing along the way be denied.

“As the next few years go by, we’re going to have quite a few kids drafted out of our program,” Morris, himself a first-round draft <a href="http://www.officialvikingssale.com/shop-by-players-scott-crichton-jersey-c-2_51.html">http://www.officialvikingssale.com/shop-by-players-scott-crichton-jersey-c-2_51.html</a> pick (eighth overall) of the Eskimos in 1992, said ahead of last year’s CFL draft.

Fast-forward to the 2017 edition on Sunday and there are 18 Bears up for grabs, compared to none even making a blip on the radar a year ago.