Chris O’Leary
Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON – Steven Jyles took the first steps towards becoming the Edmonton Eskimo starting quarterback during the CFL team’s mini-camp this week.
The 29-year-old has the confidence of Head Coach Kavis Reed after working out for him the last three days, along with a handful of receivers and running backs.
“We can make an educated decision that Steven has continued to be the guy that will be at the top of the depth chart,” Reed said Friday morning.
Reed has stated throughout the off-season that Jyles was the front-runner for the job, but would have to earn it when training camp starts June 3.
Based on what he saw this week, Reed said Jyles was just ahead of last year’s backup quarterback, Kerry Joseph, in a “1A/1B kind of situation.” He also evaluated the other three pivots.
“Matt Nichols has really done wonderful things in this mini-camp and that has really established him as a guy that we’ll have to consider for the No. 2 and 3 spot,” Reed said. “Eric (Ward) has to get some more throws. Didn’t come in with the pop that we expected, but he has done some things that say, mentally, he’s still strong.
“Jeremiah (Masoli), we know isn’t going to be a part of the equation, unless he just absolutely wows us in the pre-season this year.”
The mini-camp was Jyles’ first opportunity to work with some of his new teammates, since landing with the Eskimos in December’s Ricky Ray trade. Jyles said while the camp was short, it was helpful.
“It was well-needed for a guy like me, to throw with some of the guys on the team and build a relationship with those guys,” he said. “I enjoyed it, it was fun. We got some work done and I’m looking to build off of it.”
Jyles will return home to Texas this week, but the stay will be a short one. Riding the high of getting back into a football routine, he’ll be back in Edmonton well before training camp.
“I’ll come back a little earlier and just continue to work, to get better,” he said. “I know the things that I have to work on from this mini-camp, as far as mechanics. I get to get into the offence because I had a chance to look at it a little more and I’ll just continue to better myself as a quarterback.”
The thought of working with two of his premiere targets — slotbacks Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman, both of whom he played with earlier in his career — is exciting for Jyles.
“We had pretty good chemistry in Winnipeg. I didn’t have to see him half the time to throw the ball to him,” Jyles said about Bowman.
The two were with the Blue Bombers in 2010, and also played together with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2008.
“To have a chance to work with him again is huge and I enjoy it and I’m looking forward to working with Fred Stamps,” said Jyles, who was Ricky Ray’s backup when Stamps joined the Eskimos in 2007.
“That’s a guy who I’m very close with. That’s all we talked about for years. ‘Man, one day we’re going to be able to play together again,’ and now it’s here.”
The mini-camp ended a day early for Joseph, who didn’t suit up on Friday.
Reed said the 38-year-old wasn’t injured.
“He had a family engagement that we knew about coming in and we told him that he can leave earlier,” Reed said.
