Of the new players the Edmonton Elks added this year via agency, three of them stand out for several reasons. Coulter Woodmansey, Jordan Murray and Brendan Bordner, first of all, are all offensive linemen. They bring veteran experience to a unit already patrolled by established Elks Mark Korte and David Beard and bolstered mid-season last year with the addition of Carter O’Donnell, in hopes that increased protection will translate into more offence. All three of them joined the Elks from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the previous stop of Elks general manager Ed Hervey, who re-joined Edmonton prior to last season. And it’s fair to say the Elks committed a fair bit of salary to them, particularly to the 28-year-old Woodmansey, a Canadian who’s being paid $300,000 a season for the next three years. So when Woodmansey aggressively tackled teammate Kenny Logan during training camp on Tuesday (their first day wearing pads) at Clarke Stadium after the defensive back intercepted a pass, head coach Mark Kilam welcomed the newcomer’s spiritedness. “He’s bringing a lot of nasty out there, and that’s why he’s here,” Kilam told media on Tuesday morning. “He brings that nasty, brings that edge (and) brings that leadership to that room ... The part that you don’t see is the preparation side in the room and getting guys on the same page. He just brings a ton of that. He’s got a ton of experience at multiple positions on the O-line. “He’s worth the investment.” Other players have noticed the up-tempo play from the ‘O’ line as well, including running back Justin Rankin, who said Monday it’s “what we want.” “Great moves. I’ve watched the film. I’ve watched them be dirty and nasty down there,” said Rankin, who racked up 1,726 all-purpose yards in 2025, including 1,013 along the ground to finish sixth among CFL rushers. “I’m excited to get into a game and see what we’ve got. It looks good on paper, but when them bullets get to flying, you find out who’s who. I can’t wait to find out who’s who.” The 27-year-old Bordner, a two-year CFL vet, said while it’s still early in camp, he and his teammates “have high expectations.” “We expect to win,” said the Columbus, Ohio, native who played U.S. college ball at Rutgers. “I do see the pieces here that we should (have). I didn’t come here just to collect the cheque and lose.” First round of cuts due Tuesday night Kilam said the Elks have to trim their training camp roster by 10 players by Tuesday evening, to 75 from 85. Of the 85 players Edmonton started main camp, which started Sunday, with on Sunday, 21 are receivers. “They’re competing hard,” Kilam said Monday. “They’ve got to really do something to differentiate themselves, but they’re getting a lot of reps. We’re splitting the reps up. They’ve got to make sure they’re taking advantage of that.” The Elks’ first CFL pre-season game is scheduled for May 23 in suburban Victoria against the B.C. Lions. before they host their own tune-up game May 29 at Clarke Stadium vs. the Calgary Stampeders. Edmonton opens their regular-season slate on June 6 on the road in Ottawa before their home opener on June 20 against Montreal.
