What have you done for me lately?: Jason Maas had a great 2004 season, but might spend the majority of the season as Ricky Ray's back-up. (CP File Photo)

2004 RECORD: 9-9, tied for second in the West. Lost to Saskatchewan Roughriders in West division semifinal

ARRIVALS: QB Ricky Ray, LB Kelly Wiltshire, DB Davis Sanchez, FB Mike Maurer, WR/FB Deitan Dubuc, OT Bruce Beaton, DE Tim Fleiszer, DE Joe Montford, OL Sandy Annunziata, LB Jason Lamar, DB William Loftus

DEPARTURES: RB Mike Pringle (retirement), WR Terry Vaughn, C Tim Prinsen, OL Dan Comiskey, WR Winston October

OFFENCE: The return of Ricky Ray will make things interesting for incumbent pivot Jason Maas.

Ray, who led Edmonton to the Grey Cup 2003, is back after one season as a third-stringer with the New York Jets. The NFL club released him in May.

Battling for the No. 1 spot in Edmonton is nothing new for Ray and Maas. In 2002, Ray took over from then-starter Maas, who was injured, and had a solid season, throwing for 2,991 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Ray assumed the No. 1 role to begin the 2003 season and built on his previous numbers, completing 348 of 515 pass attempts for 4,640 yards and 35 TDs.

Ray suffered a hyper-extended knee in pre-season action and is listed as day-to-day.

Maas had an excellent season after Ray's departure and was the Eskimos' nominee for the league's most outstanding player. He is still recovering from off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

Maas has steadily looked more comfortable in pre-season action.

With Maas and Ray battling for spots in the pivot position, there was no room left for Khari Jones.

The former CFL most outstanding player signed with the Eskimos in the off-season before Ray joined the club and eventually found himself as the odd man out. He was among the final cuts in the pre-season.

Eskimos coach Danny Maciocia opted to go with Jason Johnson as his third stringer.

At wide receiver, the Eskimos quarterbacks have reliable targets in Ed Hervey and newcomer Trevor Gaylor, who joined the Eskimos practice roster last September but didn't see any playing time. The six-foot-three-inch Gaylor has some NFL experience with the Atlanta Falcons.

Hervey might suffer from early-season struggles as he's been hobbled by a strained anterior cruciate ligament.

The Eskimos will have to find someone to fill the void left by standout wide receiver Terry Vaughn, who was traded to Montreal for defensive back William Loftus. Vaughn holds the league record with 10 seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving.

There is also a huge hole in the Eskimos' backfield due to the February retirement of future Hall-of-Fame running back Mike Pringle.

Canadian Michael Bradley will continue to get a handful of carries per game, but who will carry the bulk of the load is unclear.

CFL sophomore Ron McLendon (he was on the practice roster last year) and along with former Jacksonville Jaguar Elvis Joseph are the men looking to lug the rock the other 13 to 15 times a game this season

At fullback, Mathieu Bertrand, the former Laval quarterback and former Hec Crighton award winner as best university player in Canada, and former Michigan tight end Deitan Dubuc are duking it out for playing time.

Dubuc is on the depth chart as a fullback, but the Quebec-born product has the size, speed and hands to play wide receiver.

One loss for the Eskimos is stalwart Dan Comiskey, who was part of the trade that brought defensive lineman Joe Montford from Hamilton. Comiskey, a six-foot-five-inch, 300-pound guard out of Windsor, Ont., is a former West Division all-star and had started all 54 games over the past three seasons.

DEFENCE: Edmonton made big changes to its defence, especially in the secondary with the addition of three standout Canadians: safeties Kelly Wiltshire and William Loftus and cornerback Davis Sanchez.

Loftus, an eight-year veteran, came over from Montreal in the Terry Vaughn deal in April. Wiltshire, one of the lone bright spots on the Renegades last season, joins Malcolm Frank and Donny Brady in a defensive unit that many CFL insiders feel could lead the league in interceptions.

Sanchez was one of the more sought-after free agents in the off-season. The former Montreal Alouette and Calgary Stampeder reportedly signed a four-year, $800,000 contract (three years plus an option) with the Eskimos.

He's probably best remembered for his 2000 campaign, when he led the CFL with nine interceptions, including two for touchdowns.

Eight-year veteran middle linebacker A.J. Gass heads a strong linebacking core, which includes standout Singor Mobley (who also sees time at defensive back) and former NFLer Jason Lamar.

The acquisitions of sack king Joe Montford (Hamilton) and Tim Fleiszer (Ottawa) have greatly improved a defensive line that lost Rahim Abdullah in the off-season.

"Defensively speaking, I think we're better than any defensive squad we've had since I have been here and that says a lot considering some of the guys who have been on this team," Gass told The Canadian Press. "I think overall, this team has the most talent that I have seen in a long, long time."

SPECIAL TEAMS: Sean Fleming does all of the punting and place kicking duties for the Eskimos.

With the off-season loss of punt returner extraordinaire Winston October, the Eskimos were left without a bona fide special teams threat.

Tony (Tiny) Tompkins and Keyuo Craver have received mixed reviews during the pre-season. Tompkins, at five-foot-eight, 165 pounds, is small in stature but his scatback style can pick up extra yards.

Craver, a converted defensive back and one-time New Orleans Saint, had a couple of mid-range returns in the pre-season (18- and 27-yards) but also showed difficulty fielding the ball.

COACHING: Danny Maciocia, the former Eskimos offensive co-ordinator who replaced coach Tom Higgins following last year's up-and-down season, said his main goal was to make the green-and-gold a more competitive club.

"Two years ago this team won the Grey Cup. After we won the Grey Cup it was almost like the hunger wasn't as evident," Maciocia said. "We have to create that again."

The Canadian-born Maciocia, 38, worked tirelessly in the off-season to bring in high-quality free agents as well as several others to bring an intense atmosphere to training camp.

"We wanted to create as much competition as possible," he said. "I think we've done that. This is going to be a different looking team – the mentality, the attitude, will be different."

GAME BREAKER: RICKY RAY AND JASON MAAS

It goes without saying that the quarterback situation will be intriguing with Ray and Maas competing for field time. Ray led the club to its last Grey Cup championship in 2003, while Maas put up impressive numbers last season with over 5,000 passing yards. Can Maciocia keep both players happy? Or will tension tear the team apart?

EXPERT OPINION: "Obviously the signing of Ricky Ray is great," said CFL on CBC analyst Greg Frers, "but it's not like Jason Maas played bad last year. I don't know why there wasn't more fanfare for Maas because he put up some serious numbers last year, throwing over 5,000 yards."

"The Eskimos' whole defensive line is revamped. They lost three starters and of note, they have Joe Montford, who should be at the top of the list for sacks."

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