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Eskimos extend Ed Hervey and Chris Jones: will they be able to sustain success?

Eskimos extend Ed Hervey and Chris Jones: will they be able to sustain success?

The Edmonton Eskimos' 12-6 2014 campaign with a West final appearance was a long way from the 4-14 record they posted the previous year, and it showed a lot of progress in substantially different areas. On the heels of that success, the team has opted to extend general manager Ed Hervey and head coach Chris Jones (although Jones' extension hasn't been made official yet and won't be until he arrives in town in May). Hervey's contract extension through 2017 is official, though, and it sees him adding the title of vice-president (football operations) while retaining his role as general manager. Thus, he and Jones should be in charge of this team for the next few years. Will they be able to sustain their 2014 success, though?

There are some positive signs for the Eskimos going forward beyond just that 12-6 record. Their defence was dominant in 2014, leading the league in yards allowed per game (279.4), fewest first downs allowed (287), points allowed per game (18.9), passing first downs allowed (156), gain per pass (6.7 yards), passing yards per game (206.7), completion rate allowed (54.7 per cent) and interceptions (21). Their offence was also very impressive in 2014; they led the CFL in yards of offence per game (363.8) and gain per rush (6.4 yards), and they were strong in a number of other categories too, including rushing yards per game (136.6), passing yards per game (245.9) and completion percentage (63.9 per cent). This wasn't a one-dimensional team, but one that was strong in a wide variety of areas.

From a player-personnel standpoint, Edmonton also looks to be in pretty good shape. While they've had some notable losses this offseason, including guard Matt O'Donnell (to the NFL), defensive back Chris Rwabukamba (to B.C.) and linebacker/special teams player Joash Gesse (to Saskatchewan), they've managed to extend some of their own top talents, such as defensive end Odell Willis and defensive tackle Don Oramasionwu. They've also signed some interesting free agents, including receiver Wallace Miles and lineman Alexander Krausnick-Groh from Ottawa and lineman Greg Wojt from Hamilton. Perhaps most vitally, they appear to be pretty set at quarterback; they have a great starter in Mike Reilly, a solid backup in Matt Nichols, and while there's a competition for that third spot following Pat White's concussion-driven retirement, there are plenty of interesting options in that mix. It's also notable that the team has invested heavily in building their scouting network, which should help them continue to draw talent.

There will be challenges ahead for the Eskimos, though. For one thing, they'll need to keep Reilly healthy; he's been great when he's been able to keep playing consistently, but he's taken a lot of hits over the years. For another, even maintaining their second-place status (much less improving to first) in the tough West is anything but automatic. Reigning Grey Cup champions Calgary still have a great roster, third- and fourth-place finishers Saskatchewan and B.C. have made upgrades over the offseason, and even last-place Winnipeg has made some splashy offseason moves. We'll also see if the league's a little more used to coaching against Jones, now; he shook things up substantially in  2014, his rookie season as a head coach, with trick plays and highly-complicated defensive schemes, but the rest of the CFL now has more film on him.

None of this necessarily means that Edmonton's doomed to regress, of course.. The Eskimos have a lot going for them; their strength last season went beyond just wins and losses, and they're bringing back most of their key contributors (plus a few notable additions). They also saw a management team of Hervey and Jones that was much more in sync than things were the previous couple of years, when Hervey was hired with head coach Kavis Reed already in place. However, there are plenty of potential hazards out there, from key injuries to other teams' improvements to players regressing quickly to bad bounces or calls. It's taken Hervey a few years to take the Eskimos from a basement-dweller to a contender, but he certainly accomplished that in 2014 at least. Now, the question is if he'll be able to sustain it. This extension shows management's betting he can; we'll see if their bet's correct.