Chris Jones returns to Edmonton in no mood to go down memory lane

The Roughriders have shut down training camp in Saskatoon and have foundtheir way to Edmonton.

They will play their final pre-season game against the Eskimos on Saturday afternoon.

Darian Durant will make his first appearance of the pre-season when he starts as quarterback against the Eskimos. It will be his first live action since rupturing an Achilles tendon in the season opener a year ago.

But they could care less about that in Edmonton where the story line is all about the return of Chris Jones.

Just one week after winning the Grey Cup with the Eskimos last November, Jones defected to Saskatchewan.

'They hired me for a reason and that's where my focus is.' Chris Jones

The Riders waved a wad of cash in front of his face and made him the head coach, general manager and vice president of football operations.

And, to rub salt in the wound of the Eskimos, Jones managed to convince all but one coach on his staff to follow him.

There will be no welcome back reception at Commonwealth Stadium.

But the Eskimos did, last week, mail memento Grey Cup rings to Jones and the rest of the ex-Eskimo coaches who held their own little party in Saskatoon to reminisce.

Edmonton now is nothing more than a business trip for Jones and he was in no mood to go down memory lane with Edmonton reporters on Friday afternoon.

"I talk more about what we need to do as a football team more so than coming back here," Jones said. "It was a good two year ride here, but it's like everywhere else I've been I've got a job to do. They hired me for a reason and that's where my focus is."

Enough said about that, other than Jones is not anticipating the friendliest of welcomes from Eskimo fans.

Jones has his work cut out for him with the Riders, but it was just as messy when he took over the 4 and 14 Eskimos in 2014.

Less than two years later, they were hoisting the Grey Cup.

"It was a great locker room," Jones said. "We probably weren't the most talented group but we were definitely the tightest locker room and we aretrying toemulate the same thing in Saskatchewan."

Durant to start against Eskimos

In this final tune-up for the 2016 season, Joneswill have Durant at the helm of the game for as long as he deems necessary.

Jones and staff still have a decision to make on Durant's backup. Neither B.J. Coleman or Brett Smith, in last week's pre-season game, gave Jones a warm feeling about his depth at the most important position on a football team.

The Riders took 72 players to Edmonton. Quite a few of thoseplayers will never see Regina.

Following the game, and no doubt asleepless night for the coaches, the Riders willhave to be down to a 46-man active roster by Sunday morning.

Saturday's game starts at 2 p.m. CST at Commonwealth Stadium. There will be no television coverage.