The Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick off their 2019 CFL pre-season schedule on Friday Night when they host the Edmonton Eskimos in a 7:30 p.m. start at IG Field.

The game will be broadcast exclusively on 680 CJOB as Bob Irving, Doug Brown, Greg Mackling and Ed Tait get you set, starting with the pre-game show at 5:30 p.m.

And as we’ll do all season long, here are five things you should know as compiled by BlueBombers.com Director of Content, Ed Tait.

1. Friday’s game will be our first look at some of the players who will make up the 2019 Blue Bombers squad. The Bombers likely won’t play a lot of their veterans for very long in this contest, as head coach Mike O’Shea often lets his stars like Matt Nichols, Andrew Harris and Adam Bighill decide how many preseason snaps they need to get ready for the real games.

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2. This will be the second preseason game for the Eskimos, after they knocked off the B.C. Lions 22-7 in Edmonton last Sunday. The Esks underwent an extreme makeover this offseason, with the biggest change seeing Trevor Harris now at quarterback after Mike Reilly left for the Lions in free agency.

3. It was once said that taking in a preseason game is as exciting as watching a tree form its annual ring, but there are some new faces battling for jobs to keep an eye on Friday night. Here are three in particular:

No. 87: Lucky Whitehead is dynamic receiver and kick returner who could add some spark to the special teams;

No. 98: Steven Richardson is a defensive tackle who has been a nightmare for offensive linemen consistently during Bombers training camp;

No. 20 is Brady Oliveira, the Winnipeg-born running back who starred at Oak Park High School before heading to North Dakota to play his college ball. He’s also had an excellent camp.

4. There are currently 10 Winnipeg products in camp in Brady Oliveira, running back Andrew Harris, slotback Nic Demski, linebackers Thomas Miles and DJ Lalama, offensive lineman Geoff Gray, defensive lineman Tariq LaChance, receiver Dylan Schrot, defensive back Abu Conteh and long snapper Zach Greenberg as well as three members of the Winnipeg Rifles in Troy Wilson, Cole Sneesby and Brandon Urciuoli (pronounced: Err-chee-oh-lee).

5. After this game Friday, the Bombers are in Regina for their final tune-up on Thursday, June 6 and then open up the 2019 season on Saturday, June 15 in Vancouver against the new-look B.C. Lions. Winnipeg’s home opener is Thursday, June 27 against Edmonton.

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FYI: Fans wishing to get on board for season tickets or single-game tickets should call 204-784-7448 or visit bluebombers.com/tickets.

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