Ten days of training camp took their toll on the Edmonton Eskimos Tuesday, as the handful of walking wounded that had been in camp were joined on the sidelines by a host of teammates.

Whether it was fatigue, nagging bumps and bruises, the heat or a combination of factors, DT Almondo Sewell and DB Terrell Pinson left the two-a-day session early, while there was no sign of DT Gregory Alexander, DB Deion Belue, DB Mike Dubuisson, OL Danny Groulx, LB D.J. Lalama, FB Mike Miller, CB John Ojo or CB Patrick Watkins.

“We’ve got guys that are out just like everybody around the league probably does, but not a rash of it so we deal with it and move on,” said Eskimos head coach Jason Maas. “Most of them are minor and we’ve got guys that can step in and replace them and that’s what their jobs are to do.”

Besides, the quantity of players on the field didn’t hold back the quality of their work.

“I feel like today was our best practice, physically,” Maas said. “I feel like we’ve got a lot out of today. It was the hottest day we’ve had and our second back-to-back in a row and I felt our guys responded to a tough, physical, demanding practice.

“I thought they gave us everything they had and I thought it was good enough.”

While the temperature was 26 C at Commonwealth Stadium during practice, parts of the province were under an extreme heat warning Tuesday.

“Football’s tough, training camp’s tougher and you put the elements in where it’s hot and it gets worse,” said Maas. “Now, a lot of these guys are from down south, where it is a little hotter than it generally is here anyway. So to say Alberta’s hot right now is not generally the case, it’s just hotter than it’s been for us in camp, but guys are used to this.

“But you’re into your 10th day of training camp, your legs are going to be tired. It’s our fifth day of install, mentally, you’re going to be tired. Physically, you’re fatigued. Combine that with a little bit more physical of a practice.”

On the flip side, training camp isn’t ever going to stop and wait for anyone to feel better.

“It’s a war of attrition, that’s what training camp is,” Maas said. “Guys have to show up every single day to win a job. The guys that don’t want to do that won’t be here. The guys that want to win and want to be a part of this will overcome.

“Camp reveals a lot of things. They always say true toughness in fatigue, you always find true character from that. I didn’t see anybody giving up today. Guys that had to sit down, sat down and they’ll be ready to go at the end of this week.”

GAME ON: Expect to see a little bit of Mike Reilly in Saturday’s preseason-opener against the Calgary Stampeders (7 p.m., 630 CHED).

While the early exhibition game is traditionally a showcase for new faces, Maas is looking to take his QB1 for a test drive.

“We’re going to look at probably playing Mike,” he said. “He needs to get a little bit of reps with the guys we have here that are new and I want to coach him a little bit in the game.

“More than likely, he’s going to play a series or two in our first game and then play a little more in the next game. That’s just the way I feel and I want the guys around him to respond.”

Aside from that, the Eskimos aren’t putting much emphasis into who they’re facing Saturday.

“We’re not game-planning for Calgary,” Maas said. “We’re not worried about what they do, we’re worried about what we do and we’re going to try to be as physical as we possibly can.

“That’s what we’re trying to get out of camp: Try to execute and be physical.”

IN AND OUT: RB John White was back practising after sitting out Monday, while LT Tony Washington resumed his duties after leaving early Monday to be examined by trainers ... Injured FB Mike Miller (undisclosed) was absent after returning for one day of practice Monday ... WR Devon Bailey (concussion), WR Andrew Johnson, LB Adam Konar, FB Aaron Milton and S Cauchy Muamba all remain out ... Former Eskimos KR Skye Dawson has been placed on the Calgary Stampeders retired list.

ON THE SKED: The Eskimos are holding one practice session from 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday at Commonwealth Stadium, while their final two-a-day session of training camp goes Thursday from 8:30-10:15 a.m. and 10:25 a.m.-noon.

gerry.moddejonge@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/SunModdejonge