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EDMONTON -- It was an emotional return for Jerome Messam. There were plenty of handshakes and welcome-back hugs all around as the six-foot-four, 248-pound tailback returned to the Edmonton Eskimos on Thursday after being released Saturday by the NFLs Miami Dolphins. Messam had 10 days following his release from Miami to sign with another team south of the border but opted to return early to the CFL club. The leagues top Canadian last season signed a new deal on Saturday that will see him play through to 2014. "Were very pleased to reach a contract extension with Jerome through the 2014 season," Eskimo General Manager Eric Tillman said. "Hes happy to be back in green and gold, and Im sure our fans will welcome Jerome with great enthusiasm." Messam took to the practice field Thursday and declared hes ready to resume his pro career in Canada. "I want to play Monday," said Messam Thursday, referring to the Eskimos next game in Calgary. "I feel like Im ready, physically ready. "My body feels great, my knee feels good. It was a gruelling off-season (in Miami), I went through training like I never did before so I feel Im in the best shape of my life. "But as far as getting back into the swing of things, being comfortable with the offence, my protection responsibilities and all that stuff, if not this week definitely be next week." Messam enjoyed a breakout 2011 campaign with Edmonton, rushing for 1,057 yards to be named the CFLs outstanding Canadian. Messams arrival creates a logjam at tailback for Edmonton, which already has Hugh Charles and newcomer Cory Boyd to go with versatile Canadian Calvin McCarty. However, head coach Kavis Reed didnt sound like he was ready give Messam a roster spot for Edmontons Labour Day showdown against arch-rival Calgary. "Jerome is going to have to reintegrate himself into our system, work his way back in," Reed said. "We have every intention of giving him the opportunity to work his way back into the fold, but right now were going to focus on Hugh Charles and Cory Boyd as our guys. "Weve already built our gameplan and Jerome wasnt a part of that gameplan so were going to see if hes able to work in. If he wows us at practice, if hes that guy who picks up where he left off prior to the knee injury last year, thats a consideration. But right now Hugh Charles and Cory Boyd are the guys." Reed wants to make sure Messam is game ready. He said although Messam was in the Miami camp he didnt get significant reps or enough work to get his cardio into game condition. "The secondary part is he hasnt played football for almost a calendar year so theres a lot of things we need to look at," Reed said. The 27-year-old Toronto native, who grew up in Brampton, Ont., suffered a torn meniscus cartilage in his knee in the West Division semifinal. He had surgery in Edmonton and an additional operation in Miami, where he got only limited playing time. "When I got there I was coming off the injury," Messam said after assuming his spot in Edmontons dressing room. "I was practising so quick and going to hard I had to have another surgery while I was down there and didnt really get to do too much where they could evaluate me." Reed did say the team has the flexibility to add Messam to its roster if it saw fit. Its more likely hell dress for the return game against Calgary next Friday in Edmonton. However Messam fits into the equation, he would improve an Eskimos backfield that just three weeks ago featured Charles and McCarty. Edmonton added Boyd hours after his shocking release from Toronto on Aug. 12 despite being the CFL rushing leader at the time. Charles and Boyd currently rank third and fourth in CFL rushing. "This is a very good dilemma," said Reed. "We went from not having anyone behind Hugh Charles to moving Calvin McCarty to fullback . . . to now having three very viable options." Messam, Charles, Boyd and Reed all agreed Messams return creates a highly competitive situation, but a healthy one. "And thats good," said Reed. "As long as its healthy competition, competitiveness is very good. "Based on the character of these individuals and the fact Im going to be very up front and forthright with them, let them all know this organization is relying on them to provide quality depth at that position and our offence is morphing more into a run offence so we want to make certain were fair to everyone and they have to be pros about the way things are being handled." Charles, who leads the team with 504 rushing yards, said Messams return doesnt change his own status or put added pressure on the players. "It is going to put a lot of pressure on Kavis and (offensive co-ordinator) Marcus (Crandell) to see where everyones going to fit," he said. "What we have going now, its a great combination but I feel like theres more pressure on the coaches then there is on the players. "It"ll be interesting to see how that plays out." Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . "Rick continues to build championship calibre teams and is one of the best field managers in independent baseball. We are pleased that he will remain with the organization for at least the next three seasons," said Goldeyes owner and president Sam Katz. Cheap Jerseys China . Haas, ranked 290th in the world and playing on a wild card after coming back from injury, will now play either Kevin Anderson or Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round. http://www.azulvirtual.org/hot.html . -- Carson Palmer walked off the field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, where the Raiders had just won for the sixth straight time, and looked just like he did at the start.Diver Alexandre Despatie is back on Canadian soil. The two-time Olympic silver medallist quietly returned to his home in Montreal over the weekend after last weeks training accident in Spain. Despatie was preparing to compete in a weekend Grand Prix when he hit the end of the diving board, suffering a 10-centimetre gash to his forehead. In a release, Diving Plongeon Canada said Despatie &qquot;is dong well and is happy to be home.dddddddddddd" Over the next few days he will meet with a medical team which will monitor his recovery. Despite early concerns, Despatie did not display any concussion-like symptoms in the days following his injury. To ward off infection and allow the cut to heal, he is expected to spend approximately two weeks out of the pool. ' ' '