Big Changes to the CFL draft

[HfxTC]

CIS players now eligible to be drafted after their 3rd year, which in effect doubles the pool of CIS prospects available in the next draft.

NCAA players now only eligible to be drafted after their Senior year which pretty much eliminates any meaningful prospects from the coming draft.

You got to think CIS Coaches won't like this one too much. Agents are also going to take a kick in the teeth as the draft is not extended in a meaningful way so their power of negotiation over the teams IMO also takes a hit. IIn a year where teams will lose players this might help somewhat.

[canadianhothead]

after players get drafted they often play out the fifth year in the CIS. Could we see players now staying an extra two years now in the CIS. currently players are only available in the fourth year. Are both year 3 and 4 ellegable now, or are you a free agent after year 3 and one time passed over in the draft? this is very unique. Especially for students in 4 and 5 year programs. I like the not doing the red shirt thing anymore as well. I feel though if you take a player after 3 years instead of 4... There needs to be a greater commitment from the CFL to develope the players.

[depopulationINC]

players will use it to draw interest from the NFL. The CFL has shot themselves in the foot. Kid gets drafted...plays a year or 2 more, meanwhile US scouts know to look at him.

Stupid move.

[Gornaldatron]

You guys are grossly misinterpreting the rule change.

[url=http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-adjusts-eligibility-rules-for-draft]http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-adjusts-eligi ... -for-draft[/url]

@"cfl.ca"

For players with non-import status playing in the CIS, they will be eligible to be selected in the CFL Draft three years after completing their first year of CIS eligibility.

Previously, a CIS player was eligible to be selected after their fourth year of post-secondary education.

Players are eligible to be drafted three years after playing their first. This means that players who have not played in their first year (ie. the CIS equivalent to a redshirt) don’t have their eligibility kick in until they appear on a CIS gameday roster for two or more games.

[url=http://english.cis-sic.ca/information/student-athlete_info/athletes_guide#eligibility]http://english.cis-sic.ca/information/s ... ligibility[/url]

@"cis-sic.ca"

How do I get charged with a year of eligibility?
· if your team does NOT have an exhibition schedule, you are charged with a year of eligibility when your name appears on the playing roster (or equivalent) of two or more regular season competitions; otherwise if your team DOES play in exhibition, you are charged a year for a single regular season competition with an exception in football and rugby (please consult your Athletic Department).

This will actually make drafting players a lot better, because it reduces the chances that a student will have remaining eligibility if he has already sat out his first season.

[robsawatsky]

Gornaldatron is right; OP read it incorrectly. This change, in most circumstances adds no additional players to the pool and for the most part adds clarity to the eligibility rules based upon "red-shirt", a season not played, and a few other scenarios that the previous definition left open to interpretation.

[Hammer]

@"depopulationINC"

players will use it to draw interest from the NFL. The CFL has shot themselves in the foot. Kid gets drafted…plays a year or 2 more, meanwhile US scouts know to look at him.

Stupid move.

I would be inclined to agree with you…if more then 14 Canadian players currently playing in the NFL, and more then 4 CIS players. The NFL scouts can line up all they want, there is regrettably only so much Canadian talent capable of cracking an NFL roster.

I think a Canadian player is more inclined to decide to go to the CFL if he knows he’s been drafted early and knows that is a potential career option if he keeps doing the right things. Keep in mind, how many CIS players simply go undrafted and simply walk away from the game and never go to a tryout after university. This lets teams have more options to catch players who might otherwise slip through the cracks, the draft being as limited in scope as it is.

I will agree though, CIS coaches won’t like it. Once a player gets drafted, ego is going to kick in.

As far as NCAA players, well this is more to the teams benefit anyways. Too many NCAA draft choices are never realized because the player cracked an NFL roster. The CFL doesn’t to be the fallback league if my NFL tryout doesn’t work out and have draft picks slip through the cracks if it does. They want to be the league that says “Hey, you might not have the NFL looking at you, but we are looking at you and want to sign you now.”