Although allowed under the new CFL CBA, apparently NFL has not approved tryouts for players with ANY term left on their CFL contract ... at the behest of the NFLPA ... only TRUE free agents will be allowed at this point ... CFLPA to approach NFLPA to see if they can work it out (0:00-1:15)
Personally, I don’t think they should be allowed to try out or play for an NFL team if they are still under contract with a CFL team. The CFL just brought this in so they could attract more players to sign in the CFL, knowing that they would not be required to honour their contract.
You don’t want to play up here for two years, don’t sign a two-year contract. It’s as simple as that.
So settle for less talented players that won’t have the option of the NFL anyway?
Now that such tryouts will be allowed while players are under contract, I have to wonder if and how the CFL owners and teams profit from any such release of a player prior to the end of a player’s contract.
Win-win-win NFL CFL owners and player lose the fans?
Unintended consequences?
The owners/teams benefit from players that otherwise might/would not signing to use a season of CFL success as a stepping stone to the NFL … at least that is the theory … IMO nobody really knows how many players would or would not sign with the CFL if they couldn’t have off-season tryouts
Hard to know exact numbers but it would be far less.
My question is if and how now the owners and teams also will profit more financially from early release of a player from a contract. Of course the player would profit.
The fans lose when too many great players are one great season and done.
And then what are the unintended consequences of any such greater financial incentive for also the owners and teams?
The NFL could pay a small fee, deducted from the player’s contract should he sign a NFL contract.
Via 3DownNation, Dave Dickenson certainly had some choice words about the matter two weeks ago.
Noteworthy in the article are comments on Bo Levi Mitchell, who could have played in the NFL by any reasonable assessment and Alex Singleton, who has earned his solid spot on special teams here in Philadelphia along with time as a backup on one of the top defences in the NFL (don't get me started on the rest of the team).
The matter of James Vaughters is discussed in the thread about which players look to be coming back, and he's an example of just what is wrong with such a liberal annual tryout window. See the thread for feedback why I feel that way about him and most who even make it to the NFL who are not playing hardly after overcoming high odds just to crack a roster.
An agreement like was struck in 2012 to mandate two years for any international (almost always American) player, with a club option after the first season, was reasonable. I agree with BigDave and with Dickenson.
Why should said player foot that bill? I don’t think it works that way.
And now will the CFL team get something for him or not?
If the latter yet again, that’s a raw deal for the owners and league too.
It’s not as if NFL teams scouting the CFL’s elite don’t have money!
Because historically the NFL has been unwilling to pay transfer fees for players. Having the player, who would still get a larger contract down south, pay instead say a development fee would get around that particular.
It has been stated that some of these global football leagues will be looking into the CFL paying transfer fees for their players. This whole global initiative doesn’t work if the NFL isn’t on board.
Players under contract are not released … they have a window to try-out and (to my understanding) must either sign in the NFL or return to the CFL under the terms of the existing contract … some teams (although I thought the CFL said they were going to crack down on this) do release players early to free them up (e.g., Argos released Wilder today).
Don’t think there is any direct financial incentive … the CFLPA negotiated this in the new CBA, so theoretically they “gave up” something else to get it.
Well then it’s semantics and an accounting exercise if that fee is built into a player’s new NFL contract after any signing bonus, which NFL teams do pay for the best.
In such
A bizzare way its begining to work in an unofficial bizzare partnership.
The CFL allows players to take their shot at the big money the Nfl is able to pay.
Now that this Bizzare way of doing this has been around for a few years.
As some CFL players get a shot at NFL $$$$.
Most only have a very short NFL window. So they return to the Cfl for the long run.
Its bizzare but thats wat is happening.
I cant explain it. Lol
Oh they gave ups something alright-and then some
I like the idea of at least some form of compensation from and NFL team if they are interested in a CFL player. That way a team must demonstrate a genuine interest in a player, not just signing him for the sake of having a warm body in training camp. Now with that being said, I doubt many players would like that as they all see themselves as future star NFL players, despite teams not really pursuing them all that hard or investing any resources in them. Then they get cut right off the bat in an NFL camp, and they complain they didn’t really get a shot. Really, the team that gave you a tiny or no signing bonus didn’t end up giving you a shot? You don’t say… ;D
Unless the guy looked like a potential All-Pro talk I expect the NFL’s response would be:
Talk to us next year … after your contract is up.
I suspect that would be the response in most cases, but still, for the few rare instances where it isn’t, why not have a mechanism in place that could benefit all parties (except unfortunately the player, although even there it may help them in the long run).
That way, if a team really wanted a player early, they could get him for a nominal fee. The player is saved from being cannon fodder at training camp and completely wasting their time as the NFL team would have to show at least some level of commitment towards the player, and the CFL team gets a few schillings to put towards anything they like. Seems like a better alternative than a team just releasing a star player out of the blue in order to enable the player to pursue a pretty flimsy NFL opportunity. Not exactly a great way to serve a fanbase. If a contract is up, then fans can understand a guy wanting to take a shot down south, otherwise your contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on
Personally, I think that this is a shot across the bows of the NFL by the NFLPA, flexing their muscles before their CBA negotiations begin next year. After all every GM want’s to have as much quality depth as possible, and the NFLPA is holding their roster flexibility hostage.
As I said it is a rather bizzare thing.
But as this has been given full time to cycle through over the last few years.
While there are players every year that leave the CFL for their shot at NFL $$$$.
Now with it cycling thru we are seeing ALOT of players who left the CFL or Canadian players leaving college football going right to the NFL. Are coming back to the CFL. As NFL options are up.
So as many are leaving each year. Many are also returning. So it evens out.