Bomber Free Agents

[Pete]

I have a theory that USFL and other lower league players have a better chance of signing with the NFL cause the coaches, and management, and players representatives have ties, and dealings, that do not exist between CFL staff and NFL

So.... "In just two seasons, the USFL has shown it can help players get to the NFL. The USFL has seen more than 320 players land workouts with NFL teams, with more than 100 NFL contracts signed."

Could be wrong though.

i think its younger prospects that first turn to usfl etc. in order to get that nfl look. once they hit 26 or older then the cfl becomes a more viable option.

[Stats Junkie]

I have a theory that USFL and other lower league players have a better chance of signing with the NFL cause the coaches, and management, and players representatives have ties, and dealings, that do not exist between CFL staff and NFL

So.... "In just two seasons, the USFL has shown it can help players get to the NFL. The USFL has seen more than 320 players land workouts with NFL teams, with more than 100 NFL contracts signed."

Could be wrong though.

I believe that the nature of the spring leagues (UFL,USFL,XFL or whatever they are called now) allows for an easier transition to the NFL. Those leagues were designed as auditions for the NFL and come with the opportunity to transfer to the NFL (not CFL).

The spring leagues conclude prior to NFL training camp which allows those players to immediately compete for jobs for a full training camp - yes, NFL politics still gets in the way.

The CFL season overlaps with the NFL season for several months, especially if you include NFL training camps. Any player on a CFL roster at the end of the season can attend tryouts (with permission from his CFL team) but he cannot play in the NFL during the current season.

Many CFL players only get a 1 or 2 day tryout on the side and decisions have to made on that. When CFL players sign futures contracts with NFL teams, the players have to weigh the costs of missing half a season or more of CFL action if the NFL opportunity fails.

[theaardvark]

I believe that the nature of the spring leagues (UFL,USFL,XFL or whatever they are called now) allows for an easier transition to the NFL. Those leagues were designed as auditions for the NFL and come with the opportunity to transfer to the NFL (not CFL).

The spring leagues conclude prior to NFL training camp which allows those players to immediately compete for jobs for a full training camp - yes, NFL politics still gets in the way.

The CFL season overlaps with the NFL season for several months, especially if you include NFL training camps. Any player on a CFL roster at the end of the season can attend tryouts (with permission from his CFL team) but he cannot play in the NFL during the current season.

Many CFL players only get a 1 or 2 day tryout on the side and decisions have to made on that. When CFL players sign futures contracts with NFL teams, the players have to weigh the costs of missing half a season or more of CFL action if the NFL opportunity fails.

If they sign a futures contract, they should get some guaranteed money in the deal, and that can be more than what they'd make in the time missed in the CFL.. makes the decision easier.  Its the TC invites that can be a debate over potential versus real CFL money...  but every football player will take the NFL dream over an ELC contract in the CFL, unless money is a very, very important factor in their lives at that moment.

[Pete]

Plus when they wash out in the nfl some desperate cfl team will pay them most of the lost salary even if its for a shortened season

[Blue In BC]

If they sign a futures contract, they should get some guaranteed money in the deal, and that can be more than what they'd make in the time missed in the CFL.. makes the decision easier.  Its the TC invites that can be a debate over potential versus real CFL money...  but every football player will take the NFL dream over an ELC contract in the CFL, unless money is a very, very important factor in their lives at that moment.

The CFL signs future contracts as well. It just means they are being invited to TC with no guarantees.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

i think its younger prospects that first turn to usfl etc. in order to get that nfl look. once they hit 26 or older then the cfl becomes a more viable option.

Makes a big difference if the player is single or married and has kids or not, once married  the family life pressures them to make more practical decisions. If Nathan Rourke was still single there's a reasonable chance he wouldn't have come back to the CFL so soon.

[Jesse]

The CFL signs future contracts as well. It just means they are being invited to TC with no guarantees.

And here's a big thing that I think people are missing.

The USFL can claim that all these players have signed "contracts" in the NFL for their propaganda pieces, but how many of those are futures deals that may or may not mean the player ever steps foot on an NFL field?

[Blue In BC]

Not free agents but Ford, Ayers and O. Wilson have all had tryouts with NFL teams recently. Those are not players we want to lose obviously.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Not free agents but Ford, Ayers and O. Wilson have all had tryouts with NFL teams recently. Those are not players we want to lose obviously.

Ford is a FA, who did Wilson try out with?

[Blue In BC]

Ford is a FA, who did Wilson try out with?

Wilson and Ayers had a work out with Jets. Since the Jets are such a bad team, the odds of getting a TC offer increases IMO. If that happens, they may miss half the CFL season. Same for Ford but I think his odds are longer to not get an offer or stick since he had that look see in 2023. IMO he's not a NFL CB type and teams will draft younger players to put on their PR's.

I've never been in favour of the NFL option window or 1 year deals for vets. It's counter productive to building continuity. Every off season teams seem to have 25 - 30 potential free agents. Bombers had 28 IIRC then we also risk losing 2 rookies as well?

[theaardvark]

Wilson and Ayers had a work out with Jets. Since the Jets are such a bad team, the odds of getting a TC offer increases IMO. If that happens, they may miss half the CFL season. Same for Ford but I think his odds are longer to not get an offer or stick since he had that look see in 2023. IMO he's not a NFL CB type and teams will draft younger players to put on their PR's.

I've never been in favour of the NFL option window or 1 year deals for vets. It's counter productive to building continuity. Every off season teams seem to have 25 - 30 potential free agents. Bombers had 28 IIRC then we also risk losing 2 rookies as well?

You are correct, the window causes issues with players leaving.

BUT, without the window, those player may never come to the CFL.

The CFL's one year deals and NFL window make it MORE attractive to players that still have NFL dreams.  The get to come here, showcase thier talents, turn that into these tryouts, and potentially get the NFL deal they dream of. 

Sure, we lose the Alfords, or have the Rourke, Mack or Betts short term defections, but there is also the chance that none of them come here without those "outs" until they are convinced they have no NFL opportunities left. 

I think the one year deals and window are necessary evils and a great compromise for recruiting, and might actually help bring young talent here sooner, especially when players like Alford or Singleton end up sticking south of the border after CFL showcases.

I really hope our players return for TC, but I am excited for them to make their NFL dreams come true. It just means we need to recruit a little harder, but again, for a recruiter, a successful NFL stint for a player you recruited to the CFL is a GREAT sales tool for our league, and even bigger one for your team. 

[Blue In BC]

You are correct, the window causes issues with players leaving.

BUT, without the window, those player may never come to the CFL.

The CFL's one year deals and NFL window make it MORE attractive to players that still have NFL dreams.  The get to come here, showcase thier talents, turn that into these tryouts, and potentially get the NFL deal they dream of. 

Sure, we lose the Alfords, or have the Rourke, Mack or Betts short term defections, but there is also the chance that none of them come here without those "outs" until they are convinced they have no NFL opportunities left. 

I think the one year deals and window are necessary evils and a great compromise for recruiting, and might actually help bring young talent here sooner, especially when players like Alford or Singleton end up sticking south of the border after CFL showcases.

I really hope our players return for TC, but I am excited for them to make their NFL dreams come true. It just means we need to recruit a little harder, but again, for a recruiter, a successful NFL stint for a player you recruited to the CFL is a GREAT sales tool for our league, and even bigger one for your team. 

I'm ok with those players never coming to the CFL. The thought is over rated for a dozen players each off season that get an NFL look only to be cut after TC.

Losing Canadian players is even a worse thing when we are " forced " by the ratio to draft / protect them.

We lost Alford but Ford essentially wasted his 2023 season. Financially he probably did alright but football player careers are short. As I've said, I doubt he is successful in his 2nd effort but may change teams in the CFL this year.

The 1 year deals are for vets and doesn't really help anyone with NFL dreams. It just fuels transitional rosters in the CFL.

Who on the Bombers roster coming off a 1 year deal has any hope of serious NFL tryouts? Better yet, who was the last player that would have come off his 1st ELC then a 1 year deal, gone to the NFL? Those players move but they move to other CFL teams. The 1 year deal has nothing to do with the NFL opportunity.

So far there have been about 12 players getting early NFL looks but how many actually will get NFL offers for TC and make NFL rosters.

I think Ford was the only Bomber to get a look in 2023 and get any opportunity at all.

There always 100's on American players that will be willing to come to Canada even without the NFL option window. It was never an issue or need in the past to find players.

[Blue In BC]

The CFL has officially reintroduced the NFL window with a new set of guidelines for how players from the Canadian league can go about signing contracts south of the border.

The league first created the NFL window in 1997 and it remained in place until 2012. The CFL has tried to bring it back in recent years and it's now returned after clearing the necessary hurdles with the NFL.

[theaardvark]

Many players play one year then head south.  Some, it takes a couple years, then they get a look.  Regardless, having them for any period makes the league better, and any success they have in the NFL legitimizes the CFL as a place to build a brand.

Yes, it would be nice to tie up players longer term and not give the best of the best an option out.  But we've seen what happens when that comes into play.  Players demanding renegotiation after a great season has happened when not given an out to the NFL. 

The league has implemented policies to improve retention of players, both in the league and on a team.  Guaranteed money has never been available before for multi year deals, now its there and it is used.

I'd like to see retention of rights for players using NFL windows, making contracts that were in place enforceable upon return.  Or at least giving teams the right to match any CFL offer for a returning player.  Expecting a player coming off a few years in the NFL to come back and finish out his ELC is kind of pie in the sky, but giving a team the right to match is reasonable.  Like the FA tampering period.

The league has to operate in a market that includes the spring leagues and the NFL.  It will never be perfect, but it is getting better integrated every CBA...

[Blue In BC]

Many players play one year then head south.  Some, it takes a couple years, then they get a look.  Regardless, having them for any period makes the league better, and any success they have in the NFL legitimizes the CFL as a place to build a brand.

Yes, it would be nice to tie up players longer term and not give the best of the best an option out.  But we've seen what happens when that comes into play.  Players demanding renegotiation after a great season has happened when not given an out to the NFL. 

The league has implemented policies to improve retention of players, both in the league and on a team.  Guaranteed money has never been available before for multi year deals, now its there and it is used.

I'd like to see retention of rights for players using NFL windows, making contracts that were in place enforceable upon return.  Or at least giving teams the right to match any CFL offer for a returning player.  Expecting a player coming off a few years in the NFL to come back and finish out his ELC is kind of pie in the sky, but giving a team the right to match is reasonable.  Like the FA tampering period.

The league has to operate in a market that includes the spring leagues and the NFL.  It will never be perfect, but it is getting better integrated every CBA...

That's just not true. How many 1st year players were lost to the NFL in 2023? Many is an exaggeration. Even those that have completed their 2nd year is still a very small list.

Each off season we see about 80 players change teams within the CFL. Those are players that have completed their ELC's and / or beyond. We see about 6 lost to the NFL due to NFL option window.

There were nearly 280 potential CFL free agents in the list. Many were those that completed 1 year deals.

How is that anything close to retention?

I'd agree that CFL teams should retain rights for those leave due to NFL option beyond the initial ELC. The reality is that those that leave are usually back before the end of their ELC. The others that last longer seldom return so it's a moot point.