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I noticed that it was mentioned that one of the Lions picks got signed (or is getting signed) by Green Bay in the NFL. How does that work? If he signs there but was drafted here, are the Lions compensated somehow? I am a Miami Dolphins season tix holder, but I'm coming up to see the Lions play in August. Some of this is still pretty new to me....

Thanks,

Jeff

MiamiBCFan wrote:I noticed that it was mentioned that one of the Lions picks got signed (or is getting signed) by Green Bay in the NFL. How does that work? If he signs there but was drafted here, are the Lions compensated somehow? I am a Miami Dolphins season tix holder, but I'm coming up to see the Lions play in August. Some of this is still pretty new to me....

Thanks,

Jeff

A CFL draft pick is still a FA, he is eligible to any NFL team that wants to try him out and sign him. However his CFL rights remain the team that drafted him if he returns to the CFL at anytime. See you in August.

So if that player signs in the NFL that draft pick is just lost? That's not good! You guys get a potentially great player, someone in the NFL sees that player and signs him. The CFL team not only loses their potential star, but also that draft pick is just gone? I would have expected some compensatory picks in the next years draft or something??? What a rip!

-Jeff

MiamiBCFan wrote:So if that player signs in the NFL that draft pick is just lost? That's not good! You guys get a potentially great player, someone in the NFL sees that player and signs him. The CFL team not only loses their potential star, but also that draft pick is just gone? I would have expected some compensatory picks in the next years draft or something??? What a rip!

-Jeff

Yeah. It is a rip. And that is what it is like sleeping next to the elephant. Ha ha.

We have discussed the possibility of getting an agreement between the CFL and the NFL. The NFL has the big bucks and gobbles up the best players (eg Cam Wake). But the NFL has little incentive to compensate the little old CFL.

As you will find out, the CFL is populated by spectacular athletes who might be smaller than the NFL types, but equally athletic. When one like Cam Wake gets enough publicity the NFL eventually gets him. The salaries are so much different.

Top pay in the CFL might be $500,000 for one player per team.

Many of the players get less than $100,000.

But the game on the field ... Dedicated CFL fans prefer the CFL game on the field to the NFL. Myself included, even though I also like the NFL.

MiamiBCFan wrote:So if that player signs in the NFL that draft pick is just lost? That's not good! You guys get a potentially great player, someone in the NFL sees that player and signs him. The CFL team not only loses their potential star, but also that draft pick is just gone? I would have expected some compensatory picks in the next years draft or something??? What a rip!

-Jeff

The draft is what it is, plus the player with NFL interest is generally weeded out prior to the CFL draft and the team that drafts him knows that he may be lost for at minimum NFL TC time. The Lions wouldn't have had Gore at the #10 spot had he not been in NFL contract talks.

On the flipside, a team with solid NI talent already can utilize the potential NFL selection and hope that he comes back to the CFL down the road..aka Doug Brown, Ryan Thelwell among others.

MiamiBCFan wrote:So if that player signs in the NFL that draft pick is just lost? That's not good! You guys get a potentially great player, someone in the NFL sees that player and signs him. The CFL team not only loses their potential star, but also that draft pick is just gone? I would have expected some compensatory picks in the next years draft or something??? What a rip!

-Jeff

Well, no, here is why, the CFL Draft is not the sure thing that the NFL draft is, which is one of the things that makes the CFL so great, a GM in the CFL has to be part player personnel man, part river boat gambler, part accountant and part Scout to land Canadian Talent.

Add in a CFL GM just has to be more creative in finding talent in the US at places like small colleges and the CFL is just fascinating, literally a "star" can leave a team, and be replaced without so much a single eye batted, BC lost Cam Wake to the Dolphins but just dialed up Casey Printers and made it to the CFL Divisional Championship game.

I love that!

WestCoastJoe wrote:As you will find out, the CFL is populated by spectacular athletes who might be smaller than the NFL types, but equally athletic. When one like Cam Wake gets enough publicity the NFL eventually gets him. The salaries are so much different.

To illustrate your point, Cam Wake played defensive end for the Lions at about 240 pounds. In Miami he's listed at 250 as a linebacker. The Dolphins are high on second-round draft pick Koa Misi as an outside linebacker but want him to gain seven pounds to report to camp at 250. In the CFL, 230 is big for a linebacker.

Athletic players come in all sizes. The CFL has had a lot of success recruiting players whose size doesn't measure up to NFL standards but is well-suited for the wide-open CFL style of play, with a bigger field and more passing. Increasingly, though, even smaller players in the CFL are being lured by NFL teams, although not necessarily at the same positions they played in the CFL.

Yeah, I see that. It's gotten to the point that to line up in some position in the NFL you have to be huge, if not you get pushed around by the other guy. There are the finesse positions though where smaller guys excel, but mostly RB and slot receivers.

I am fine with that, but had no idea drafted guys may never show up for camp because they signed with an NFL team. Wow! is all I can say.

Just got my hotel lined up for the weekend of the Aug 7th game. Got my money in on the tix also. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

-Jeff

I wasnt thinking that NFL/CFL would compensate each other. Why would they, they are separate companies in separate Countries. I understand that. I just figured that the CFL would compensate. For instance, if an NFL team loses a lot of veteran talent because of free agency, the league awards those teams compensatory picks in the draft. I would think something like that would be fair to a CFL team who loses a player to the NFL. I think it should work with veteran players as well. I know the Lions losing Wake (thank you very much btw) to the NFL didnt seem to affect things too negatively, but in the long run the team has to be worse off without him. They should at least get an extra draft pick to try to replace him.

I feel you though, its just one more dynamic difference between the leagues. They obviously are making the most of the rules the way they are and they seem to, for the most part get better every year (at least by trying to replace talent via a draft). More of a learning thing for me. I wanna arrive knowing the system and how things work. Can't wait to buy a hat and beer and watch some Lion football!

-Jeff

MiamiBCFan wrote: I feel you though, its just one more dynamic difference between the leagues. They obviously are making the most of the rules the way they are and they seem to, for the most part get better every year (at least by trying to replace talent via a draft). More of a learning thing for me. I wanna arrive knowing the system and how things work. Can't wait to buy a hat and beer and watch some Lion football!

-Jeff

The CFL is dynamic by necessity.

Change of personnel is fast and constant. Adaptation to new ideas is constant.

The offence is wide open. The defence has to be fast and aggressive.

It makes for a great game on the field. And a team can turn its franchise around for the better in a hurry.

Enjoy.

I hope you enjoy your visit. In particular, the different quarterback play. Our presumed starter, Casey Printers, suffered and died a painful experience with Kansas City, with a 'cloud of dust', ball-control offence that featured passes under 10 yards. He did not do well. His game here, as I hope you will see in August, is rather different. He can be expected to roll around and fling 50 yard passes all over the lot. With only 3 downs, you have to pass more; with the big field, quick receivers (many too 'small' for the NFL) tend to find openings.
It's the same game and yet it's not. Those of us who love football in both countries think the CFL deserves more exposure. I sincerely hope you enjoy the game.