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Elimination of waivers...hello slippery slope.


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I had a lot of trouble understanding exactly how the removal of waivers can lead to the direct sale of players.  How are the two things linked?

 

Can someone explain it to me, possibly in terms a young child would understand?

NFL Team A says to CFL Team B we would like to sign player C, we will give you $X if you release player C.  Without waivers player C is now a free agent and signs with NFL team A instead of being able to be picked up on waivers by another CFL team. At least this is what I can gather from the idea, but don't know the CFL waiver process from the old CBA since teams seemed to release guys to try the NFL before without them having to clear waivers.

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I had a lot of trouble understanding exactly how the removal of waivers can lead to the direct sale of players.  How are the two things linked?

 

Can someone explain it to me, possibly in terms a young child would understand?

NFL Team A says to CFL Team B we would like to sign player C, we will give you $X if you release player C.  Without waivers player C is now a free agent and signs with NFL team A instead of being able to be picked up on waivers by another CFL team. At least this is what I can gather from the idea, but don't know the CFL waiver process from the old CBA since teams seemed to release guys to try the NFL before without them having to clear waivers.

 

 

Yes, yes, thank you.

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I had a lot of trouble understanding exactly how the removal of waivers can lead to the direct sale of players.  How are the two things linked?

 

Can someone explain it to me, possibly in terms a young child would understand?

NFL Team A says to CFL Team B we would like to sign player C, we will give you $X if you release player C.  Without waivers player C is now a free agent and signs with NFL team A instead of being able to be picked up on waivers by another CFL team. At least this is what I can gather from the idea, but don't know the CFL waiver process from the old CBA since teams seemed to release guys to try the NFL before without them having to clear waivers.

 

 

Yes, yes, thank you.

 

I think that's it in a nutshell. 

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It also leaves open the possibility that CFL teams could sell the contracts of players to the NFL, a concept sought for some time by owners like the Lions’ David Braley, who has been of the belief teams should benefit from developing talent not identified first by the U.S. scouting process.

Import players who come to the CFL likely wouldn’t mind a chance to be placed with an NFL club, even one not of their choosing...

I don't get how this kind of transaction would work. Once the player is released, they're a free agent, they don't have a contract anymore for the NFL team to take over.

Would it be a conditional thing where the CFL team makes the release conditional upon the player signing a deal with an NFL team?

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The NFL doesn't need a contract to take over, they were released so they have no contract.  The NFL would just sign them to a new one.

 

The NFL actually never takes over a CFL contract, it isn't a minor / major league agreement.  They would simply pay the CFL club to release the player so that they could sign them.  Now it is true at that point that any other CFL or NFL team could sign them, but I'm pretty sure discussions with the agent would have taken place before that happens.

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The fact that Wally is resigned to it eventually happening probably means that it's already on it's way.  I hope the NFL team's have the decency to wait for the season to end before buying out a player.  Before the CFL allows this to happen I hope they put their heads together with the NFL to make sure this is a benefit to both leagues and not just a sell off of assets.  As for the players they're going to agree to anything just to get that shot in the NFL and I think they've been pushing this agenda all along.  Don't believe for a minute they give a hoot about the long term survival of the CFL.

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I'd rather see the concept of seeing a players rights, contingent on that players agreement, to be formalized..

 

If player X is making 80,000 in the CFL and an NFL team wants to pay him 400,000 then if the Owners and the Player agrees the NFL team would pay the CFL team a % of the raise the player is getting which would not count in the NFL against their cap..

 

whether the CFL or NFL plays a more exciting brand of ball is a personal preference but there is no dispute that 4 down ball pays better and the players should be able to turn CFL success into an NFL chance if that is what they want to do.

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my biggest concern in this area is the mid-season transfer to the NFL.  I can live with players leaving at year end, but loosing the top players mid season is an insult to fans.  It will kill the CFL if it happens.

 

Most of the CFL players who try to land on an NFL roster have to go through numerous tryout camps trying to qualify and I would think less than 50% of those who try actually catch on.  I think it's the players and their agents driving this process as the scenario of an NFL team chasing after a CFL player seems pretty far removed from the reality. Is there any other example of this happening other than Cameron Wake?  Even a standout like Muamba had no actual suitors even after a few years of great play, I believe it was his initiative that eventually landed him a spot with the Colts.    Should the Colts compensate the Bombers for developing him???  Maybe...but it's hard to comprehend what the rules of such an agreement would look like.

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my biggest concern in this area is the mid-season transfer to the NFL.  I can live with players leaving at year end, but loosing the top players mid season is an insult to fans.  It will kill the CFL if it happens.

 

Most of the CFL players who try to land on an NFL roster have to go through numerous tryout camps trying to qualify and I would think less than 50% of those who try actually catch on.  I think it's the players and their agents driving this process as the scenario of an NFL team chasing after a CFL player seems pretty far removed from the reality. Is there any other example of this happening other than Cameron Wake?  Even a standout like Muamba had no actual suitors even after a few years of great play, I believe it was his initiative that eventually landed him a spot with the Colts.    Should the Colts compensate the Bombers for developing him???  Maybe...but it's hard to comprehend what the rules of such an agreement would look like.

 

 

Being a Bills fan when Flutie came back down to the NFL this is the way I saw it. Even if you don't make an NFL team being signed and in camp means you will make more than in a year of CFL ball. If the NFL wants you they are going to want to sign you to the initial 90 man preseason roster in April or May, it's hard to see too many situations where an NFL team in August decides to raid a CFL team.

 

I'm not saying it can't happen but it would be exceedingly rare.

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I'm not sure how this would be a slippery slope since the NFL and CFL reognize each other's contracts so an NFL team can't contact a CFL team about releasing a player under contract. 

But... Roger Goodell is no friend of the CFL like Pete Rozelle & Paul Tagliabue were. 

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my biggest concern in this area is the mid-season transfer to the NFL.  I can live with players leaving at year end, but loosing the top players mid season is an insult to fans.  It will kill the CFL if it happens.

 

Most of the CFL players who try to land on an NFL roster have to go through numerous tryout camps trying to qualify and I would think less than 50% of those who try actually catch on.  I think it's the players and their agents driving this process as the scenario of an NFL team chasing after a CFL player seems pretty far removed from the reality. Is there any other example of this happening other than Cameron Wake?  Even a standout like Muamba had no actual suitors even after a few years of great play, I believe it was his initiative that eventually landed him a spot with the Colts.    Should the Colts compensate the Bombers for developing him???  Maybe...but it's hard to comprehend what the rules of such an agreement would look like.

 

 

No they don't.  They might have a workout with a team, but I think you're confusing OTA's with tryout camps, which they are to a point for rookies to earn a spot into the main training camp, but the guys in OTA's are on NFL contracts.

 

Why is it "pretty far removed for reality" for NFL teams to have interest in CFL players?  Most of the guys in the CFL have already spent time with NFL teams, even played in regular season NFL games and just on the fringe of being a NFL player.  Guess what, 3/4 players are on that fringe.  You could drop 100 CFLers into the NFL tomorrow and nobody would notice a difference.

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my biggest concern in this area is the mid-season transfer to the NFL.  I can live with players leaving at year end, but loosing the top players mid season is an insult to fans.  It will kill the CFL if it happens.

 

Most of the CFL players who try to land on an NFL roster have to go through numerous tryout camps trying to qualify and I would think less than 50% of those who try actually catch on.  I think it's the players and their agents driving this process as the scenario of an NFL team chasing after a CFL player seems pretty far removed from the reality. Is there any other example of this happening other than Cameron Wake?  Even a standout like Muamba had no actual suitors even after a few years of great play, I believe it was his initiative that eventually landed him a spot with the Colts.    Should the Colts compensate the Bombers for developing him???  Maybe...but it's hard to comprehend what the rules of such an agreement would look like.

 

 

No they don't.  They might have a workout with a team, but I think you're confusing OTA's with tryout camps, which they are to a point for rookies to earn a spot into the main training camp, but the guys in OTA's are on NFL contracts.

 

Why is it "pretty far removed for reality" for NFL teams to have interest in CFL players?  Most of the guys in the CFL have already spent time with NFL teams, even played in regular season NFL games and just on the fringe of being a NFL player.  Guess what, 3/4 players are on that fringe.  You could drop 100 CFLers into the NFL tomorrow and nobody would notice a difference.

 

This is not an discussion about comparing the quality of CFL players to NFL players this is more to do with the legal issues surrounding contracts.  Sure the NFL teams are interested in good CFL players but rarely do they take the initiative to "go shopping" for them on a CFL roster.  The trend so far has been to wait for the off season when CFL players free of contract pursue opportunities in NFL training camps. I think what this article is outlining is potential changes to that system were the terms of a contract could be interrupted or bought out. 

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