CFL agents are working hard to see which of their clients will get a chance to play in the NFL.
The pursuit of Canadian Football League free agents by National Football League teams is in full swing.
While star players like Andy Fantuz are drawing huge interest from teams across the NFL, a number of lesser known players are also in demand.
A good example of this is Edmonton Eskimos linebacker Mark Restelli. Even though injuries limited him to only six games this past season, Restelli is still receiving enough interest that he has a choice of three teams to sign with: the Vikings, Jets or Dolphins.
Another player who has three NFL teams eager for his services is Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Tom Johnson. Like Restelli, Johnson hopes to have made his final choice over the next few days.
As previously noted and reported, the pursuit of Lions receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux is hot and heavy. He will ultimately decide from his final four choices: the Bears, Vikings, Seahawks and Dolphins, based on the strength on the signing bonus he receives.
The big sticking point for all CFL free agents looking to get signed by an NFL team is, the all elusive signing bonus. A player like Andy Fantuz or Arceneaux will be able to command larger signing bonuses. Less accomplished players will receive less.
This is where the talents of a player agent can pay off for a free agent. An aggressive and skilled agent can play a big role in the bargaining of a bigger signing bonus for a player than the respective team was originally willing to give.
The misconception a lot of CFL free agents have is that if they receive a nice signing bonus -- say $150,000 -- they will have a good chance of making the team.
That isn’t necessarily true.
The NFL is a $9-billion dollar industry. Teams can hand out a $100,000 dollar signing bonus to a CFL free agent; then cut him at a later date without even blinking an eye.
The signing bonus is nice. But whether or not the player makes the team is ultimately up to them.
