CIS players to US Shrine game

[OV Argo]

Usually 2 CIS guys get the call/ heard it is Manitoba D-lineman Onyemata & Laval O-lineman Vaillancourt going this year. BUT - also heard last year's Argo draft pick Sean McEwen is invited too - normally it is only 2 CIS guys (one from the East and one from the West), and usually just 4th year players; McEwen was back for his 5th CIS season last year i think. This maybe not good news for the Argos cause it might indicate some fairly serious NFL interest in looking at McEwen?

[paulwoods13]

I've been worried McEwan would try the NFL since he decided to go back to school. I still think that will happen.

[doubleblue]

Most of the Shrine game Canadian players over the years have ended up back in the CFL. Shrine game players seem to be mostly late round picks or free agents.
But that is just the way it is now for CFL teams trying to eventually get most of the best Canadian players. Jim Barker calls it "guys in the pipeline". Some never do come back, but most do eventually. It is all about money which is very understandable. They can make what? 80,000-100,000 US a year just on the practice roster.
The thing is there are probably many US players better than these Canadian players at all positions, but the NFL would already have a good book on them. The Canadian players not so much, so they want to see the better ones against some top NCAA players.
My take is there are some good players in this year's draft and some will get some NFL looks, but I would still the draft the best available and wait them out.

[OV Argo]

Most of the Shrine game Canadian players over the years have ended up back in the CFL. Shrine game players seem to be mostly late round picks or free agents.
But that is just the way it is now for CFL teams trying to eventually get most of the best Canadian players. Jim Barker calls it "guys in the pipeline". Some never do come back, but most do eventually. It is all about money which is very understandable. They can make what? 80,000-100,000 US a year just on the practice roster.
The thing is there are probably many US players better than these Canadian players at all positions, but the NFL would already have a good book on them. The Canadian players not so much, so they want to see the better ones against some top NCAA players.
My take is there are some good players in this year's draft and some will get some NFL looks, but I would still the draft the best available and wait them out.

Not sure about the most come back part - plenty of examples of CFL draft picks from the past number of years who went to the NFL and either hung around for a bit or are still there, and never showed up in the CFL. I get the "pipeline" thinking but I'd be very careful about it - especially with 1st & 2nd round draft picks - who I'd want to show up right away and be possible impact players soon rather than later. Hard for CFL personnel people to predict or gauge if a young Canadian player is going to draw some decent to serious NFL interest - guys like Greenwood or McEwen are not obvious NFL flight risks but there was some talk of NFL interest for both guys before they were CFL drafted. CFL teams using a top draft pick to select a player like Nick Kaczur is just plain stupid and wasteful - stay away from obvious NFL bound guys except for maybe a late round draft pick - and CFL teams have learned this the hard way. NO CFL team used even a late round draft pick, a few years back, to take Tyrone Crawford (starting D-lineman for the Cowboys now), even though he was a top rated player on the CFL Scouting Bureau list

[doubleblue]

Yes there will always be guys like Kaczur and Crawford. Winnipeg got burned on a couple of their picks as well, but the majority of the top CFL draft picks that try out with NFL teams come back eventually. All the CFL teams knew Covington and the big Tackle from McGill were going to be drafted so they shied away from picking them in the early rounds. Jim Barker seems to have good contacts down south and has a pretty good idea where the graduating Seniors are rated before hand. He did get blind sided by Greenwood catching on with KC though, but he seemed to know how players like Sewell and Waud were thought of by the NFL.
McEwen went to the Giants mini camp last year and I'm sure he would have stayed on the PR if asked, and I am also sure that if Calgary has picked him he would have played with them this year. I always thought there was a bit of funny stuff going on with McEwen telling teams he was going back to school etc. so then Calgary could pick him with their #9 pick as a replacement for Jones. But I thought Chung was and is the better player and he also went to the Giants mini camp last year and was let go. I do expect quite a few of the CFL first rounders to get signed to NFL mini camps because of the large rosters allowed now in the NFL. But I wouldn't shy away from picking them unless the word is they will be drafted down there as those guys get a longer look.