All that casual fans really need to know about the 2008 Canadian Football League Draft is that it takes place on Wednesday, April 30th and you can see it live on TSN.ca. For those who want to sound like real draft junkies to impress the opposite sex at parties, keep reading.
Getting Territorial
Up until 1984, the annual Canadian Draft began with each team naming its two "territorial exemptions". That was the term for players who were selected to automatically become property of their hometown teams rather than going through the regular draft process. If they were to bring that system back into play in 2008, the four West Division clubs likely wouldn't complain a bit. The Eskimos would be the big winners considering that most teams rate a pair of Edmontonians, defensive tackle Keith Shologan (Central Florida) and offensive guard Dmitri Tsoumpas (Weber State), among the top five prospects in the Class of '08. The Lions could counter with Vancouver native Shea Emry (UBC), the best available linebacker, and three-time All-Sun Belt Conference offensive lineman Jesse Newman (Louisiana-Lafayette), who hails from Powell River B.C.. Free safety Dylan Barker (Saskatchewan), the pride of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and fullback Rolly Lumbala (Idaho), a Calgary high school product, are two more likely first rounders who could help their local CFL teams, both on the field and at the ticket window.
Edmonton's Consolation Prize
With the Eskimos missing the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and the Oilers joining them as postseason spectators this spring, Edmonton's title as the City of Champions could be in jeopardy. However, the Alberta capital may not need to look far for a new nickname. With aforementioned local boys Keith Shologan and Dmitri Tsoumpas virtual locks to go in the first round, and fellow Edmontonians Tristan Jones (RB, Edmonton Wildcats) and Dan Bass (LB, Alberta) also possessing a decent shot of being drafted, Edmonton suddenly appears to be The City of Prospects. It doesn't hurt that several former Eskimos happened to raise their families in Edmonton after their playing days were done. Jones and Bass are the sons of Esks alumni Milson Jones and Dan Bass respectively. Receiver Damon Fraietta (Alberta), whose father Emilio earned a couple of Grey Cup rings during his days in Green and Gold, is also eligible for this year's draft.
Bloodlines
The list of draft eligible players with impressive bloodlines isn't limited to the trio of Eskimo offspring. Highly regarded linebackers Jason Arakgi (McMaster) and Mike McEachern (Western Illinois) are the sons of former CFL stars Nick Arakgi and Ken McEachern respectively. Defensive end Fernand Kashama (Western Michigan) will also have DNA on his side on Draft Day, as he is the younger brother of (current Alouette) Alain and (former Tiger-Cat and Blue Bomber) Hakeem Kashama.
When is a Canadian not a Canadian?
The terms Canadian and non-import are often used synonymously when classifying players in the CFL, however, sometimes it's not that simple. Every year, there are individuals playing college football who are Canadian either by birth or citizenship but don't meet the CFL's definition of a non-import. This year, three of those players would have impacted the draft in a major way had they been deemed non-imports. Rutgers defensive end Jamaal Westerman was born in Brooklyn, NY and also lived in Florida before moving to Canada and playing four years of high school football in Brampton, Ontario. Westerman, who would have been a guaranteed Top Ten selection, is good enough that he is already on the Toronto Argonauts negotiation list as an import. UCLA quarterback Patrick Cowan and his older brother Joe, a 6'4" wide receiver, were both born in British Columbia while their father Tim was a backup quarterback for the B.C. Lions. Unfortunately, Tim returned to the U.S. after his three-year CFL career, meaning that his sons lived in Canada for less than the seven (of their first fifteen) years required to meet the CFL's definition of a non-import.
NFL Uncertainty
The Class of 2008 has been widely hailed as one of the deepest draft classes in years but that doesn't necessarily make the job any easier for the coaches and general managers who are making the picks. Every year, a few top Canadian prospects catch the eye of NFL scouts, who may either draft them or sign them as free agents after the NFL Draft. The depth of this year's talent pool translates into an unusually high number of Canucks with at least a chance of being invited to NFL camps. The NFL Draft takes place this Saturday and Sunday, and teams south of the border will then sign most of their priority free agents (undrafted players) between Sunday night and Tuesday. The events of those four days could wreak some last minute havoc on the draft boards of the eight CFL franchises, as no fewer than eight of this year's top CFL prospects have already received some degree of interest from NFL clubs. At this point, those most likely to wind up in NFL camps appear to be guard Dmitri Tsoumpas (Weber State), fullback Rolly Lumbala (Idaho), running back Jerome Messam (Graceland), and receiver Samuel Giguere (Sherbrooke).
SMS Impact
2007 was the first season in which teams risked punishment for failing to comply with the league's Salary Management System and the impact on this year's draft could be significant. It has been well documented that the Montreal Alouettes and the CFL are currently trying to resolve a dispute regarding the Als' reported cap figures. The bottom line is that if an arbitrator's interpretation of the numbers is drastically different than Montreal's, then the Alouettes' penalty would include the loss of their first round pick. That fourth overall selection would be dropped to the end of the first round (eighth overall) and would become the property of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, by virtue of last season's eighth place finish and associated top waiver claim priority. That would give the Tiger-Cats a third selection within the first nine picks in this particularly deep draft, a valuable asset whether they use all three picks themselves or trade one or more of them to acquire some proven CFL talent.
The Futures Look Bright
Often, when Canadians accept football scholarships to American colleges and universities, they end up spending their first year in their respective programs as redshirts. This means that they are on the team's roster but do not participate in games and, therefore, do not use one of their four years of NCAA or NAIA eligibility. However, whether they play college football in Canada or the U.S., Canadian players become eligible for the CFL Draft four years after they begin their post-secondary careers. The result is that those redshirts actually have a year of college eligibility remaining after their draft year and would forfeit that eligibility if they were to attend a professional training camp. The CFL clubs drafting such players often refer to them as "futures" because they know it will be at least a year down the road before they can sign them and bring them to training camp. The futures provide much of the depth in this year's talent pool, with no fewer than ten former redshirts expected to be among the forty-eight players drafted on Wednesday. By the way, for prospects from CIS schools, where student-athletes start with five years of eligibility, this is a non-issue, as they can attend CFL training camps without jeopardizing any remaining eligibility.
A Long Time Coming
There is a chance that two of the CFL's longest draft-related droughts could come to an end on Wednesday. The first one involves the Winnipeg Blue Bombers who, barring a last minute trade, will make a selection in the first round for the first time since 2000. With this year's pick, the Bombers will look to erase the memory of taking defensive tackle Daaron McField second overall eight years ago. McField never panned out in Winnipeg and wound up playing for four teams during an unspectacular three-year career. The fate of the second drought is in the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who hold the first overall pick. If their choice is free safety Dylan Barker (Saskatchewan), he would become the first defensive back to be taken first overall since B.C. chose cornerback Patrick Burke in 1993.
Stay connected to TSN.ca between now and Wednesday for everything you need to know about the 2008 CFL Draft.