OT - Bryce Brown to CFL?
Has not sign with a college yet and seems to be thinking about skipping college to go play in the CFL. Could this become a trend for high profile recruits (yes I know they have proven nothing) to skip college and go and get paid in the CFL for 3years then jump to the NFL.
Pros: Better competition (arguable)
Getting Paid to play
No classes
More practice time allowed to get better
Cons: Less US coverage
17-18 year old living on his own and possible making immature decisions hurting his chances of getting to the NFL
Last year a highly recruited basketball player went to play in Europe and skipped College to go get paid and felt it would better prepare himself for the NBA.
Would a player have to enter the draft after 3years in the CFL or would they be able to sign as a free agent?
February 9th, 2009 at 3:51 PM ^
Brown is going to Miami. All this drama is pointless and a waste of time.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:53 PM ^
I think it's better for a kid who doesn't care about the "student" part of a "student"-athlete may as well go to the pros. That way, at least there won't be any boosters/corrupt university professors/whatever babying them through classes that they don't care about and wouldn't pass without special intervention anyway. Also, OSU, FSU, etc. would be kind of screwed in the future.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:54 PM ^
I thought we said that the good ones won't come to Michigan because it was cold? Now, crap, I am getting confused. So what we are saying is that they won't go to cold places, unless there are strip clubs on every corner.
(edit: i lived in canada for 2 years, and they don't have strip clubs on every corner - that's Tim Hortons - but the strip clubs they do have still make this argument work)
February 9th, 2009 at 3:54 PM ^
If you read into it, he (or more properly, his "handler") has unrealistic expectations from the CFL, as in demanding a $5 million/year salary, even though the CFL has a team salary cap of $4.1 million. It's not worth the potential wear and tear on his body to do it, plus he won't have the benefit of arguably much better college S&C coaches building him up for the NFL.
Also, if you think about it, U-M spends at least $50k on each scholarship football player each year. This works out to 4.25 million. Large college programs spend as much on their athletes as the CFL, their coaches are generally paid more, and more people watch.
Going into the CFL would be a horrible choice for him, he'll realize that eventually.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:56 PM ^
That HS bball player has found the world of European basketball to be, in his case, not it's all cracked up to be.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/sports/basketball/24recruit.html
I would imagine the CFL is a little better in regards to paying its players on time, etc., but ultimately I don't know. I also thought there was a pretty stringent salary cap in the CFL?
Edit: Tacopants.
February 9th, 2009 at 3:56 PM ^
But to entertain the point, It would be a rare kid that would be good enough to go without even one year of college. And if they could, while getting paid and having no school might appeal, it's arguable that they would get a lot better as a player, as from what I can tell the CFL doesn't really have the year long training the the NFL does. Since it's generally a low paying league, some of their guys actually have jobs in the off-season
February 9th, 2009 at 4:05 PM ^
(except for getting a free education) or go to the CFL and make even 50k a year. If an education is not a priority then why not the CFL or Arena League. Maybe not the Arena League.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:56 PM ^
1. Free Room
2. Free Food/(Lots of) Free stuff
3. God status on campus (Ever hear of a CFL superstar?)
4. Good Coaching (NCAA coaches aren't exactly waiting for that dream CFL coaching gig)
5. Education (maybe)
The first 2 are valued probably at $25k or so, training table gets high quality food. #3 is pretty much priceless, and #4 will equate to potentially millions over the course of 10 years. #5 is a good backup plan.
When you compare this to maybe $50-100k a year for 3 years then *possibly* a shot at the NFL, college starts looking very attractive. Then you look at Mike Williams/Maurice Clarett and decide that its probably cool to stay in school.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^
Jennings made a greedy decision that will probably cost him.
He wanted to get paid - period - so he essentially took his ball and went home; or in this case, Italy. What kind of coverage is he getting now? How many scouts are going to Italy to watch him? What team in desperate need of a franchise player is going to commit tens of millions of dollars to a guy they haven't been able to watch, haven't gotten news reports on, and is playing a very different ballgame from the one he'd be playing stateside?
Michael Beasley, for example, got tons of press as a fabulous frosh and the scouts were all over him. Picked 2nd overall. I don't think Jennings will be picked that high. If he'd gone to Arizona, his every move could be scouted. Now he's a hybrid of two types of players that scouts are wary of: high schoolers and Europeans.
No way Bryce Brown goes to the CFL if he realizes what's best for his NFL future. Greed is the only thing that could drive him there.
Edit: little harsh with the greed thing - I forgot Jennings had some potential qualifying issues. Still, Europe and the CFL seem like the easy way out, and in the long run, detrimental to the early part of an NFL/NBA career.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:28 PM ^
I don't think that Bryce Brown will goto the CFL. However, how can you say that not many scouts are watching Brandon Jennings? Does getting press coverage playing over there really matter? Every year foreign prospects are picked very high in the draft. Every NBA team has a scout in Europe and I guarantee you that Jennings is not going unnoticed.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:40 PM ^
Every NBA team has "a" scout in Europe, yes, who might see Jennings once or twice in the season, and that's if Jennings gets on the floor the day the scout is there. They have many scouts stateside. The more eyes on target, the more confident teams will be in the assessment. There's no way Jennings can get the same kind of coverage he'd get by playing for a high-profile college program like Arizona.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:21 PM ^
i'm not a proponent of going overseas but i'm just stating what an nba scout said in that NYT article. read it real quick. He said that Jennings' draft position has not been hurt at all.
February 9th, 2009 at 7:20 PM ^
This is a silly argument. The difference in exposure (if any) is meaningless. NBA scouts know of Jennings and they can easily access his film. And before the draft, he'll work out for teams just like he would if he were over here. The New York Times article linked above quotes an NBA assistant coach saying this:
"I think it is good for him,” he said. “He was getting a defensive component that he needed. If I was a scout and I needed a point guard, I would be extremely impressed with what he has done over there.”
February 9th, 2009 at 5:00 PM ^
To answer your last question, he'd go into the draft. This is pretty much how Eric Swann came into the NFL, except it was through a semi-pro team, rather than the CFL.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:14 PM ^
nah! He made a *financial decision* for him and his family. Besides...lately euro ballers have top the top ten draft picks in recent years overshadowing there US counterpart. Remember BJ has youth and potential on his side,insomuch some nba gm will take a chance on him.
Tax free money,apartment provided,a car provided and living in Italy!!!...not bad of a decision where I sit.
February 9th, 2009 at 5:19 PM ^
I think Underarmor gave him a couple million in an endorsement deal as well.
Playing in Europe hasn't depressed his value. If anything, playing in Europe and playing well would probably have been looked at as being better than playing well in college. His problem is that he's only been OK, but his stock hasn't dropped all that much if at all. Pretty much everything I've read has him a mid-first rounder at the worst, and some still thinking he's the best PG prospect in the draft and in the top 5 to 7 picks overall.
February 9th, 2009 at 6:46 PM ^
He can make more money at OSU or USC than he can in the CFL. I have a feeling the slush fund is just fine at Miami or most of the SEC programs, too.
OSU should be a lock for him; they pay extremely well and don't require study.