Will the NFL pick off a host of CFL stars this offseason?

The New Year started off well for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, who snapped up the Canadian Football League’s 2019 interception leader Winston Rose at the end of December. The Bengals ended another fruitless NFL season with the fourth-fewest interceptions. Their signing of Rose was coup and an instant starting cornerback was added to the team’s roster. Football fans can visit Gambino for the latest bet bonuses, tips, and reviews before wagering on the next weekend of gridiron action.

CFL players could head south this winter

The Bengals’ gain is the CFL’s loss, a major one, as one of the league’s elite players has headed south to the United States. Rose was a key component to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Grey Cup win. Rose had 10 interceptions in the regular season and Grey Cup playoffs combined making the Blue Bombers defence difficult to get through.

Rose isn’t the only CFL star that could leave this offseason. Fellow cornerback Tre Roberson had 14 workouts scheduled with NFL teams during the month of December, according to TSN. The consensus is with so many NFL teams interested in the cornerback, the Calgary Stampeders defensive back will be exiting the CFL as well.

Financial incentives to join the NFL

There is no guarantee that either man would be regular players in the NFL. They could simply be members of practice squads, something the CFL doesn’t want them to be. It doesn’t look good for the CFL to allow players to leave the league simply to make up the numbers in the NFL. It would make the league look like a minor league in many football fans’ eyes, if they don’t already.

The average CFL player would most likely be happy to join an NFL practice squad due to financial incentives. An NFL practice squad member makes an incredible $8,000 US per week. A CFL player that has been competing in the league for a minimum of two years makes $625 a week. Therefore, Rose and Roberson, two stars of the CFL, have plenty of financial incentive to leave Canada and join an NFL team even if they turn out to sit the bench and merely practice.

XFL impact on the CFL

The CFL has more to worry about than just the NFL heading into 2020. The XFL will return in February after a 19-year hiatus. The XFL is far from stable and no one knows if the revamped league will follow up the spring football season with a 2021 campaign. The league’ initial season in 2001 was its one and only after millions of dollars were lost and fans quickly grew disinterested.

Canadian football already saw the rise and quick fall of the Alliance of American Football. The league burnt out brightly last spring due to poor financial mismanagement. The XFL shouldn’t have the same issue due to the amount of money behind now. It is that money that could lure CFL stars away from Canada.

The current average salary in the XFL going into 2020 is $55,000 US per year. The CFL league minimum is $49,300 US. The difference isn’t much and if the XFL continues on for another season and gains further sponsors, the average could grow significantly for 2021. A possible launch pad from the XFL to the NFL could also develop.

The CFL and its teams have existed in the face of adversity due to competing for players along with the NFL for decades. The competition for talent could take a new twist in 2020 and beyond.