Two-Deep for Saskatchewan

[El Paso Eagle]

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

Nice!   Hope he gets a chance to play at some point.   Not wishing ill on Fajardo, just that Mason gets a shot.

Also, that DT, Marino...   Fine is pretty acquainted with him.

[Jonnyeagle]

So proud of him!

[greenminer]

Interesting to see that the CFL has separate drafts for American players and Global players.

Why do that? Why not just pool everyone into one draft, no matter where they come from?

[Dan McGill]

A bit of a complicated question and the short answer is because the league as long considered it important to long term success (local players builds local support and gets youth playing the game) to have a significant numbers of Canadian players on each team (21 I think out of a 47 man roster with 7 being starters) and more recently to have 2 “global” players on each team. There is of course a huge pool of American players coming out of college each year compared to a relatively limited number of Canadian players out of colleges and a global players in various football programs. Collectively you may see this referred as the ratio of Canadian to American players. Important to realize the CFL has existed for well over a 100 years so this is all a well established process. 
 

CFL teams only draft Canadian and global players with global defined as non-American players. Global players are a new initiative in the league. Americans make up most of the players on every team and are recruited from schools, open tryouts and free agents. Each team uses a negotiation lists which restricts other teams from recruiting those players. Mason was being actively scouted by the Riders and eventually on their negotiation list for a couple of years at least before they signed him. 
 

CFL teams draft players mostly then to fairly sort out available Canadian talent as with any draft but to meet a required ratio of Canadian players on each team. The new global players added is a long term plan to help generate interest in the CFL with folks around the world. 

[meangreen11]

 

[El Paso Eagle]

This is a great learning opportunity for Mason. To be honest, don't see him passing Fajardo, but being the backup to one of the leagues best might make him a target for other teams.