By Sean Millington,
CFL.ca
With the dawn of Free Agency 2007, the CFL enters a period unlike any other.
This year, free agents around the league are meeting with GMs who are committed to abiding by the league’s new Salary Management System, a key component of which is the cap. Unlike past years where high profile free agents could expect something of a frenzy as teams bid for their services, this year a much more measured response is likely and some players could even see their asking price go down.
That being said, however, there are a number of factors making this year’s free agent market something of a dice roll to predict; for one because most teams aggressively pursued the players they had under contract who were about to enter free agency prior to the salary cap coming into force, there are comparatively few big name free agents still available.
The law of supply and demand dictates that with a small supply and many bidders for that supply the price of that supply will increase. In this case, despite the overall decline in the quality of available free agents, they could still command high wages because their scarcity will result in a larger number of teams bidding for their services.
Take the case of Ryan Thelwell; now I like Ryan and think he is a good player, but I feel the wage he is able to secure right now has a scarcity factor built into it. Calgary offered him good money right away to entice him to sign because they knew that if he spent too much time on the market his price would go up. Solid Canadian wide receivers are a sought after commodity this year. Canadian defensive tackle Adriano Belli, who just signed with the Argos, was another. After those two the list of notable free agents is remarkably small.
All of this makes me think of a bigger question. How does this affect the overall health of the CFL? I have made the case before that higher salaries for players, within reason is actually good for the league, so if the scarcity factor wins out over the salary cap and pushes player wages higher then I believe this off-season will be a step in the right direction for the league. The reverse obviously also being true as well. I think the league is in as healthy a position as it has been for many years and in order for that to continue players can’t allow the gains they have made in salaries to be eroded; Salary Management System notwithstanding.
An important thing for players to remember is that to a certain extent the salary cap is a myth. It is true that GMs are trying to live within a budget however, within that budget they are free to spend as they see fit. They will tell all players that they can’t afford to give them more money when in fact the ones they really want will still get paid. The trick is for players to accurately assess their bargaining power. If you are Ryan Thelwell, a quick survey of teams around the league reveals at least three who have need of your services. Stick to your guns and you will get paid no matter what they say, which is exactly what happened. On the other hand if you are Carl Kidd, with most teams being set at linebacker, you would be wise to adjust your salary expectations.
Free agency is always an interesting time for the league as teams attempt to improve themselves and get ready for the upcoming season; despite the reduction in the available talent pool this year is no different.
Sean Millington played 13 years in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts and has been a panellist on the CFL on CBC since 2003.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
