Dan Ralph
Calgary Stampeders John Hufnagel is honoured with the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award at the CFL Awards during the CFL s Grey Cup week in Calgary on November 21, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette February 01, 2021 - 2:32 PM
The harsh reality of CFL economics helped John Hufnagel pull the trigger.
On Saturday, the Calgary Stampeders president/GM dealt receiver Eric Rogers, defensive end Cordarro Law and defensive back Robertson Daniel â all pending free agents â as part of a deal with the Toronto Argonauts.
The two teams also swapped 21 fifth-round draft picks and third-round Global selections but Hufnagel said money was definitely a reason why he made the trade.
CFL teams didn’t play in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The league is hopeful for a 2021 campaign, having already released a complete schedule.
Before the ’20 season was cancelled, CFL teams staged a Canadian draft. The league plans to hold a 2021 Canadian draft which would create a situation where two draft classes could compete for roster positions at training camp.
The CFL’s ’21 salary cap is set at $5.35 million. The collective-bargaining agreement between the league and CFL Players’ Association also establishes a floor or minimum a franchise must spend on player salaries of $4.75 million.
With CFL free agency slated to open Feb. 9, teams have been predictably busy either signing players to extensions or having them restructure existing deals.