Is the UFL in the right place at the right time?
It used to be a fore gone conclusion that NFL practice squad players would resign with their current teams once they entered free agency. The though there is it is better to be a practice squad player in the NFL than it would be to be a starter in the Canadian Football League. Now that the Unite Football League is around, that may not be the case. However the UFL may just be the league sitting in the best position as it heads into year number two.
First and foremost the 2010 NFL draft is going to be very deep; so many juniors are coming out of school to beat potential Labor Strife, and a NFL work stoppage in 2011. That means there will be many guys who go undrafted, and many more who decide that playing for a UFL team is a far better gig than being on a NFL team’s practice squad.
Speaking of Labor strife the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the CFL, and its players will expire before the 2010 season begins. That means that many of the undrafted American college players that would have head north to prove themselves may stay here and do the same in the UFL. These players also might find the UFL money to be a little better, and a little more stable. Beyond the fact they will not have to learn the rules of another football league.
Added to all of this is the looming labor crisis in the NFL. Whenever the league and its players reach a new agreement it will surely contain a rookie salary cap, and that means in future NFL drafts sixth and seventh round NFL drat picks, could make more money playing for UFL teams. Never mind the fact that if the NFL has a work stoppage, those players may come to the upstart league in droves just to stay n shape. What all of this means is the UFL has a near limitless pool of talent to draw from and that will insure the leagues future at least until year three.
