CFL's unfair rule gives QBs Brandon Bridge, Andrew Buckley an uphill battle

Two of the most interesting picks in the 2015 CFL Canadian College Draft don't technically count as Canadians and likely won't be in the league for the long term. Those would be quarterbacks Brandon Bridge (taken by Montreal in the fourth round, 31st overall) and Andrew Buckley (taken by Calgary in the seventh round with the final pick of the draft, 62nd overall), and although they're both Canadian, they don't count thanks to the CFL's bizarre ratio rule that has three nationalities; Canadian, American, and "quarterback." Thus, having Canadian quarterbacks on the roster has no ratio benefit for teams. If you're Canadian at any other position, it helps your case to stay in the CFL. If you're a Canadian quarterback, the current rules mean that you have next to no chance at remaining in the CFL for the long haul.

Bridge in particular is a phenemonal prospect, one who attended the full NFL combine and had tryout opportunities in that league, and there are other good potential Canadian quarterback options out there, including Buckley, Jordan Yantz (who signed with Winnipeg after the draft) and Cayman Shutter. Unless the CFL and the CFLPA come to their senses and change the ratio rule, though, it seems highly likely these guys, no matter how good they are, will follow the route of Canadian quarterbacks before them and either fall out of the league or be converted to a different position. It's funny that Canadian quarterbacks are even eligible for the draft, as they're not considered Canadians at any time after that unless they switch positions. That's a missed opportunity for the CFL to gain some phenomenal athletes at their natural position (and improve the profile of the draft along the way), and it's one that could be easily remedied with a simple fix.

This is especially a shame in Bridge's case, as he might be the best Canadian quarterback prospect to come along in some time. He did well at South Alabama (NCAA Division I FCS), and he impressed both at the NFL combine and at his pro day. Many thought he'd be taken in the NFL draft, and although he wasn't, he had several post-draft offers and wound up going to minicamp with the Dallas Cowboys. He has one of the most powerful arms we've seen in the CFL in quite a while. Of course, Bridge has his flaws too; his footwork isn't all that polished yet, and his accuracy could use some work. Still, he might have more of a shot than any Canadian in recent memory of being a capable CFL starter. The question is just if he'll get the chance.

Some would argue that if Bridge is such a good prospect, he'd get a chance anyway, but that's not always the case in the CFL, and it's particularly not necessarily the case in Montreal right now. Bridge is incredibly talented, but he's a project, and CFL teams historically haven't had a lot of times for projects at quarterback, especially if their starter isn't firmly established. That's certainly the case in Montreal; incumbent Jonathon Crompton had some bright moments last year, but his accuracy needs a lot of work, and he's certainly not someone the team can indisputably count on. Recently-acquired backup Dan LeFevour seems to be in good position to step into the spotlight if Crompton struggles, which is all well and good, but that means at least two of the Alouettes' quarterback spots are accounted for heading into the season. At the moment, the other options are John Skelton and Tanner Marsh, and this is where things get difficult for Bridge. He arguably has much more upside than either of those two players, but Marsh is a CFL veteran at this point and Skelton is an NFL veteran; they're both much more polished, and likely more ready to immediately step in if needed. Thus, it could be difficult for Montreal to find space to keep Bridge around and develop him, especially when you consider that they receive no roster benefit from doing so.

How could this be remedied? Some have argued for every CFL team to be mandated to carry a Canadian quarterback, but that's a problematic approach; while there are probably enough good Canadian quarterbacks out there to fill nine slots (especially if you only take a few each year and then develop them for several years), forcing teams to build their rosters a certain way is never a good idea. Instead, the league should consider the evolution of Canadians at non-traditional "skill positions" we've seen over the years. Running backs were historically American, but teams like Calgary and B.C. have developed great Canadian backs like Jon Cornish and Andrew Harris (and found capable Canadian backups to cover them), and they've been rewarded for doing so with a looser ratio, letting them start Americans elsewhere. That's not quotaism, as Cornish was named not just the league's top Canadian, but its top player (and Canada's top overall athlete) in 2013; he may not have received that shot if Calgary wasn't rewarded for developing a Canadian player, though. Similarly, consider what teams like Edmonton have done with Canadian defensive backs. There are Canadians out there who can play any position in the CFL, and at every other position, they're rewarded for that. At quarterback, that isn't the case.

All the league would have to do to give quarterbacks like Bridge, Buckley and Yantz a fair chance is do away with the "quarterback" as a designation of nationality. Currently, teams have a 44-man active roster, made up of 21 Canadians, 20 Americans and three "quarterbacks," who are almost exclusively American. That means the actual rosters tend to be 21 Canadians and 23 Americans. The approach with the least change whatsoever would just be making the requirements 21 Canadians and 23 Americans; that wouldn't change anything at all for teams that don't have a Canadian quarterback, but it would give teams like Montreal incentive to hang on to one, letting them use an extra American elsewhere. However, it would be a PR problem for the CFL to admit that its rosters are more American than Canadian (even though that's actually the case). Thus, it might be smarter to both eliminate the quarterback designation and make things equal, requiring 22 Canadians and 22 Americans. That's not a drastic change, and it's one teams could deal with. Even 23 Canadians and 21 Americans isn't out of the question, given the incredible amounts of Canadian talent out there these days.

For the moment, though, the CFL seems quite content to pretend that the "quarterback" designation is fine and that a roster composed of 21 Canadians and 23 Americans is fair. Now, that's not all on the league; the ratio is part of the collective bargaining agreement with the CFLPA, and there have been comments from CFL GMs before that it's the PA holding up Canadian quarterbacks. That doesn't seem to make much sense, especially as so many CFLPA figures are Canadian (Canadians tend to be in the league longer, and tend to be more involved with and concerned about the union), but the CFLPA has refused all requests for comment on the matter in the past. Thus, it may well be them holding the status quo up.

Regardless of whether it's the league or the players' association to blame, though, change has to come. The current situation seems blatantly discrimnatory, and it would be interesting to see what happened if a Canadian quarterback ever brought a legal challenge against it. (It's notable that the initial idea of "import/non-import" status was created in response to a legal challenge.) Hopefully it will never come to that, and the CFL and the CFLPA will realize that their current rules are holding back talented Canadian quarterbacks. A change would be tremendously beneficial for the draft and for the CFL as a whole, and perhaps the figures in power will eventually realize that on their own without legal action. If the current obstinance persists, though, Bridge, Buckley and other Canadian quarterbacks will be facing a stiffer hurdle than Canadian players at any other position, as the current discrimnatory rules don't let their nationality count in their favour. Maybe Bridge, Buckley or someone else is good enough to overcome that and become a Canadian starting quarterback in the CFL despite having the odds stacked against them. History would suggest that's highly unlikely under the current rules, though.