How much help will CFL teams get from NFL cuts this year?

September's notable in the CFL not just for the second half of the season and for the Labour Day rivalry games, but also for the NFL's cuts and the subsequent waves of players that come north as a result. This annual wave is so significant that the CFL expands its 10-man practice rosters to 15-man rosters for 30 days around NFL cuts. (This used to be a fixed 30-day period, but is now a flexible one; each CFL team can decide which 30 days in between Sept. 5 and Nov. 8 they want to expand their roster for.) Moreover, there are plenty of NFL cuts (especially those with CFL experience) who are brought in to the active roster and wind up starting quickly. How much of an impact do these NFL releases make in general, though, and how much of an impact will they make this year?

On the whole, the annual fall influx from the NFL (both after the 75-man roster cuts, which happened Wednesday, and after the final 53-man active roster plus 10-man practice squad cuts, which will take place Saturday) is significant, but often more for down the road than it is for the current season. The majority of NFL cuts brought in at least start on the practice squad, and given the difficulties in adjusting to Canadian football and picking up a new playbook midyear, it's tough for them to make it off in the same season. (Some don't even hang around that long; keep in mind that five of those practice squad spots only exist for 30 days, allowing teams to evaluate new players, but only giving them the ability to commit to new faces at the expense of old ones.)

Exceptional talents can often jump to the active roster faster, as can players with previous CFL experience (especially if it was with that team; consider Weston Dressler last year, who was back in Saskatchewan's lineup almost immediately after returning from the NFL), but even that has its limits. Many of the players who do return don't put up notable CFL production right away, taking time to readjust to the league; examples include Dressler in 2014 and fellow Roughrider returnee Andy Fantuz in 2011. Similarly, even many of the new faces who go on to become CFL stars bide their time in their first season, often serving as backups or as rotational players. Keep in mind that players who have been with their CFL team all season have had a full training camp, two preseason games and 10 weeks of the regular season to learn their scheme and their teammates (and even longer if they've been with the same team and/or coaching staff for multiple seasons). That's a high experiential hurdle for newcomers to clear, and it's one that means many make a bigger impact in the following year than in the year they come in from the NFL midseason.

Hope springs eternal, though, and it's not without some reason. There are always some players who do wind up making an impact immediately after entering from the NFL, whether they're new to the CFL or old hands who are coming back. That latter category's easy to pinpoint, as there are plenty of notable names in it. Former star Calgary defensive end Shawn Lemon has already returned to the CFL with Ottawa after being cut by San Francisco, and if he can bring the kind of pass-rushing production he did with the Stampeders (and help fill the void left by injured sack leader Aston Whiteside), he could be a great addition. Other former CFLers cut in the NFL's slash to Wednesday 75 include former Toronto players Jalil Carter (DB, Minnesota) and John Chiles (WR, Chicago) and former Winnipeg player Ian Wild (LB, Pittsburgh); all may try to catch on elsewhere south of the border, but if they elect to come back, they might make an impact this year. There also likely will be at least one or two CFL rookies who come in during this airlift and wind up contributing almost immediately.

It's worth remembering that immediate impacts are more the exception than the rule, though, both for CFL newbies and for returning veterans. Moreover, even the best immediate impacts are unlikely to completely alter a team's fortunes. The annual tradition of NFL airlifts is well worth it, especially for the dividends it can pay in future years, and it can occasionally help right away as well. Going after NFL cuts is a key part of talent acquisition, and it leads to some great diamonds being discovered. Fans should just keep in mind that the majority of these signings don't wind up making a huge impact right away, though. It's great to dream of your team finding the player who's going to make things better immediately, but those dreams don't always come true.