Adam Gagnon
CFL.ca Staff
#CFLCombine
TORONTO – We are mere days away from the primary prospect showcase, but the National Combine cannot begin until the third and final Regional Combine take place Thursday in Toronto.
The Regional Combine circuit kicked off Monday with a stop in Edmonton where five of the 37 participants were invited to join the National showcase this weekend. Receiver Tore Corrado, DL Michael Dadzie, LB Thomas Miles, OL Kyle Paterson and DL Dylan Roper all earned a trip to Toronto to perform in front of all of the CFL scouts, coaches and GMs.
Two days later in Montreal, RB Guillaume G. Bourassa, DL Nigel Romick, RB Alexandre Dupuis, WR Francis Lapointe LB Travis Bent made names for themselves finding an invite to Toronto as well.
Thursday’s Regional will mark the first time the CFL has held three local combines ahead of the National weekend.
The one-day invitational combines are for players eligible for the 2014 CFL Draft. The top players from each combine could receive an invite to attend the national CFL Combine in Toronto from March 21 to March 23.
The regional combines may also include non-import free agents and import free agents who play in the CIS. These players are not eligible for the draft and therefore cannot receive an invitation to the national CFL Combine. Each regional combine will invite approximately 30 to 40 football players.
As part of our ongoing coverage leading into the 2014 CFL Combine, CFL.ca will continue to provide up-to-the-minute stats, headlines, videos and more from Toronto.
By the Numbers
A total of 41 invitees will take part in the one-day set of tests with receivers holding 10 of those spots (the more than any other position). Defensive lineman are the next most represented with eight.
York will appropriately represent for their home town as five Lions will take part on Thursday’s tests, more than any other school. Queen’s, Western University and University of Toronto will each have four players attending.
Quick Turnaround
There is a better than average chance that at least a few players from the final Regional will earn an invite to the main Combine. Invitees from Edmonton and Montreal will have a few days to rest, recover and train for the two big days whereas those from the Toronto Regional will essentially only have one full day to heal up. A small but interesting storyline to look for will be how much the rest and recovery plays into each Regional grouping.
National Combine
Participants for the main combine will arrive and report on Friday and go through team interviews before testing at the Bench, Vertical Jump and Broad Jump on Saturday. They will then the 40-Yard Dash, Shuttle and 3-Cone drills on Sunday.
The Bench Press and 40-Yard Dash will all be streamed LIVE on CFL.ca
