[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

I think the two biggest contributors are (i) the best players going to the NFL, and (ii) injuries, especially to star players.

I think this past year was unprecedented for players signing NFL contracts. Surprisingly, it wasn't the AAF that was the culprit; instead, I think players in the CFL are getting longer looks at NFL camps because the players are able to compete on the same level. Take away 5-10 quality players in a 9 league team and it's not surprising that the quality of play has dropped. In previous years it might only be 1-2 players per year.

Also, we're seeing star players (especially starting quarterbacks) dropping like flies this year. Gone are the days of Burris, Ray, Calvillo (and before them, Flutie, Garcia, McManus, Allen, etc) playing the entire season and not getting hurt. Maybe a sign of OL depth getting too weak?

I also have to agree that the quality of Canadian talent has dropped in recent years -- the CFL draft has yielded a lot of "meh" in my opinion. I think this has had less of an impact on the overall quality of the game though, and I don't think it's enough of a reason to get rid of the ratio entirely.

A lot of the Canadians are at offensive line. Teams are paying them 150-200k in some cases where as they could probably get two American OL for the same price that are significantly better. While I agree with your points I think in a cap examples like the above effect the quality of the product just as much.