Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/2/2011 (4144 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
THEY had their pocket picked when Phillip Hunt vamoosed to the Philadelphia Eagles and now the Winnipeg Blue Bombers may be in jeopardy of losing another talented young star to the NFL.
Receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris will make himself available for the 2011 NFL Draft according to agent Gil Scott through FoxSports.com.
The news doesn't shock the Bombers -- the BLESTO scouting service had asked for tape of the talented 22-year-old last month -- but the process of how he might end up being drafted and end up on an NFL roster is unclear.
Here are the facts: Jeffers-Harris is under contract to the Bombers for one more season and because this is his draft year, was unable to sign with an NFL team as an option-year player before Feb. 15. He could still get drafted, but he wouldn't be able to play in the NFL until his contract expired after 2011 or unless it was bought out and he was released by the Bombers.
The sticky part is Jeffers-Harris would then have to pass through the CFL waiver wire without a claim being put in by another team to be free to head down south. And given he put up outstanding numbers last year -- he had 48 catches for 547 yards and four TDs in just 11 games -- that would be unlikely.
The NFL apparently told Scott, the agent, that Jeffers-Harris would be able to work out for NFL teams prior to the draft if he had permission from the Bombers. That has yet to be granted.
The Bombers were seeking clarification on the entire issue -- especially the waiver wire component -- from the CFL head office late Wednesday night.
"I'm not sure how the waiver process can be circumvented here," said Bomber assistant GM Ross Hodgkinson. "I want to see an official statement from the CFL office as to his status and having to clear waivers. That is pivotal to this entire question."
Jeffers-Harris starred at Connecticut but after transferring to Vanderbilt was forced to miss the 2008 season because of eligibility issues and signed with the Bombers last April.
ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca
