Courtesy Regina Leader Post:

The Saskatchewan Roughriders gained and lost when the audited results of the CFL’s salary management system for the 2007 season were announced Monday.

The Riders and the Montreal Alouettes were the only two teams in the eight-team CFL to exceed the salary cap of $4.05 million in 2007, the first year that a salary management system was enforced. The Riders were over the cap by $76,552 and are to be fined that amount by the league.

The Alouettes exceeded the cap by $108,285. They have been fined $116,570 and have lost their first-round pick (fourth overall) in Wednesday’s Canadian college draft.

The penalty assessed to the Alouettes means the Riders move from the fifth overall selection to fourth. All of the other teams in the first round also move up.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats gained from the penalty. Hamilton, which finished last in the league in 2007, was awarded Montreal’s pick at the end of the first round. The Alouettes retain their seventh overall pick and Hamilton gets the bonus selection at No. 8.

The Tiger-Cats were first in the order of waiver priority after recording the fewest wins (three) last season. The penalty leaves the Tiger-Cats with the first, eighth and 10th overall picks in the draft. The penalties set in the salary management system were established by the league’s board of governors.

“That decision was not made by the coaches and general managers,” Eric Tillman, the Riders general manager said when asked about Hamilton’s improved position in the draft. “So, if you want me to attempt to explain that one you’re asking the wrong person. It is what it is and we go forward preparing for Wednesday’s draft, an event which can have a tremendous impact on the future of each of our eight clubs. Given that, Bob O’Billovich (the Tiger-Cats general manager) and (Tiger-Cats head coach) Charlie Taaffe must feel like Santa Claus arrived in April.”

Tillman said that the Riders’ organization supports the concept of the cap. Tillman reduced the team’s salary from $4.9 million at the end of the 2007 season to slightly over $4.1 million. The large number of injuries suffered by the team was the primary reason it exceeded the cap. Tillman would like to see a provision in the salary management system that deals with injuries.

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