UDFA Signing DE Hayden Harris - Selected 11th Overall in CFL Draft

[BillsFanForever19]

 

I was looking up info on some of the Undrafted guys we're bringing to camp. It seemed as though Hayden Harris was one of the top guys we brought in Undrafted. When I was looking into him, I noticed that he was just a top pick in the CFL Draft.

 

Will be interesting to see how he performs in Camp and if he makes the Practice Squad. If nothing else, it looks like he's got a pretty good fallback plan if things don't work out in his NFL Training Camp opportunity.

Edited Saturday at 11:02 PM by BillsFanForever19

[PromoTheRobot]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_CFL_draft#Draft_order

 

So I assume the BC Lions assume he's going to Bills camp first? The only way he plays in the CFL is if he's totally cut and not added to the Bills PS.

Edited yesterday at 12:44 AM by PromoTheRobot

[Sierra Foothills]

34 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_CFL_draft#Draft_order

 

So I assume the BC Lions assume he's going to Bills camp first? The only way he plays in the CFL is if he's totally cut and not added to the Bills PS.

 

Interesting to note that:

 

• In the NFL, the minimum an undrafted free agent can be paid is $840K.
• The highest paid player in the CFL is QB Nathan Rourke who makes about $600K US.

 

[BigAl2526]

His chances of making the roster aren't great.   Rousseau, Jackson and Bosa are locks.  Epenesa is probably making the team, unless somebody makes Beane a trade offer he can't refuse.  Solomon has a good chance to make the team again.  He's the only smallish quick and bendy edge rusher the Bills have.  I think the team really needs that kind of player to be able to switch things up sometimes on an offense.  I think the team probably carries 5 DEs.  Harris is similar in size to Epenesa and probably not quite as quick.  If someone gets hurt in training camp, there might be an opening.  Otherwise, he'll need to try and latch on to the PS.

[BillsFanForever19]

4 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

Interesting to note that:

 

• In the NFL, the minimum an undrafted free agent can be paid is $840K.
• The highest paid player in the CFL is QB Nathan Rourke who makes about $600K US.

 

 

3 hours ago, BigAl2526 said:

His chances of making the roster aren't great.   Rousseau, Jackson and Bosa are locks.  Epenesa is probably making the team, unless somebody makes Beane a trade offer he can't refuse.  Solomon has a good chance to make the team again.  He's the only smallish quick and bendy edge rusher the Bills have.  I think the team really needs that kind of player to be able to switch things up sometimes on an offense.  I think the team probably carries 5 DEs.  Harris is similar in size to Epenesa and probably not quite as quick.  If someone gets hurt in training camp, there might be an opening.  Otherwise, he'll need to try and latch on to the PS.

 

Yeah, he'd probably make around 50k a year in the CFL as a top CFL Draft Pick. The NFL Practice Squad pays 12.5k a week. So while it's unlikely he makes the 53, if they offer him a Practice Squad spot - he'll more than likely take that over the CFL. On top of the higher pay, you never know when someone might get hurt and that could be your big break. Generally, CFL Draft Picks exhaust all of their NFL options first before reporting.

Edited yesterday at 05:49 AM by BillsFanForever19

[Joe Marino]

He’s my brother!!!!!

 

 

(CDN bro’)

[NickelCity]

Go Griz! Eff the cats!

[BobbyC81]

1 hour ago, Joe Marino said:

He’s my brother!!!!!

 

 

(CDN bro’)

He ain’t heavy?

[strive_for_five_guy]

8 hours ago, Joe Marino said:

He’s my brother!!!!!

 

 

(CDN bro’)

Didn’t know you’re Canadian, Joe.  Love your podcast, btw.

[BuffaloBill]

9 hours ago, Joe Marino said:

He’s my brother!!!!!

 

 

(CDN bro’)

 

Canucks invading Charlotte…..

[ProcessTruster]

i remember watching CFL games on TV long ago.  Fun league

[BillsFanForever19]

8 hours ago, ProcessTruster said:

i remember watching CFL games on TV long ago.  Fun league

 

Doug Flutie the GOAT

[CSBill]

10 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

Doug Flutie the GOAT

 

It's surprising that he played for that (low) amount of money. I wonder if he had a different or NIL-like contract outside the team?

[WotAGuy]

Only two WRs in the first 25 picks of CFL draft, but 6 DL. 
Is Beane running that league??

 

 

Edited 10 hours ago by WotAGuy

[TOboy]

5 hours ago, CSBill said:

 

It's surprising that he played for that (low) amount of money. I wonder if he had a different or NIL-like contract outside the team?

He did

[Lagoon Blues]

On 5/11/2025 at 1:30 AM, NickelCity said:

Go Griz! Eff the cats!

Hell yeah!

[chris heff]

“James Rick Cassata (born November 17, 1947) is an American former gridiron football quarterback who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for five different teams. He led the Ottawa Rough Riders to victory in the 61st Grey Cup. He also played with The Hawaiians in the World Football League (WFL) in 1975. He played at Tonawanda High School before playing college football at Syracuse University. In 2002, he was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.”

 

One of our own, grew up with the Cassata family. Rick was a good friend of my brother-in-law.