Ricky Williams Suspended, anything in CBA barring him from playing in CFL?

My friend, a diehard dolphins fan, told me that while the NFL couldn’t stop Ricky from playing in the CFL this year it would mean he could never play in the NFL again. The reasoning for this seemed to be he was suspended from pro football for a year, not just the NFL, and this was in the CBA. Since the NFL does give some money and whatnot to the CFL I can see the NFL having the power to stop Ricky from playing in the CFL. However, according to this story the Argos have added him to an exclusive, limited negotiating list. While the CFL isn’t the richest or best run league around it would seem to me that they would know what they can and can’t do in regards to suspended NFL Players, so I called BS. However neither one of us can really prove the other wrong. He says the CFL may not know whats in the new CBA, I say the CFL knows better then us 2 schmoes.

So whats the dope on Ricky? Can he play this year in the CFL and next year in the NFL? What does the CBA have to say about the playing rights, present and future, of suspended players?

Where’s the best weed in Canada?

Well, if that’s the criterion, he should be playing for the Lions, not the Argos.

Even though he’s suspended, the Dolphins maintain his football contract rights. He can’t sign a contract to play for anyone else.

Is this in the CBA? Or are you just going on regular contract law? The reason for my asking is that the NFL and CFL have a player agreement of some sort that allows for CFL players under contract to CFL teams go and tryout and potentially make the NFL team regardless of the players CFL rights and contract status.

Typical sports contracts. I suppose there’s no reason that Williams couldn’t ask the Dolphins for permission to play in the CFL, and it would probably be in their best interest to allow him to.

I imagine that some sort of compensation would be included in any deal where a player is freely allowed to sign with a team in another league.