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They are as much a part of their NFL team as the biggest superstars. But given that football contracts are not guaranteed, the team has very little commitment to the players, except for the amount of signing bonus (or guaranteed money) that has been invested in the individual player.

With the vast talent pool the NFL has to draw from, competition can be cut-throat. If a more attractive opportunity comes along for a team, it will not hesitate to cut a player to make room for another.

A team’s commitment to a player is evident in the size of his signing bonus. Take, for example, two players at the same position, making the same salary, but one player received a $1-million signing bonus and the second player got $5,000. We don’t need to see one clip of game film to know which player is going to make the team and which one will be a training-camp body.

The thing about camp bodies is that they can and do make the team. The only thing that players want is a chance to showcase their talents on the biggest stage possible. From there, it is their responsibility to take advantage of the opportunity.

The reality, though, is that NFL dreams are a lot shorter than NFL careers. In last week’s CFL draft, one of the major metrics that teams had to consider was when they thought the player they wanted to draft would be cut by his NFL squad.

The draft position of Onyemata — the best player in the CFL draft, but who ended up a mid-round pick — spoke volumes as to how CFL general managers didn’t want to waste a pick on someone who will likely never surface in the CFL. However, the prospect was too tasty a morsel to pass up with the last pick of the fourth round.