After being selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 CFL Global Draft on Tuesday morning, former Buffalo outside linebacker Fabian Weitz will play his professional ball in Canada. The CFL sets a stringent “game rule ratio” based on nationality for roster management, requiring teams to deploy at least one player from outside of Canada and the US. This makes the CFL stand out in the North American football landscape.
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The CFL established the Global Draft to aid in roster completion. This process enables the Scouting Bureau to find players worldwide for potential inclusion in the league. Prior to that, the league had separate entrance drafts for players from Mexico and Europe. The practice was introduced in 2021. Asia and Oceania have since been added to the Global Draft. Weitz served a season with his native Cologne Centurions of the European League of American Football before declaring for the NFL Draft, making him eligible for selection this season.
Weitz played primarily as a reserve outside linebacker and special teams ace for Buffalo during his five years there. He finished with 12 tackles and one start in 22 game appearances. After graduating, Weitz went back home to play in Cologne, where he finished 20 tackles and one fumble recovery in five games in 2023.
In 2023, Winnipeg emerged as the most powerful team in the league, finishing the regular season with a 14-4 record and 594 points scored against 377 conceded. Though he does join a crowded linebacker group that currently has nine players (not including himself), he should contribute immediately on special teams. Monday, May 20, at Mosaic Stadium, sees the Blue Bombers take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders to kick off the CFL preseason.
