CFL: Could Chase Daniel Eventually Follow Graham Harrell's Career Path?

(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Graham Harrell was a Sammy Baugh Trophy winner, Johnny Unitas Golden Award winner, AT&T All-American Player of the Year, 3-time All-Academic Big 12, and a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Despite, all of this collegiate accolades, Harrell went undrafted out of Texas Tech and received tryout invitations with the Cleveland Browns and then tried out for the UFL.

He went unsigned both times.

Following his UFL tryout, rumors started that Harrell could sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL.

Those rumors eventually transpired as he signed with the team on July 20 and was immediately placed on the inactive list as he adjusted to the Canadian game.

Harrell has yet to make his debut and the earliest he could is October 2 in a game against the BC Lions in Vancouver.

Chase Daniel on the other hand was a one-time Heisman Trophy candidate (2007), Second-team All-Big 12, Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year, First-team All-Big 12, Second-team All-American, Maxwell Award semifinalist and also a finalist for the Manning Award, Walter Camp Award, Draddy Trophy, and Davey O'Brien Award winner.

Needless to say that's a bit more than Harrell's accolades yet Daniel has faced the same treatment as Harrell has, NFL wise.

Daniel spent the entire training camp with the Washington Redskins before being cut.

After being cut, while the Redskins were assembling their practice squad he was told he'd be added to it.

However, the Redskins opted to go with ex-Kentucky Wildcats quarterback and New York Giant cut (ironically, the Redskins first opponent in 2009) Andre Woodson.

After being shown the door by the Redskins, Daniel has opted to take his show to New Orleans under the mentoring of gun-slinger Drew Brees.

Luckily, for Daniel the New Orleans quarterback situation is less log-jammed down the road as the only backup is almost 40 year-old Mark Brunell.

Now, odds are Daniel will see limited time on the active roster and even less time on the field but a situation that has gone unmentioned in the media is the fact he could decide to go the CFL once his deal with the Saints expires.

As you may or may not know most of the league has little to no backup depth.

It also doesn't hurt that Daniel is a prototypical CFL quarterback (6'1", 219) and has solid arm strength along with time in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA.

In my opinion, Daniel staying in the NFL in the short term would be a mistake for him down the road, and taking the path blazed by the likes of Warren Moon, Doug Flutie and Graham Harrell makes sense for him and his potential team.

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