Monthly Archives: June 2023

2023 NFL Agent Exam: Five Topics You Must Master to Pass

28 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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Earlier this month, I wanted to gauge the subjects in the CBA that our test-takers are struggling with most, so I put together a poll. It was pretty straightforward, and listed 19 topics. I asked participants to choose 10, but five easily garnered the most support. 

If you’re taking the exam in 26 days, I thought you might benefit from knowing what other people taking the exam are spending most of their time reviewing. Here’s a rundown of the most popular (?) topics, along with the number who listed it as among the most challenging:

Workman’s comp offsets/extended injury compensation (82 percent): This one is a biggie, obviously, which is why almost all our respondents chose it as an important topic to cover. Our CBA expert Ian Greengross, who heads instruction on all our video sessions, covers this topic in our April Zoom session. In fact, he spends a quarter of the hour-long session on this one topic. You can order it here ($35 plus tax).

Draft signals (65 percent): This one is hard because you have to gather information from a rather involved chart, then applying it to other information gathered from a different chart and doing a little math. Tracking and referencing the right chart is a big part of success on the agent exam. This topic is also covered in our April video, which you can order here. 

Exclusive rights free agency, restricted free agency, transition tag, franchise tag, exclusive franchise tag (65 percent): Like sorting out an accrued season, a season of earned credit for benefits, and a season of earned credit for salary, knowing the various levels of free agency based on player experience is critical. This is covered in our March video, which you can order here.

Termination pay (59 percent): Being able to compute what a player has coming based on his annual salary, when he made the team, when he got released, and how many weeks are left, isn’t complicated, but still can trip you up. Ian spent more than a fourth of the hour in May discussing this; you can order the video here. 

Veteran Salary Benefit (59 percent): This is another topic that requires you get all your charts straight and otherwise follow the rules established by the 2020 CBA. Not complicated, per se, but you better make sure you don’t get lost in all the numbers. This topics is also covered in the May video, which you can order here.

If you’re looking for a video rundown of almost every hot topic in the CBA, you can pick up all five of our sessions so far (February, March, April, May and June) for $175 plus tax. Order them all here. 

Whether or not you use any of our videos, I hope you find the answers you seek. My advice: whether you use or materials or someone else’s, do not go cheap in trying to pass the exam. It’s incredibly challenging, and you’ll want to take advantage of every resource you can find to make things clearer and easier to understand.

 

2023 NFL Agent Exam: Why We Can Help

23 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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We are now one month (31 days) from July 24, when the 2023 NFLPA Collective Bargaining Exam will be held for aspiring NFL agents. If you’re taking the exam, that should give you a little urgency.

Also, if you’re taking the exam, hopefully you’re working with us on passing it. Here’s what we offer. Though there are others out there who have exam prep services, if you’re not using ours, you’re making a big mistake. Here’s why I think so.

  • We were the pioneers in agent exam prep, introducing our first practice exam in 2012. We followed up with a second practice exam in 2018.
  • Ours is the only service that uses a real, live, certified NFLPA contract advisor with multiple first-round clients on his resume to teach our students. Chicago-based Ian Greengross, who teaches our monthly Zoom sessions, represented LSU OH Joseph Addai (1/30, Colts, 2006) and Arkansas OH Darren McFadden (1/4, Raiders, 2008) during the pre-draft phase and on through their NFL careers. 
  • This year’s first-rounders were represented by 16 firms. Of the 16, 15 have at least one agent on staff (some have several) who got certified using our exam prep materials.
  • There were 34 rookie contract advisors who got at least one client on a 90-man roster this year (2023 draft). That’s a huge accomplishment for a first-year agent, especially if you’re an independent representative who’s not with any of the established firms. Of that 34, 23 worked with us on passing the exam. 
  • Of the 13 rookie agents who put multiple clients on NFL rosters this year, 10 worked with us.
  • Of the top 20 agencies based on draft value points since 2007 (i.e., the biggest and best firms in the industry), 16 are still active and have not been absorbed into bigger companies. Of those 16, 14 have used ITL to help in the certification process for at least one agent. Some agencies have used us to help several of its agents pass the exam.

Do our exam prep materials cost money? Sure. You’ve already spent $2,500 just to take the exam, and you probably are trying to contain costs. Remember, in the old days (pre-2020), everyone went to Washington, D.C., for three days/two nights to take the exam. That’s about $1,500 by the time you pay for a flight and spend two nights sleeping, eating and drinking at a luxury hotel. You can get everything we offer — study guide, both practice exams and all seven videos — for about half that. So you’re playing with house money.

If you’re taking the exam this summer, good luck. I really hope you pass. I also really hope you consider using our materials. We’ll give you a far, far greater chance to make it past a very challenging test. Give us a shot. 

Ask the Scout: A Sneak Peek at Blake Beddingfield’s Summer Sleepers

14 Wednesday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, NFL draft, Scouts

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Several years ago, my friend Blake Beddingfield, who spent two decades on the Titans’ scouting staff, began getting on Zoom in October to discuss 50-plus rising players who were still off the grid with NFL draftniks (and even some NFL teams).

It got pretty popular and we had dozens of agents join us. We even had a few friends with NFL teams join us, just to make sure they weren’t missing anyone. It’s become a pretty popular feature and a regular part of what we do pre-Thanksgiving. The value is in the hidden gems Blake uncovers; everyone knows the 100-odd players who will go in the first couple rounds, but it’s much harder to predict the players who will make up players 150 to 250, plus the hot undrafted free agents.

It’s really hard to ask someone to provide names of players who are just good enough to be drafted, but not so good that they’ll be drafted before the fourth round. This is where you really have to have an eye for evaluation. Here are a few highlights from last year’s list:

  • Blake provided a list of 58 players. Only seven entered the draft and didn’t get drafted or signed. Of that seven, five went to one or more rookie mini-camps.
  • Of the 58, 21 went back to school, no doubt after being offered fat NIL deals. Can’t blame them for that.
  • Of the 30 remaining players, Blake accurately predicted all but 5-6 to go on Day 3 or to be signed post-draft. Of the other half-dozen, all went in the second or third round. 
  • Blake recommended four players who would be invited as tryout players, then earn UDFA deals during rookie mini-camp. They included Ball State DC Jaquan Amos, who recently signed with the Ravens; Arkansas FS Latavious Brini, who signed with the Jaguars; La.-Lafayette DC Eric Garror, who signed with the Titans; and UCF OH Isaiah Bowser, who signed with the Bills. There were only 24 players, total, who went from rookie tryout to UDFA deal, and Blake predicted four players who would pull off that difficult task.

This year, we’re going to put out a preseason list. Blake will present 50-plus players Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on Zoom. Cost is $40 plus tax, and anyone can join us. Everyone that participates will get a copy of the video as well as Blake’s XL list. We’re expecting dozens of contract advisors and even a few friends of mine in professional evaluation. 

Like everyone else, I’m eager to see Blake’s list. “I tried to focus a lot on OL,” Blake told me. “Pass rushers and some other good PFAs and a few players that didn’t play as much last year, but may be big risers this year.”

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the players Blake will discuss Thursday night.

  • Logan Brown, OT, Kansas — Has the size and traits for the NFL, but needs to add strength and experience. Has character issues.
  • Reggie Grimes, DE, Oklahoma — Rising player with good bloodlines. Developing as a pass rusher. 
  • Willie Lampkin, OC, Coastal Carolina  — Very competitive player in camp who needs to continue to enhance his quickness, speed and athleticism.  
  • Joe More, OT, Syracuse — Four-year starter at Richmond who is hoping to prove he can compete on the FBS level this year. 
  • Zion Logue, DT, Georgia — The latest defensive line project out of Athens isn’t on the Jordan Davis/Jalen Carter level, and has been mostly a reserve to this point, but has interesting upside.

I hope you can join us Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I can hardly wait to see the players Blake has on his list. Cost is $40 plus tax, and you can register here.

When Should You Start Studying for the NFL Agent Exam?

09 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started, ITL

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This week, I got this same question from two different aspiring NFL agents. I’ve included one of them verbatim (or mostly verbatim):

“I’m . . . interested in figuring out when I should start reviewing (exam) materials, when I should hop on the zooms, and when I should start doing the deep dive? Is it too early to start looking at things now for the sake of at least getting a general understanding? Let me know your thoughts.”

My response is different from the one I used to give.

With the exam less than two months away, we’re starting to get our usual surge of study guide, video and practice exam purchases. I think that used to be the right amount of time. Not long ago, if you studied hard for two months, you were pretty much golden. It wasn’t long ago that the passing rate for the exam was, well, pretty reasonable. However, starting in 2015, the pass rate got a lot harder.

I remember the responses from people who had barely failed a pretty passable exam in 2014, then came back excited and optimistic in 2015, only to find a test that was appreciably harder. I felt terrible for the ones who came up short that year, earning themselves a five-year waiting period until they could try again. Most never did. However, since 2015, the NFLPA has doubled down. I tell test-takers these days that there’s about a 25-percent chance of passing for first-timers, and maybe 50-50 on the second try. That’s not based on hard numbers, but I think it’s pretty accurate.

As a result of this, when people approach me about taking the exam next year, I tell them it’s not a bad idea to get started now. I recommend they pick up the study guide and start getting familiar with the terms. Maybe they order the videos if they are more visual learners. Bottom line, if you think you can just wait until a few weeks before the exam to get started, like it’s an algebra test, you’re sorely mistaken.

I mean, it’s possible to pass in less time, but you’re looking at a major investment of time and money. It just makes no sense to take that kind of risk, especially when the amount of money you’re spending is absolute peanuts in the face of the costs associated with representing players in the modern era. 

If you’re reading this, and you’re taking the exam in the summer of 2024, get started on the CBA now. You’ll thank me later. If you’re taking it in 46 days, start now. NOW. You cannot procrastinate and expect to pass an exam that 75 percent of test-takers (all of them with a secondary degree, most of them attorneys) routinely fail.

For a full rundown of everything we offer, including topics of all our videos and costs of all our services, sign up for the Friday Wrap. You can register here.

 

2023 XFL Rookie Draft: A Recap of Our Zoom

02 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Agents, XFL

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I’ve been fortunate enough to have developed a good relationship with Russ Giglio and Doug Whaley of the XFL, and as a result, they’ve joined me on several Zoom sessions aimed at NFL contract advisors. The latest session was Wednesday, and it was really productive as Russ and Doug opened with remarks about the Rookie Draft set for Friday, June 16, then answered questions for the better part of an hour.

Here’s the complete recording of our session. If you don’t have time to wade through it — and if you represent a player who hopes to be drafted later this month, I think you should — here are a few highlights.

  • The actual time of the draft is not yet set. However, it will be a 10-round draft, so only 80 players will be selected. Doug and Russ didn’t expect any of the teams to pass on their later-round picks, as happened in January.
  • This will be a rights draft. Players won’t be tendered contracts after they’re selected. However, Russ and Doug said they expected them to be provided no later than August/September. The league is working on finalizing contracts for the 2024 season. 
  • One of the holdups is that players are weighing forming a union. They said they expect the union issue to be resolved by the end of the summer.
  • The draft class is made up solely of players who were NFL Draft-eligible in April. If a player has signed an NFL, CFL or USFL contract, that player is not eligible for the draft June 16. On the other hand, due to the league’s partnership with the Indoor Football League, players under contract with IFL teams will be included in the XFL June draft pool.
  • There is no player pool, per se. Players just have to be draft-eligible for 2023 and not signed with another league. 

  • Players who are bypassed in June are not shut out of the league. There will be a second draft after NFL cuts in November, and there are no restrictions on age or playing experience for that draft (exact date still TBA). 

  • After this summer’s six showcases across the country in June and July, the XFL will take the’ top performers to a two-day combine in Arlington, Texas. There are about 200 players at each of the six showcases, and the league will take the top 150-200 performers from all six of the events to the XFL combine. 

  • Agents with players interested in the June 16 Rookie Draft or the draft at the end of the summer are encouraged to send their clients’ information to fbo@xfl.com. Make sure to include player’s name and position; last school played for; draft year; last pro team (if applicable); email and cell of player; and player’s agent. 

There’s plenty more to know, so I encourage you to check out the video if you hope to play in the league next year or represent someone who does.

Need even more info? Check out the Friday Wrap, which comes out later today. You can register for it here.