Every year, shortly after the NFLPA announces the new agent class, we begin a Zoom series specifically for the contract advisors who have just entered the business. It’s something we’ve been doing for three years, and every year, it’s grown. We start a little earlier and we end a little later. 

I feel it’s worth it. There is so much to learn about the industry, and the Players Association does new agents no favors by making them wait until October to get started. It really puts them at a disadvantage for that draft class, and they only get three years before they face expulsion. They don’t have a lot of time to learn about how to get a player into an all-star game; who and how to recruit; how to budget and how to decide on finances; what to do when a player calls and asks to be represented; how involved they should get into NIL representation; and so many other topics. We cover all of these subjects in our Zoom sessions between now and the end of the year.

Anyway, our second guest in the series is Aaron Wilson. Aaron is a longtime friend who is relentless in his capacity to write and report, of course, but also network and build relationships. I don’t think I’ve ever found anyone who doesn’t like Aaron, and that’s pretty rare in this industry. Anyway, we’ll start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and we’ll go about an hour. Here are the questions I’ll ask Aaron, who’ll be on the other side of an interview for once. 

• How do you develop a relationship with an agent? Who typically initiates the relationship?
• Do new agents have much to “offer” you? Or does it take a few years before you really forge a relationship?
• How many agents have you had to end relationships with, and why?
• How many agents would you say you correspond with on a typical day during the season? How about during draft season?
• What percentage of your sources do you actually like vs. have a strictly professional relationship with?
• How has social media changed your job? How has it changed sports media in general?
• Do you think you’ve ever written a story or a tweet that actually influenced the way a team/teams drafted?
• You’ve covered two teams, the Ravens and the Texans. How did the teams’ attitudes toward the media differ?
• What percentage of breaking news related to the NFL comes from an agent vs. how much comes from an NFL source (coach, scout, executive, player)?
• When an agent shares information with you, does he expect something back? Or is it most often just a gesture of goodwill?

If this interests you, I’d love for you to join us. All it takes is that you join ITL. At $29.95/mo, I think it’s a really good deal, and you can cancel at any time. It’s especially good if you’re new to player representation and need to learn the tricks of the trade. If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time. 

We’ll get started at 8 p.m. ET sharp on Wednesday, and we’ll send out the Zoom link to all subscribers Wednesday afternoon. I hope you can join us.