Author Archives: itlneil

What Team Will Surprise by Drafting a QB?

19 Friday Jan 2024

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Everyone always thinks they know which teams have to get a passer in the draft. That’s especially true since, these days, the shelf life on a struggling passer is shorter than ever. But every year, a team falls in love with a player and upsets the balance of the draft with its pick.

Today in the Friday Wrap (register for it here), we talk to people around the game and get their guess on how many QBs will be Day 1 picks this year. It’s probably no surprise that there isn’t a consensus; some say four, others five, and a few six. Make sure to check out the Wrap later today for all the takes.

Still, there’s one other question — which team will surprise by taking a passer? For example, the Titans took Kentucky’s Will Levis early in the second round despite being the first team to take a QB in the 2022 draft (Liberty’s Malik Willis in the third round). The Packers shook up the football community by taking Utah State’s Jordan Love in the first round in 2020; it looks like a genius move now, but it ruffled plenty of feathers with Aaron Rodgers still at the top of his game. The Vikings threw off the draft community in 2011 when they took Florida State’s Christian Ponder with the 12th pick. Ponder had early success, but only played three NFL seasons. 

Who could be the Titans, Packers or Vikings of the 2024 draft? Here are a few possibilities.

Saints: Yes, New Orleans signed Derek Carr to a big contract before the 2023 season. Yes, Carr played well down the stretch. Still, Carr’s contract only, effectively, has one year left, and at some point, the Saints need to turn the page. With a new offensive coordinator coming in, this might make sense.

Dolphins: The Fins hit on all cylinders offensively, but Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t been the most durable of passers and head coach Mike McDaniel is a pass-first kind of guy. Tagovailoa’s contract ends after the 2024 season. The team may feel the need to be proactive.

Cowboys: Owner/GM Jerry Jones didn’t fire Mike McCarthy, but there’s another way to change the team’s performance long-term. Like Tagovailoa, Dak Prescott also has a contract that’s short-term. The Cowboys might want to start fresh. 

Steelers: Pittsburgh just took Kenny Pickett two seasons ago, but the team is already saying he’ll face competition for the starting job next year. Might that competition come from a hotshot rookie? 

Lions: Jared Goff was never seen as the long-term answer at QB for the Lions, but that’s been forgotten due to his renaissance since arriving in Detroit. Maybe now, with a pretty strong team across the board, drafting the next QB could be a luxury the Lions can afford. Granted, the team might want to find out what it has in Hendon Hooker first, but still. 

Giants: This would be truly crazy with Daniel Jones entering the second year of his big new deal, but there’s pressure to win in NY, and if not win, there’s pressure to create hope. There’s nothing more that a new QB brings than hope. 

2024 Hula Bowl: A Few Notes

11 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Agents, NFL draft, Scouts, Uncategorized

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It’s been a great few days in Orlando for the 2024 Hula Bowl. Here are a few notes from the preparations for this year’s contest.

Foolproof scout lure: All-star games love to maximize the attendance of scouts because it gives them credibility, and the Hula Bowl has come up with a foolproof way to raise their numbers. Since I ran the game in 2008, the Hula Bowl has always run practices concurrently between the two teams rather than at separate times. This forces teams to send 6-8 representatives instead of 2-3 (or even one or two) just to make sure everything is covered. 

Today’s NIL craziness items: One of the best parts of going to all-star games is hearing the stories from the recruiting wars as well as the crazy NIL pitches. For example, this week, I was told of a player at a lower-tier SEC school who lost his starting spot midseason. He decided to enter the portal, but before he could, he found out the school’s collective would offer him $50,000 to stick around. They were offering him more than the median annual income for the average American just to make sure they had a quality second-stringer at his position.

On the other hand, I heard about an FCS wide receiver who was offered $250,000 to go to a Big Ten school, but who chose to pursue the NFL instead. I respect his passion, but I’m not sure I would have made the same choice.

One takeaway from hearing the NIL stories this week is that a loose, position-by-position “wage scale” is developing among schools and agents, especially the schools from the P5 conferences that have big budgets. I also heard that Memphis has been one of the most aggressive teams when it comes to adding players from the portal; apparently, the athletic director’s efforts to raise funds have been successful. 

Humbling: Another great facet of the all-star season is that I begin notifying the scouts who were voted as winners of the various awards we’ll present at our annual seminar in Indianapolis in about a month-and-a-half. The scout who will receive one of our bigger awards next month was obviously touched when he got the news. It was really cool to see.

What if?: The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl is scheduled to begin workouts Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Star in Frisco, Texas. If the Cowboys win a home playoff game against Green Bay in the Super Wildcard round of the playoffs, then win the following weekend and advance to the NFC Championship, they’ll need their field and locker rooms. The scuttlebutt around the team hotel this week was that the nearby University of North Texas is the “rainy weather” site for the Shrine Bowl.

Clearing skies: When you have all-star games in Florida, the threat of rain is always there. A lengthy thunderstorm Tuesday night meant practices moved indoors today, which created serious consternation among agents who wanted to watch their clients (indoor practices usually mean scouts only). But there’s good news: practices will be outdoors again Thursday. Hopefully, Tuesday night’s rain won’t make for muddy conditions tomorrow.

Impressing: I’m always asked which players are rising and falling, and I rarely get enough feedback to have an intelligent answer. However, one player who seems to have won a few fans is Western Carolina WO David White. 

If you haven’t already, make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter to get more scoop on this busy (and exciting) time of year. 

 

 

Here’s How to be an NFL Agent

05 Friday Jan 2024

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This time of year, with the NFL Draft in the news and the NFL Combine just around the corner, there’s a lot of interest in being an agent. I get a lot of questions from people interested in pursuing player representation, and I hate to dismiss them or diminish them by telling them I don’t have time for them. Still, this time of year, every second counts, so I thought I’d write a post aimed at people who are considering this profession. That way, I have a link I can share that encompasses my thoughts.

Here’s a rundown of what you need, literally and figuratively, if being an NFL agent is your goal.

Have $10,000 liquid. Take it from me. You will need this for training and travel expenses. This is actually a very conservative estimate, though, for the purposes of this post, I’m not going into the nuts and bolts of what you need. Just know that $10,000 is the bare minimum you need AFTER you’re certified if you want to try this.

Get a secondary degree. Some people have negotiated all their lives, and they try to prove they are fit for certification with solely an undergrad degree. Very rarely are these negotiation waivers granted. Even if it’s an online Master’s, go the extra mile and get that done before you really dive in.

Don’t expect big results in Year 1. This is probably true of the first year of any venture, but it’s definitely true in player representation. You must sign at least one player, and you need to really wade in and do whatever you can to get him (or them, if you sign several clients) to the league. There is no substituted for making Year 1 really count. You want to get those rookie mistakes out of the way early.

Take the exam seriously. It’s really challenging, yet every year, half of all test-takers fail the exam. Often it’s because they thought it would be an easy pass. It’s not.

Accept that you don’t know everything (and accept that that’s OK). I can’t tell you how often people enter this business with an attitude and an ego the size of the Superdome.  Sometimes they succeed, but more often than not they become the victims of their own arrogance. You can’t do this job alone. 

Read every post in this blog. I’ve been writing this series since 2014, and there’s a lot of good stuff in it. If you sift through the hundreds of posts, you’re going to learn a lot about being an agent. You especially need to read this post, but there are many others, as well. 

One other thing — consider joining us at Inside the League. Helping people succeed in this business is what we do. If you’re not quite ready to join ITL, no problem, but at least sign up for our free weekly newsletter that comes out on Fridays. You can do that here.

Need An NFL Agent? Here Are A Few Tips

28 Thursday Dec 2023

Posted by in Getting started, NFL draft

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If you’re a member of the 2024 NFL Draft class and you think you deserve a shot, but can’t seem to earn attention from agents, there are “dos” and don’ts” that will make it a lot easier to get signed. Here are some of them.

  • Google “Find an Agent NFLPA:” This will take you to this page, which lists all certified NFLPA contract advisors. 
  • Think local: You may want an agent with a national name, but the truth is, if you can find one who is located close to you, it’s going to be to your benefit. 
  • Take what you can get: If you find an agent who shows interest, don’t hold out for someone with a bigger client list or more experience. Remember, you’re doing the recruiting, not the other way around, so if someone is willing to work with you, don’t take that for granted.
  • Think of paid training as a bonus, not an entitlement: The best way to make sure no agent will touch you is to lead with your training expectations. The words any potential agent dreads most is, “what do I get?” If you’re the one seeking an agent, you don’t really get to ask that question. 
  • Be willing to share costs: You may have to pick up your own flight, cover part of your training, or help with the registration cost of an all-star game. That’s only fair. 
  • Be honest with yourself: If you weren’t a star, or didn’t play at a big school, or suffered a major injury (or all of the above), realize that an agent is not going to be able to get you into the first round. 
  • A deal is a deal: If your new agent is wiling to cover all or some of your costs, don’t come back later and try to “re-cut” your arrangement. Stand by your agreement.
  • Be careful comparing your deal with others: There are lots of reasons your former teammate, or someone you’re training with, or whoever, might be getting more covered by their agent. Remember, you didn’t even have an agent before all this started! Embrace what you got. Ultimately, scouts don’t care about fancy training or amenities. They only want to know how well you perform at your all-star game or pro day. 

I really hope you can find someone to walk with you through this process. There’s a perception out there that agents are unnecessary, or greedy, or incompetent. None of that is true, or, at least, it’s rare. After 20-plus years working with people in the industry, I wholeheartedly believe having representation is a must for aspiring NFL players. Best of luck.

 

 

Notes on NFL Scouting from This Week’s Zoom

22 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in Getting started, NFL draft, Scouts, Uncategorized

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Every year, as a special feature for the aspiring NFL scouts who are part of the ITL family, we invite three NFL evaluators to join us on Zoom. It’s always humbling when these men — this year, we had an area scout, a national scout and a college director — are willing to give of their time during the week of Christmas. One of our guests even joined us from his office at the team facility, meaning he didn’t even leave for home until after 10 p.m. ET.

At any rate, it’s as much a blessing for me as it is the ITL subscribers listening in. It’s fascinating to not only hear their origin stories and their advice, but also the tips you pick up along the way. Here are a few of the nuggets from this year’s guest speakers (we don’t provide their names because some of them do it without asking permission of their superiors).

  • Our area scout described the art of gathering character information, especially when it comes to bigger schools that demand multiple visits. Let’s say we’re talking about a football factory like an Alabama, Michigan or Oklahoma. He likes to visit first in the summer, when optimism is high and everyone is excited. During this visit, he’s going to be handed 20-25 names (maybe more) from the pro liaison. He’s going to start digging on all of them, trying to get a good initial feel for them so he’s not starting fresh when he arrives the second time. He’s also gong to try to see their body types when they are at their strongest and healthiest. For his next visit, he’s going to try to show up around midseason. At this point, there’s plenty of film and the team has entered conference play, so the most talented players should have plenty of tape. He’s going to focus more on grading performance on the field. For his third visit, he’ll be arriving in late October or November. At this point, the die is cast for the season, and the draft-eligible players are on their way out, so coaches aren’t as likely to protect them. Everyone is wiped out; coaches are going to be at their most honest. This is where he gets his answers, especially on the players who he knows are character risks. 
  • I always like to ask scouts if they every considered coaching. Most say they have, or at least have since they saw how much coaches make compared to scouts. Our national scout guest showed admirable honesty in admitting that he thinks being a coach requires being “up” to help the players stay focused and aggressive, and he didn’t think he could do that consistently. Rather than betray the players, he opted for a career in scouting.
  • When he decided he wanted to pursue football professionally, our college director quit a promising job in the financial sector cold, with no backup plan. Instead, he moved in with his parents. His daily regimen became serving as a permanent substitute at his old high school; serving as a grad assistant at the local college; going home for an extended nap; working at a Fed Ex warehouse until 4 a.m.; going to the gym to work out; then back to school to sub. Eventually he got his big break, and now he’s got a great shot to be a GM someday.

It was an incredibly fun Zoom, and if you hope to be a scout in the future, I hope you will join us in the future. For more details on our Next Wave program, check out this week’s Friday Wrap. Register for it here.

2024 All-Star Season: Three Fun Facts (Plus Other Stuff)

15 Friday Dec 2023

Posted by in Agents, combine prep, NFL draft

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January is just around the corner, and if you work in the football industry, you know that means all-star games are almost here. This year looks a little different from the last. Here are three reasons why.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is no more. For the second time since 2012 (the game was paused due to Covid in 2021), when the NFLPA launched its all-star game, there will only be five contests that scouts can attend to evaluate and gauge the talent of draft-eligible players. After a little more than a decade, the NFL Players Association decided the cost and trouble of running a game was no longer worth the effort. It’s a disappointment for scouts, agents and players who used the game to spark interest in hundreds of players over the last 11 years. 

The East-West Shrine Bowl has moved east. In the last 20 years, the Shrine Bowl has been played in San Francisco, San Antonio, Houston, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Las Vegas and, now, Dallas (Frisco, Texas, to be exact). To me, it’s a great location for the game. The Lone Star State really embraces football. Nothing against Las Vegas, but the city and its activity level was just too big for the Shrine Bowl. No one seemed to be excited about it. I think we’ll have renewed enthusiasm at The Star.

The CGS is going to be a lot shorter. In the past, the College Gridiron Showcase had platforms for players from previous draft classes, kickers and specialists, and small-schoolers, in addition to the usual workouts with bigger-school prospects. The NFL more or less forced CGS co-founders Jose Jefferson and Craig Redd to scrap most of that, and what remains is a highly stripped-down and shorter showcase. Players arrive Friday, compete Saturday and Sunday morning, then head home. 

By the way, if you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in the NFL scouting industry. If you are, I encourage you to check out the new podcast I co-host with my friend (and former NFL scout) Rodrik David. It’s called Scouting the League, and Rodrik and I go deep discussing how player evaluation, NIL, player representation and other facets of the football industry intersect. If you want to hear analysis of NFL front offices and how people who work in the business think, I think you’ll enjoy it. We’ve also discussed some off-the-radar draft prospects (even looking at a few prospects in the 2025 draft) and plenty of topics you’ll find interesting if you’re the kind of junkie who can’t get enough of the game. 

Here’s the link for last week’s episode, our third. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us (DM at @insidetheleague) if there are topics you’d like us to explore. We’re just two guys talking football at a very deep level, and I hope you enjoy it was much as we do producing it.

We’ll also discuss our podcast in this week’s edition of the Friday Wrap. If you haven’t already, you can register for it here.

 

 

New Agent Zoom IX: The Highlights

08 Friday Dec 2023

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As we move closer to the end of the year, we’re getting close to wrapping up our series for 2023, so we have a lot to get in.

Wednesday night, we had three speakers, including John Karaffa of ProSport CPA, Michael Quartey of the FCS Bowl and Tropical Bowl, and Greg Linton of HOF Player Representatives. Each of them brought something different to our hour-plus Zoom session. Here are a few highlights.

John Karaffa: John’s company, ProSport CPA, doesn’t dabble in athletics; John and his staff solely work with professional athletes in all sports, with a major emphasis in football. Tax preparation is no picnic for most people, but for athletes, it’s a major chore, given their ancillary incomes from marketing opportunities, as well as the fact they have to pay taxes in every state a game is played. When you figure in the NIL money that today’s college player is making, it’s just smart to have a tax expert around. That’s why I wanted John to introduce himself. He’s a key resource for players, especially rookies. 

Michael Quartey: The NFL has thrown its share of hurdles at college all-star games this year, and the biggest impact of their new rules has fallen on the College Gridiron Showcase and Tropical Bowl. That’s why I wanted to bring on Michael, the founder of “the Trop,” to discuss the game, its changes since last year, and the fact that players must fund their own travel and hotel costs. I also made it clear that Michael’s game is a legitimate opportunity for players and embraced by NFL teams. There’s so much contradicting information from all quarters and it’s easy to get confused. I think Michael was able to clear a lot of that confusion up. 

Greg Linton: This is the third straight year I’ve brought “Tripp” in because he’s so candid. A few of his points: 

  • Stay away from wide receivers; try to sign offensive and defensive linemen.
  • Walk away from a player who is getting a crazy training package from a competitor; know what the player is worth and stick to your guns.
  • Don’t sell an unworthy player to a scout or you risk losing all credibility forever.
  • If a player rejects you for more money form a competitor, then tries to return when things don’t work out, don’t sign him. He’ll always be looking for a better deal.

He had plenty more to say, and as always, he was a huge hit with all the first-year contract advisors on the Zoom.

We’re nearing the end of our Zoom series for a while — we always take January off, then resume in February — but we’ve still got at least one session left before we take a break for Christmas. It’s not too late to join us. All you have to do is sign up for ITL. It’s easy to be an agent in October and November, but the big decisions take place in December. We’d love to work with you.

 

 

 

New Agent Zoom VIII: A Bit About Our Guest & Our Session

29 Wednesday Nov 2023

Posted by in Agents, Getting started

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Wednesday night, we’ll have our eighth Zoom session for members of the 2023 NFL Agent Class, and this one will be a little different. Our guest will be Andy Ross, owner of Upper Edge Sports and, for about two decades, an NFLPA-licensed contract advisor.

Here’s Andy’s bio, from his agency’s website. Andy will discuss his career in player representation — which spans 18 years (he got certified in 2005) and work with two major firms, Octagon and Select Sports Group — as well as his newish firm, Upper Edge. Though the focus is working with NFL players, Andy has a grander vision and has plans to move into entertainment as well as representation in multiple sports. 

This is why he’s joining us on Zoom. Andy is looking for help, so several first-year agents will gather to hear what he’s got mapped out. It’s a tantalizing opportunity for one or two agents. I don’t know the details about what Andy is seeking, but the ability to potentially work with a seasoned and experienced agent so early in one’s career is something special. 

My guess is that Andy will offer a chance to recruit on behalf of Upper Edge, and perhaps there will be an offer to help with training fees for the right players. Obviously, that would mean that if the player makes a roster, Andy and the agent would split fees. That’s the usual arrangement, though I’m not trying to put words in Andy’s mouth. 

So to recap, here’s what I expect the body of the Zoom to be:

  • Andy introduces himself and his firm.
  • He discusses the opportunity he’s offering, what kind of agent he’s looking for, and what he can offer in return (I think that will be, mostly, the chance to work with someone with years in the game).
  • He describes the profile of the perfect candidate.
  • He answers a few questions from those on the Zoom and provides best way to contact him.

New contract advisors always ask me how they can earn a place with a firm that gives them the horsepower to really recruit, sign and represent legitimate players. Until now, I didn’t really have an answer, but Wednesday night, that ends. I don’t want to exaggerate the possibilities, but the bottom line is, this is something that’s pretty exciting. 

All ITL clients are welcome tomorrow night, but you have to be a subscriber first. The Zoom link goes out tomorrow afternoon. Want to join us? Start here. 

 

New Agent Zoom VII: Our Questions for Mike Delle Donne

20 Monday Nov 2023

Posted by in Agents, combine prep, Getting started, NFL draft

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Seems crazy that tomorrow night will be our seventh Zoom session aimed at helping inform the 2023 NFL Agent Class. We’ve covered so much so far, but we’re far from done.

The next two sessions, including tomorrow’s, are focused on helping rookie contract advisors ascend to the next level. One way to do that is by joining an established firm, which gives you clout and validation that is hard to find in Year 1 (or Year 2, for that matter). 

Our guest will be Mike Delle Donne of UA Sports. Mike is smart and capable, naturally, but he’s also been very good about building bridges and helping agencies understand the value he brings, which is one reason he’s been certified just over two years and has already served with two good firms. It doesn’t hurt that he already represents the kicker for an NFL team, New Orleans’ Blake Grupe, who signed as a UDFA out of Notre Dame last spring.

Here’s a list of the questions we’ll have for Mike.

  • How did you approach getting certified? What was your background?
  • Were you ever independent? What challenges did you face as an independent agent at first?
  • Is it intimidating to work for a firm that’s already established and already has NFL clients? 
  • How did you come to be associated with Roche Sports Representation? How did it help you in Year 1?
  • Would you consider yourself a person who networks well with agents? Is that a goal of yours? If so, has it been beneficial?
  • Why did you ultimately decide to move to UA Sports? How has it been beneficial? 
  • Did you bring clients with you to UA Sports? How was that handled?
  • Do you anticipate staying with UA Sports long-term? Would you ever be independent again? 
  • Tell us about recruiting and signing PK Blake Grupe. Did you expect him to be one of the 32 NFL kickers in his rookie year?
  • What’s the hardest part of being an agent? The best part?

Our special training guest Monday will be Jordan Luallen of X3 Performance and Physical Therapy. The results Jordan has gotten for players who didn’t get invited to the combine has been phenomenal. Few trainers have been able to move undrafted free agent prospects into draft range better than Jordan. He’ll introduce himself and talk a little bit about his service. He’ll be the fourth trainer to have joined us on Zoom, with more to go. 

I hope you can join us. Sign up here for ITL and we’ll send out the Zoom link Monday afternoon.

New Agent Zoom Session VI: Here’s What We’ll Ask CGS Co-Founder Jose Jefferson

16 Thursday Nov 2023

Posted by in Agents, NFL draft, Scouts

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Last night, we had our fifth Zoom session aimed directly at the newest NFL agent class. For almost two hours, we went into depth about the five major games that will take place in January and all the relevant details. We were joined by Brandon Stroupe and Mason Hays of APEC Fort Worth, one of our training partners. It was fun and, I hope, informative for everyone.

Tonight, we’re at it again, and this one won’t be as specific to new agents; in fact, we’ll have several veteran contract advisors as well as a few wealth managers sitting in. It makes sense. The College Gridiron Showcase, which will have its 10th edition in January, has changed up its format a bit. We’ll have CGS co-founder Jose Jefferson on to discuss what’s ahead and how this year’s event will differ from previous editions.

With the NFL restricting teams from evaluating all-star games that don’t adhere to their strict new rules announced this spring, changes were inevitable, and the CGS won’t be the only one affected. Here’s what we’ll ask Jose tonight.

  • The CGS was one of the first legitimate all-star games to share costs with the players in the game, as well as their representation. How have the NFL’s new rules changed this? What, if any, costs will be associated with this year’s event?
  • In the past, the CGS was a five-day affair. This year, it will be over a weekend only. What’s gone? Has anything been added?
  • The CGS has always brought in 200-300 players for evaluation. Will that be the case this year, as well?
  • The NFL has granted underclassmen access to three all-star games. The CGS isn’t one of them. Is there any way around this rule?
  • This spring, the NFL mandated that all all-star events must have an end-of-week game. Will the CGS have one? Is it even possible to have one under such a tight schedule?
  • The CGS has always been known for its interview session, which has been especially popular to NFL scouts. Will this year’s edition still include the hours-long interview availability session that other editions have included?
  • NFL teams have always showed up in big numbers for the CGS. Do you expect this year’s game to be every bit as popular with scouts as in previous years?
  • Where are we in the invitation process? 
  • Will there be any kind of spring league orientation to the CGS?
  • There are a lot of all-star games. What would you say is the main selling point for the CGS?

These 10 questions are the ones we’ll pose to Jose tonight. If you’re in the industry, you probably should join in. To do that, all you have to be is an ITL subscriber. You can sign up here, and we’ll get you registered ASAP as well as supplying the Zoom link for tonight. But hurry — things kick off at 8 p.m. ET, and we don’t want you to miss a thing.