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The NFL’s Draft Gurus

25 Wednesday May 2016

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Next week is a big week for the 2017 draft. I know that sounds odd, but it’s true. The week after Memorial Day is traditionally when BLESTO and National Football Scouting (NFS) introduce their subscribing teams to the next draft class.

If you read this blog, you probably already know what I’m talking about, but if not, here’s a quick primer. About two-thirds of NFL teams subscribe to one of two scouting services, NFS and BLESTO. BLESTO is the older of the services (and based in Jacksonville, Fla.), but National (based in Indianapolis) probably has a slightly better reputation among teams (and a few more subscribing teams). Both services command six-figure sums to provide teams with a detailed but preliminary look at the top rising seniors. Their lists usually number in the 800- to 1,000-player range, and players are given a grade (each service has its own proprietary grading system).

On one hand, these services give subscribing teams a big hand up on evaluation. Based on what these ‘combines’ tell teams, most scouting coordinators put together travel schedules for their scouts. Players with high scores achieve tremendous status going into their senior seasons, and automatically head to the top of the draft list, at least in the early stages of the season.

On the other hand, these services are far from infallible. Subscribing teams have to provide a scout to pitch in his services, and usually these scouts are either new to the business, quite young, or both. In fact, the combine scout role has become the intermediary step between scouting assistant and full-fledged road scout. Therefore, lots of the people putting these grades together are cutting their teeth in the business. In fact, a tremendous amount of their jobs is not a lot different from your garden variety draft fan — combing through hundreds of college rosters to find players that fit certain parameters, calling coaches and asking for recommendations, and even Googling to find top players in out-of-the-way conferences.

Next week will also serve as a kickoff for agents to start looking for these lists. Though they’re proprietary, and very hard to find, and far from perfect, these are seen as the best tool for kicking off recruiting. In fact, to some degree, NFS/BLESTO week kicks off recruiting for most agencies. Getting a copy of the list is almost seen as a measure of status for agents (especially young ones). When you’ve gotten your hands on one of the lists, it means you’ve arrived as an agent. You’ve got juice. You’re wired. You have connections.

The one caveat to the lists is that only seniors are evaluated. It’s one way the NFL has built detente with several schools that would rather not have their players’ heads filled with pro football dreams. As we’ve seen, especially the last few years, the truly elite players rarely make it to their senior seasons. One day soon, the combines will have to address this, or someone else will fill that market space. It’s just one more possible niche you can fill if you’re trying to figure out how to crack the league.

Anyway, as you maybe take a post-draft break from the gridiron and enjoy burgers and dogs by the pool this weekend, understand that NFL scouts are digging in and getting ready for what’s in store in about 11 months.

Your 4th and 1

20 Friday May 2016

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Thursday, we talked about how in football, as in life, sometimes it’s hard to understand   the difficulty of sifting through an abundance of talent in the draft process, in the hiring process and elsewhere. I found one more parallel between football and life this week as my partners and I tried to identify the best candidates to fill a post at a Texas school district.

At one point this week, as we discussed a candidate, the founder of our firm, Bob Ledbetter, asked if this person had the temerity to make a call on third and 22 with the wind in his face? Would this candidate really have the guts and gravitas to face down tough situations without blinking?

It made me think about the times I’ve faced such situations, and when I’ve seen others face them. It also made me wonder if I’ve faced fourth-and-one decisions in my life and didn’t even realize it.

For example, several draft-eligible players and their parents faced a fourth-and-one over draft weekend when they went undrafted and unsigned. For all practical purposes, they failed to convert. Many of them, however, and maybe most of them, think they failed on a third and two. They still see the NFL as an eminently makable goal if they can just land in the CFL, the AFL, or even some European league. They don’t realize that if they failed to land an undrafted free agent deal, the CFL and AFL are uphill battles at best and, realistically, long shots.

Of course, we all face our own 4th-and-1 situations. At 47, I failed to convert on my original goal of working in an NFL front office when I was offered the chance, at 27, to work as a business office intern with my Saints. I’d be leaving a job as a sports writer in Beckley, W.Va., for an unpaid job in New Orleans. Ultimately, I was afraid to make that kind of leap of faith, and I hoped it was just an incomplete pass on 2nd and 10. Nope. It was much more than that.

The story has a happy ending for me. I was offered another chance to convert on a similar goal at 33 when I launched ITL. It would give me the opportunity to stay relevant in the game I loved and, maybe someday, even raise my family with the money I earned. At the time, I thought it was maybe a second-and-five situation in my goal of working for an NFL team; I’d go in, prove my worth, sharpen my eye as a scout, and wait for teams to line up, offering scouting jobs. In truth, it was my fourth and one for having a viable job in football. By God’s grace, I converted that one. Seven years later, with Inside the League underperforming, I was probably facing a fourth and one when I returned from the Hula Bowl, unemployed and down on the long-term prospects of ITL. If my wife hadn’t essentially dared me to retool ITL and make it into the service I originally had intended, I know I would have charged into the middle of the defense and stopped short.

A lot of people from all walks of the football business read this blog. Some of them are third-year agents who never got anyone signed and face having to take the test over again. Some are college students pursuing a degree in sport management and hoping to win a toehold in the business somewhere. Some are professionals weighing a change in course to pursue a job that captures their passion. Others are players in indoor leagues all over the world.

No matter who you are or where, I encourage you to take a long look at where you are and where you stand in accomplishing your goals. Even if you didn’t get the yards you need for one goal, it may be first and 10 for you elsewhere.

The Fine Line

20 Friday May 2016

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This time of year is tough because I spend a lot of time consoling agents and parents of players. It’s a pretty desperate time.

Most often, the question is, ‘why didn’t my client (or my son) get signed or drafted? He got so much attention from teams and we thought there was genuine interest. Now, nothing.’ Though I’ve been hearing this for about 10 years now, I don’t have an answer. The best I can do is shake my fist (figuratively) at the teams and their scouts and do my best to reassure them. It rarely works.

This week, however, I got to play scout. In a sense.

As I’ve discussed in this space before, I’m one of six partners in a search firm based here in Texas. We work pretty much exclusively with high schools (we’ve done one college), filling mainly head coach and athletic director vacancies. This week we conducted interviews for a highly successful and rather storied school district. We sat down to evaluate 13 men and women for an hour each over two days.

Sometimes when we conduct interviews it’s pretty simple to figure out who the best candidates are, but not this time. The way the schedule was set up, we thought the ones we’d like best would be the ones we’d meet on Wednesday, but it didn’t work out that way. In fact, at the end of Day 1, we felt like we already had five candidates we could take to the superintendent. I felt a little unsettled when we finished up on Tuesday. Who would we cut? I half-hoped the candidates on Wednesday would be busts, disappointments. I was so upset by things that I woke up at 3 a.m. that morning. I was reluctant to ‘root against’ anyone, but I also didn’t know what we’d do if all our candidates measured up Wednesday.

Naturally, the folks we brought in Wednesday were very good. Each was qualified and knowledgeable, with no surprises or disappointments. The ones we expected to like, we did like, only we liked others, too. As I drove home last night, for the first time in the six or seven years I’ve worked with Champions, I didn’t call the preferred candidates on the way home. I still had no idea who we’d choose.

It was during those four hours on the road that I called Jim Hess, one of my partners with Champions and a former NFL scout with the Cowboys. “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s almost like we could throw darts at the wall. They’re all pretty good.”

It was at that point that I realized I was experiencing what scouts experience, just on a much smaller scale.

Once you get past maybe the fourth round, the difference between players gets a little tricky. Once you get past the seventh round, the difference is almost indistinguishable. Once you get past the undrafted free agent signees and start to look at who should be brought in for tryouts, it’s almost impossible.

We know that there is a difference between these players, of course. Every season, undrafted free agents make a significant impact on the game. But those players made it all the way through the draft with 32 teams’ scouts passing on them. Figuring out what separates the impact players from the others is something few, or no, teams can do consistently.

And that’s the dilemma. Though I get frustrated when my clients’ people get passed over by teams, I can’t say I don’t understand why it happens. But that’s little comfort, to them or to me.

Breaking Down the Draft by Agency Success

12 Thursday May 2016

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One of the most interesting things about tracking the football business is the agency dynamic. Once you know the firms and how they operate, it’s fascinating to see how their various strategies and the risks they take pay off or fall flat.

Here are a few observations on the strength of the top agencies in the ’16 draft as compared to previous seasons. To check out the full list, click here.

  • There are around 800 agents certified by the NFLPA in any year at any time, and more than 180 agencies that have had players drafted since 2007, but only 22 firms have had a player drafted each of the last 10 years.
  • There were 77 firms that had players drafted this year (2016). That’s way less than ’15, when there were 93, and less than in ’14, too (86).
  • Part of the consolidation of power in fewer agencies was because mega-agency CAA soaked up so many draft picks. Almost 12 percent of all the picks in the draft (30) were CAA clients. On average, four picks per round came from the firm.
  • CAA is all by itself in first place over the last 10 years with 89,173 value points. That’s more than twice the total of the second-place firm, Athletes First, with 44,546.
  • The scope of CAA’s recruiting strategy this year made for a few oddities. For example, for the first time since we’ve been tracking the draft by value points in ’07, CAA represented a seventh-rounder. Raider OG Vadal Alexander (7/234, LSU) had that distinction this year.
  • What’s more, CAA had two sixth-rounders, double their input of same since ’07. Chargers FB Derek Watt (6/198, Wisconsin) and 49ers WO Aaron Burbridge (6/213, Michigan St.) both went sixth round this year.
  • The top 10 teams in value points since ’07 are, in order, CAA, Athletes First, Lagardere Unlimited, Relativity Sports, Five-Star Athlete Management, Octagon, SportStars, SportsTrust Advisors, Priority Sports and Rep 1 Sports. It’s especially impressive that Five-Star remains in the top five considering the firm was absorbed into CAA last year.
  • Rep 1 Sports, on the strength of representing the top two picks in the draft, moved up four spots from 14 to 10 this year. It’s their first appearance in the Top 10 since we started tracking value points totals.

Guest Columnist: For WOs, Speed Is Overrated

10 Tuesday May 2016

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Today, the blog is turned over to my former partner, Troy Brown, whom I’ve discussed in this space previously. Though he doesn’t write formally for a draft publication, he’s closely followed the draft for about three decades.

I think he makes some great points here, and backs it up with numbers and facts. I’ll turn things over to Troy now.

Like many, I ranked Ole Miss WO Laquon Treadwell as the No. 1 pass-catcher for the 2016 draft throughout the entire 2015 season. I still do.

However, long before the real draft process began, it seemed to me that Treadwell would not be the first receiver to come off the board on draft night. The simple reason was twofold: he’d likely run a subpar 40 time in the spring and drop down many big boards; and a less-polished player would blaze his way up many big boards.

So when Houston traded up in the first round to take Notre Dame’s Will Fuller—who easily clocks in the low 4.3s—ahead of Treadwell (and Josh Doctson, my No. 2 WR), it came as no surprise. It’s happened time and time again over the past 30 years.

It’s a strange phenomenon, considering that the vast majority of the best wide receivers in the NFL — both in today’s game and historically — have not been true “burners.”

In fact, of the 26 wide receivers in the Hall of Fame, there’s only one elite speed merchant, Bob Hayes. The vast majority of the others, including Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, Steve Largent and Chris Carter, etc. would have a hard time breaking 4.6.

In terms of historical productivity, among the Top 25 wide receivers in career receptions, only Marvin Harrison (No. 2) and Steve Smith (No. 13) ever clocked below 4.4. What’s more, even in today’s game, consider the top wide receivers. Based on numbers over the past couple of seasons, you could make a strong case it includes Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall and Demaryius Thomas. In that group, only Jones is a 4.3 guy.

Yet it’s easy to rattle off dozens of guys who blazed sub-4.4 times prior to the draft, dramatically shot up draft boards, then never came close to fulfilling their potential. In fact, most of them became major disappointments. Alexander Wright, R. Jay Soward, Troy Williamson and Donte Stallworth come to mind, to name just a few.

To test the theory that speed is overrated, consider the last 20 years of official combine 40 times for receivers. Let’s begin with players who’ve been in the league for at least three seasons, figuring that by that time you pretty much know who can and cannot play. For our purposes, “burners” are receivers with a 40 time below 4.4.

Over the 20-year span, from 1994-2013, a whopping 71 wide receivers recorded an official combine 40 time lower than 4.4. Of that group, just five made a Pro Bowl. Leading the group are Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson, both Hall of Fame talents with multiple selections. DeSean Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler while Mike Wallace and Javon Walker each made just one appearance.

Below is a list of all 71 WRs to clock a sub-4.40 during a 20-year stretch:

Round Name Team Time
2013
1 (8) Austin, Tavon Rams 4.34
3 (78) Goodwin, Marquise Bills 4.27
4 (102) Boyce, Josh Patriots 4.38
6 (174) Swope, Ryan Cardinals 4.34
2012
1 (30) Jenkins, A.J. 49ers 4.37
2 (43) Hill, Stephen Jets 4.3
3 (69) Graham, T.J. Bills 4.35
4 (96) Givens, Chris Rams 4.37
4 (100) Benjamin, Travis Browns 4.32
4 (107) Wylie, Devon Chiefs 4.37
6 (198) Streeter, Tommy Baltimore 4.34
Undrafted Owusu, Chris 4.31
2011
1 (6) Jones, Julio Falcons 4.34
4 (111) Gates, Edmond Dolphins 4.31
Undrafted Lockette, Ricardo 4.34
2010
4 (107) Easley, Marcus Bills 4.39
4(108) Ford, Jacoby Raiders 4.22
6 (197) Holliday, Trindon Texans 4.21
Undrafted Banks, Brandon 4.39
2009
1 (7) Heyward-Bey, Darius Raiders 4.25
1 (22) Harvin, Percy Vikings 4.39
3 (84) Wallace, Mike Steelers 4.28
3 (91) Butler, Deon Seahawks 4.31
4 (107) Thomas, Mike Jaguars 4.3
4 (124) Murphy, Louis Raiders 4.32
5 (140) Knox, Johnny Bears 4.29
5 (141) McKinley, Kenny Broncos 4.37
7 (224) Byrd, Demetrius Chargers 4.35
7 (253) Underwood, Tiquan Jaguars 4.31
Undrafted Ogletree, Kevin 4.36
2008
2 (42) Royal, Eddie Broncos 4.39
2 (49) Jackson, DeSean Eagles 4.38
2 (58) Jackson, Dexter Bucs 4.33
3 (97) Caldwell, Andre Bengals 4.35
4 (105) Franklin, Will Chiefs 4.37
4 (125) Shields, Arman Raiders 4.37
2007
1 (2) Johnson, Calvin Lions 4.35
1 (27) Meacham, Robert Saints 4.39
3 (74) Figurs, Yamon Ravens 4.3
3 (75) Robinson, Laurent Falcons 4.38
3 (76) Hill, Jason 49ers 4.32
3 (79) Walker, Mike Jaguars 4.35
5 (146) Allison, Aundrae Vikings 4.39
5 (157) Clowney, David Packers 4.36
2006
2 (36) Jackson, Chad Patriots 4.32
3 (95) Reid, Willie Steelers 4.37
7 (233) Aromashodu, Devin Dolphins 4.35
2005
1 (7) Williamson, Troy Vikings 4.38
3 (68) Roby, Courtney Titans 4.36
4 (114) Mathis, Jerome Texans 4.32
2004
4 (99) Francis, Carlos Raiders 4.31
4 (105) Parker, Samie Chiefs 4.34
6 (171) Luke, Triandos Broncos 4.33
2003
1 (17) Johnson, Bryant Cardinals 4.38
2 (45) Johnson, Bethel Texas A&M 4.3
2 (60) Calico, Tyrone Mid Tenn St. 4.27
2002
1 (20) Walker, Javon Packers 4.32
2 (46) Carter, Tim Giants 4.34
2 (47) Davis, Andre Browns 4.36
7 (254) Lockett, Andre Bucs 4.27
2001
3 (74) Smith, Steve Panthers 4.38
5 (162) Carter, Jonathan Giants 4.35
6 (190) Kasper, Kevin Broncos 4.38
7 (208) Capel, John Bears 4.37
7 (214) Germany, Reggie Bills 4.37
7 (218) Taylor, Chris Steelers 4.31
2000
1 (29) Soward, R. Jay Jaguars 4.34
3 (70) Cole, Chris Broncos 4.34
1999
None
1998
2 (42) Johnson, Pat Ravens 4.39
1997
1 (15) Green, Yatil Dolphins 4.38
1996
None
1995
None
1994
3 (70) Coleman, Andre Chargers 4.39

 

As you can see, there seems to be absolutely no correlation between blazing 40 times and wide receiver success in the NFL. I would venture to guess that, unless you are a true aficionado, you likely won’t remember the vast majority of these guys.

Who wasn’t on the list? Guys such as Terrell Owens (4.63), Anquan Boldin (4.75), Isaac Bruce (4.53) and Antonio Brown (4.54), to name a few.

So, next spring, when the media freaks out about the receiver who blazes a 4.31 in Indianapolis and proclaims him to be “shooting up the draft boards,” ask yourself, “why?”

Agent Success Story: Jeff Jankovich

06 Friday May 2016

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We try to salute and celebrate the good guys in this business, especially when they have success. Of course, success isn’t measured the same way by all people, but given the high barriers to entry in the NFL and the difficulty of simply landing someone on a 53-man roster, getting a player drafted is a real victory.

Gaithersburg, Md.-based Jeff Jankovich of Vantage Management Group had his first draftee this year, Maine OB Trevor Bates, who was selected 7/239 by the Colts last weekend. Jeff’s story is long and twisting, but successful, and to some degree, his is the real-life Jerry Maguire experience. He started off with a big firm, where he learned, before breaking off and going independent for a while and starting at the bottom. After many years of building, brick by brick, he made it. Here’s his story.

“I started out with a friend representing basketball players overseas in 1996, right out of law school, and it developed organically. I had played sports in high school, but I had no connections or background in sports. I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t even know they had basketball overseas. So I started out like that, and it grew over the course of a couple years to 20-25 players overseas, but none were in big-money leagues. I had been kicking around the idea of getting involved in football, and I was much more interested in it as opposed to basketball, and I had started talking to people to do my due diligence. I was asking myself, ‘can I do football like I did basketball, with no credentials?’ It wasn’t going to happen.

“So I wondered, would an agency hire me? I had heard about Ralph Cindrich, and had heard he was a Pitt guy, and I was a Pitt guy. So I basically sent a resume to one place, to Ralph, and I thought, if I’m going to get hired, this is my best shot. I don’t have any connections or family members. So Greg Diulus, his assistant at the time, interviewed me first, and then Ralph interviewed me, and they gave me an opportunity.

“I was there two years at Cindrich and Co., from ‘99 to 2001, and Ralph was the only certified agent. It was Greg, myself, and Adam Heller, and we assisted Ralph on contract stuff and recruited, but none of us were certified. I got a tremendous amount of experience, because it was a small shop with lots of clients. I left under good terms but I wanted to get back down to the D.C. area, missed being down here, and I thought, I’ve learned this, now I can do this on my own.

“So I came back down here and got certified, and it was utter failure for a year or two. I was not able to sign anyone, or the ones I signed were not anywhere near NFL caliber, but I’d get them in the CFL or the Arena Leagues and even that turned out to be challenging. Eventually, the main breakthrough I had was when I got (Valdosta State OT) Richard Collier. The way I got the ‘in’ was, he was at Division II Valdosta State, and he was a lineman, and back in those days we got the full (BLESTO and National) scouting reports, and he was listed as a ‘camp body.’ So I’m on a camp body early on, and the only agent he’s talking to, and it wasn’t competitive at all.

“He was a high priority undrafted free agent, and he was with the Jags for two years, and during those two years, things got a little better recruiting-wise, but there were no dramatic successes. So I started developing other clients but never had a lot going on. He had been in the league for two years, and in the offseason, the Jaguars had asked us to consider negotiating so he wouldn’t got to restricted free agency, and we did. He got a fairly good signing bonus, and the week before camp started was when he got shot.

“When that happened, everything stopped, and I was extremely concerned about how I was going to help this guy. There were so many issues coming up, aside from his health issues. The business and legal issues, COBRA, what are the Jags’ obligations under his contract . . . there were a lot of things that were just hitting all at once, and any agent who goes through that is going to have a very difficult time. I did have some people that rallied around me, but the end result was I was spending a tremendous amount of time with him over a year and a half. I don’t want to say he was a full-time job, but he was virtually a full-time job to make sure he was going to be OK. I made the decision that I don’t have the time and can’t justify the time of recruiting. I had my hands full running the law practice and making sure Richard was OK, so I didn’t recruit for like two years. The clients I had washed out of the league, and there was nothing left. What little momentum I had had turned into nothing. So I let my certification lapse, and just I said, well, that was my run. But after a couple years, I thought, I don’t want to give up on this yet, so I got re-certified. The first year-and-a-half, I had players with no shot at all. Some of them went to mini-camp but that’s it, and I thought, here we go again, starting from scratch.

“I had been, on a friendly level, communicating with Greg and Adam, and talking to them, and started thinking, if I can partner with them, that will help with the recruiting. It was amazing because even though the players were hearing the same thing from me, it was like, ‘oh, by the way, we rep 20 players in the NFL.’ It just changes the way they hear it, even though I had said the same thing before. They were all for it, and they had formed Vantage Management. So things have gone well from there. In my first year with them, I had three priority free agents, and all of them are still in the league. In the next year, I had a couple more PFAs, and this year, I had my first draft pick. And so things are picking up. If you count the basketball part as being an agent, it’s been 20 years in the business, and I don’t know how much money I’ve spent, but who knows how much money I’ve taken out of my wife’s pockets, and kids’ pockets, and the time and travel. But 20 years. As satisfying as it is, I don’t have any ego about it at all. It’s almost a dubious distinction.”

It’s not dubious to me. It’s a story of persistence and dedication, and that’s what it takes to succeed in football. Have a great weekend.

Understanding Who’s In NFL Camps

05 Thursday May 2016

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Last night, I spent a little time talking to the mother of a young man who’s still hoping to secure a place in an NFL camp. She needed help breaking down exactly what the landscape looks like for a player who’s on the outside looking into the football world.

Today and tomorrow, rookie mini-camps start for 24 of 32 NFL teams (here are the teams that go to camp next weekend). Most of the players in these camps are rookies (with a  few street free agents sprinkled in here and there) in one of three categories: draftees, undrafted free agent signees (UDFAs) and tryout players. Most teams will bring in around 25-30 players between all three categories for their rookie mini-camps.

It’s important to understand the difference between these players. Draftees, in most cases, will not have signed contracts. Their agents will take care of that at some point in the coming weeks. Undrafted free agents, in all cases, do have contracts. Most sign a standard, no-frills, three-year deal with various signing bonuses (usually ranging between $15,000 and $500). In all cases, tryout players do not have contracts. They are competing for the right to sign an undrafted free agent contract. For that reason, tryout players do not count against a team’s 90-man roster. It’s not uncommon for teams to bring in 20 or more tryout players. What do they have to lose?

I should mention here that tryout players are essentially trying to win a lottery for which the prize is another lottery ticket. A lot of people don’t understand that tryout players are seen as the ultimate fringe players by scouts, utter longshots. These days, I see a lot of agents posting on Facebook how their clients are in the league. Well, no, they really aren’t.

In fact, the NFLPA requires all contract advisors to get at least one player on a 90-man roster (i.e., the offseason, when rosters are fat) in a three-year period, but tryout players do not count toward that total. So even if an agent works extremely hard to get a player on a roster – and many do – if he doesn’t earn a contract in his three days with the team, it’s as if the player never existed for the purposes of the NFLPA. So that’s an important differentiator.

Because some teams choose to have their rookie mini-camps the second weekend after the draft, tryout invitations are rather fluid, and it’s not uncommon to see players accept two tryout invitations. Why not? If he makes the team on the first tryout, he can let his agent deal with the other team. There’s certainly nothing barring a player from taking part in two tryouts.

While most UDFA deals are signed in the first hour or so after the draft, teams may take a week or more before they’re doing handing out tryout invitations. There’s also no set policy on how players get to the team for tryouts. I’ve heard that some teams will bring in a player for a tryout, but just as often, a team will bring in local players for tryouts so they can contain costs.

As you scan your favorite team’s site for more post-draft crumbs, hopefully this helps clear a few things up for you, especially if you have a son who’s still nursing NFL ambitions.

 

A Feel-Good Agent Story

04 Wednesday May 2016

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Today, I wanted to share a story that will be included in our newsletter for people taking the 2016 NFLPA agent exam. I passed it along because our newsletter series, which usually includes bracing honesty about the business, needed a little bit of light and encouragement. And it’s true, of course.

Thomas Sherzan got certified in 2014. Based in West Des Moines, Iowa, he doesn’t live in a football hotbed and he didn’t come into this game with stacks of contacts in the college and pro game. He came into the game like a lot of people – he has a passion for football and for helping people, and he felt he could do some good and maybe make a little money. These aren’t Thomas’ words, but having known him for two years, I think it’s a fair summation of who he is and what his goals are. My impression is that he recruited using our Profile Reports and reached out to scouts using our email template, but couldn’t get traction. That’s got a lot to do with where he’s located. There are just fewer opportunities for agents with fewer schools.

Then, on Feb. 9, I got an email from Givens Price, a defensive tackle that recently finished up at Nebraska. I get emails from draft hopefuls all the time. They hear from a buddy about our newsletter series on the draft process, or they may find us on Google, or they get referred from a teammate we’ve worked with, or whatever, and they send an email, asking for help in finding an agent. In this case, I usually locate whichever agent I work with that’s closest to the player and just forward the email along. I rarely give it any more thought than that. So I sent Givens to Thomas with the warning that there were no obligations and that he didn’t even have to acknowledge the young man, but Thomas did that, and Givens subsequently signed.

I really don’t know any more details than that. I didn’t really hear from Thomas on Givens (wasn’t even sure he signed with him) until Saturday night, when Thomas messaged me. “Neil, thanks for the Givens Price referral,” he texted. “He signed with me and tonight he signed as an UDFA with the Cardinals.” I was so stunned that I had to confirm that he was on contract, not a tryout (he assured me that he was). Keep in mind that, for the past 24 hours, my team of five former NFL scouts, from the dozen or so my subscribers regularly work with, had been coaching 15 agents on how to get their players onto a roster. It came as a complete shock, but it was also a feeling of euphoria. Getting to share the experience of getting a player on a 90-man roster with one of my clients is part of what makes my job a lot of fun.

Now, you may be thinking, who cares? The kid signed with an NFL team as a UDFA. They’re not even bringing him in as a DT (he’s going to be tried at tackle). So what?

Well, I pass this story along because succeeding in this business is a lot harder than it looks, and more expensive, too. The point is, it can happen for you, if you want to make a run at this business. All you have to do is know how to do it. We’re here to help you with that.

Draft Wk Interview: John Meehan of Platinum Football

28 Thursday Apr 2016

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Today, we talk to St. Louis-based John Meehan of Platinum Football. John gives us a different perspective because he’s one of the handful of folks that passed the NFLPA exam last summer (the passage rate was about half of what it used to be), so he’s in his first year as an agent. When you’re first-year, unless you’re related to a top draft pick, you have no clout and no credibility, especially when you’re independent and not affiliated with a big firm. That’s what makes John — and dozens of ITL clients like him — so impressive and admirable. To some degree, he’s making a leap of faith. That takes courage. And yet I think he’s going to end the weekend with at least one, and maybe two, players on a 90-man roster, which is a real accomplishment for a first-year, independent agent.

I’ll turn things over to John now. He discusses what’s happened in the month of April, his clients, and the lessons he’s learned.

“Basically I feel like the last few weeks have been interesting because I think I have some major players that are all small-school guys. (Wide receiver) Juwan Brescasin (who played in the College Gridiron Showcase) is the biggest guy I’m representing, and he’s from Northern Illinois. He didn’t have big numbers, but he’s from Canada, so it’s a little different.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of scouts about one of my players that is getting a lot of interest, Jacksonville State OH Troymaine Pope. It’s exciting because I’m talking to a lot of NFL teams. Interest has been growing since his pro day, and that’s exciting, but I can’t be too excited about the players getting interest when there are other (clients) that are similar but that going to CFL tryouts and trying to get as many looks as possible but not getting any bites. So it’s been pretty crazy, but I’m very happy about the guys getting love. But it’s really hard because I won’t be content until I know that everyone I’m working for is on a roster somewhere.

“I think the one thing as a new agent that has surprised me the most, and it shouldn’t because you’ll find it in any business, is that interest differs depending on different personalities. I’m not on a first-name basis with scouts, but some of them will call players and talk to them, but when I call them, they’ll never pick up the phone. Other scouts will call (me) and talk about their interest and they contact me before they talk to (the player). So it’s really different. I don’t think you can peg it to one team or another. Since the (College Gridiron Showcase), the first game I went to, I had a lot of skepticism about scouts. None wanted to talk. They just wanted to do their job and take off, but once your player performs, there are lots of scouts that are open and honest with you and not as pretentious as one may have expected.

“I try to hit every (scout) I can about my clients. There’s a fine line between being annoying and being persistent. I want to not go to sleep without having done something for all my clients that day. I’ll hit them up every once in a while so they know I’m still working on things. I would say when my players got interest after pro days — and all my guys performed to the best of their abilities — I try to call everyone first, and then some will text back, or call back. I always try to get them on the phone first because I think it’s the best way to develop a relationship. If I can’t get them on the phone, I’ll shoot a text, and the greatest number respond to texts. If that doesn’t work, I’ll gently email them. So I work my way down from calling down to emailing.

“From my first year, what I would take away the most, is that your player is essentially the bargaining chip. If (scouts) want your player, they’re gonna call. If they don’t, they won’t pick up the phone. Some scouts have been polite (but don’t talk much), and some have real interest. I got a call late Friday night from a scout who’s on the West Coast, and we talked about my client. He was traveling for pro days, and he was just driving, so we talked for a long time. I mean, it helps out on the trips to talk to somebody when you’re driving. But if they want your client badly enough, they’ll talk to you.

“It’s almost person to person who responds to email, and it depends on the relationship you have with the scout. In speaking with teams and scouts, I’ve been able to realize there’s one degree of separation between you and people most of the time. I’d say 20 percent, 30 percent of the people I email ask for more information. I’d say about two-thirds, you never hear back from. Me coming from the legal world, I mean, I’m not a magician. I can’t make teams be interested, but I give my clients the most opportunities to be seen and give them a stage as much as possible to do so. Interviews, who knows who will read them? But it’s about how many times can you be seen, because if you’re good enough, its’ all about how many eyes you can get on them. I try to personalize emails for the organization so they know I’m not sending the same email to every coach and scout in the NFL.

“I think being a first-year guy, not having been through the process on my own, teams that are interested will have contacted my client or myself this week. I’ve gotten texts from teams that say a kid is on their radar, and some that are texting about every meeting and every time the kid comes up. As it gets later and later in the draft, I plan on checking in with my teams. The last couple days, I’ve shot out at least a hundred emails or more. It’s kinda like, given the amount of effort I’ve given to contact people over the last few days, I’d hope we’d get some feedback. I’m just trying to find a point of contact before the draft, and if I don’t, I’ll try to reach out to teams and hope they respond later in the draft.

“I think the other interesting part is that I’m representing guys from NAIA to D1, and you have to give your clients a realistic perspective. Some are realistic and would be happy with CFL, but others are expecting to be drafted, and if they don’t have a UDFA deal by the end of the weekend, they’ll be really upset.”

Draft Week Interview: Brandon Smart of Smart Consulting

27 Wednesday Apr 2016

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This week, we’re talking to agents about their experiences this year as they prepare for this weekend’s draft. I think it gives an interesting window into the league from a different perspective. Today, we hear from Hendersonville, Tenn.-based Brandon Smart of Smart Consulting. Brandon, who was certified in the summer of ’14, is unique in that he has a background in high school and college football, so he has a number of connections and rare perspective on the business for a second-year agent.

I think Brandon gives a great account of what he’s learned in his brief career in NFL representation and what’s ahead for his clients and he this weekend.

Last year, I had a player who attended the combine, and I was really excited about it. I mean, it was my first year, and I had never done it before, so I started reaching out to teams, but there were no teams calling and reaching out to me. I didn’t know if that meant anything or not, so we waited around. Later, I had some priority free agent guys sign before my combine guy, and they even got signing bonuses. Finally, after the draft, I realized there was no interest in him, and we had to beg to get him a tryout.

This year has been very different. Several teams have flown Washington St. DT Destiny Vaeao in for workouts, and he’s had a Top 30 visit. Kansas State KR Morgan Burns has had multiple workouts and a Top 30 visit, and we’ve had several other clients who’ve gotten plenty of interest.

A lot of interest picked up right after their pro days so teams could make sure they could get things lined up. Even some of my guys that didn’t get interest immediately after their pro day, I’ve gotten calls on and I’m still getting calls on them. If teams are interested in your player, either a scouting assistant or some medical personnel will want records. Somebody would be calling at this point if they’re not going to be considered more than a camp body.

We have three guys that have late-round or priority free agent grades. Of course, one of them’s a defensive tackle, and this is a good defensive tackle class, so there needs to be a run on defensive tackles for him to be drafted, but I’m going by what teams are telling me. They’re expecting 16 defensive tackles and 3-4 defensive ends to go in the first two-and-a-half rounds, and there could be five that go in the first round. Once there’s a run, (teams) start picking them up. I also have probably the best kick returner in the nation (Burns). I’ve had three teams tell me if a team takes a KR, they’ll go after him, because he has elite speed and plenty of starts at corner. He’s had six or seven workouts. Green Bay brought him in on a visit, and I’ve had different scouts say he was a 4.33 on their clocks. Then there’s (Minnesota DE) Thieren Cockran, an edge player, and he’s long, 6-4 and 260, so if there’s a run on edge players, he could get drafted.

Last year, my approach was, OK, I’m (recruiting and) signing guys to get them into a rookie mini-camp because I need to build my name. So if I could get a guy in a rookie mini-camp, that gave me a connection with the team. (Those teams and those scouts) remember me this year. This year, I didn’t want anybody unless they were at a special position, and I was only gonna recruit (FBS players). Many Division II and Division I-AA players can be unrealistic, and you have to guide them. Most people (from small schools) say, ‘we’ve had 15 guys in the NFL.’ Well, that’s because (those schools) get all the ‘drop-down’ guys from bigger schools. . . Very few guys are late bloomers going from college to pro the way high school to college is. Very few guys fall through the cracks anymore. Some will say (EKU DE Noah) Spence was a I-AA player. No, he played at Ohio State. He didn’t sign with EKU right out of high school.

The big difference this year was really relying on my contacts from the year before. I had scouts that would say ‘I wouldn’t touch (a player).’ The player you’re recruiting might be a great college player, but when it comes to the NFL, size and measurables matter. You can’t make a living having short guys at a position and guys that are slow. You’re going to be spending a whole lot of time trying to get them into camp. This year, I said, ‘what am I hearing from scouts, and what am I hearing from people I built a relationship with, and what are they telling me?’ It doesn’t matter what I think. They’re signing checks and I’m not.

If I took risks (this year), it was on players that are highly athletic or very big for their position. I was not going to take a 6-2 guard again. In fact, I’ve got a guard that’s 6-5 this year. It’s really about building relationships and not being afraid to call scouts you have numbers on. They don’t want to talk on the phone. If they responded, it was always, ‘he’s late round, I’m just being honest,’ or ‘we may have interest down the road.’ At this point, they know they need information from me, but after the draft, they won’t respond to any of my calls. At this point they still need medical information. That’s how this year has been different from last year.

You can’t go into this business blind. It’s a different business model, different from everything else. While they’re in college, there’s not enough time for an agent to build a relationship with a player. You have so many colleges that won’t let you talk to a player, so you’re trying to build a relationship with a kid in three days (after the season).

If I was a computer engineering dept at a college and IBM and Microsoft came in and said, ‘we’re gonna be on your campus tomorrow, and we want to start interviewing your guys,’ if a college told them, ‘we’re not going to let them talk to you until after they graduate,’ everyone at the college would be fired. But colleges look at it that way (with their players). The reason why is, they don’t even know the rules, don’t understand them, and aren’t proactive. Players are going to talk to agents. Instead of being proactive, colleges don’t see it as important. But they sure will tweet it out if one of their players gets into an NFL camp. Then, it’s “I’m on y’all’s guys team.”

One thing I’ll say is, you can’t get through (the agent business) alone. I’ve called you over 50 times in the last year and a half. Either new agents need to find a mentor in this profession, or they need to be an ITL subscriber. Time is money. (Joining ITL) is the best decision I’ve ever made. Otherwise, (an agent’s) going to be out in three years.