Category Archives: Scouts

What’s Summer Like for NFL Scouts and Execs?

21 Tuesday Jun 2016

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The perception is that after the June mini-camp is over, that’s pretty much it for the NFL until players report in late July. However, I didn’t know for sure that that was true, so I reached out to several scouts and other friends in executive-level positions.

Most area scouts I spoke to said their teams give them the summer off, for the most part. “I drink beer, go to concerts and (baseball) games,” said one scout. “Re-charge and do my fall schedule. I work for a team that values family time.”

Another agreed that it’s basically off time for the summer. “Post-draft is usually the first chance scouts get to somewhat relax,” he said. “To me the best course of action is to take time and decompress.”

Of course, other teams see the summer as catch-up time. “Some teams have their scouts immediately begin watching tape and having all the future draftable players in next year’s draft written up by July 1,” one scout said. “I’ve had where I watched tape the entire summer, but you’re worn out already on tape by time camp begins.”

Watching tape is part of the summer activities for several scouts I polled. “I like to watch at least a few games of every prospect I will see in the fall,” one scout told me. “If I spread it out correctly, the workload isn’t too much and it helps me get ahead for the fall.”

The one thing that seems to be universal during the summer, at least for area scouts, is that they begin to decide when and where they’ll hit the various schools they’re scheduled to scout that fall. I was under the impression this was all mapped out by the Director of College Scouting, but this does not seem to be the case.

As for GMs, it’s an entirely different proposition. At the executive level, there’s a lot more work getting done. One source’s list included:

  • Set-up early boards for the next fall college evals.
  • Seniors and juniors to watch for.
  • Watch previous seasons tape on aforementioned.
  • Tag players that scouts had as draftable or PFA’s (priority free agents) that didn’t get to sign or make it thru OTAs (excluding injuries).
  • Evaluate the players that have finished two seasons to grade scouts.
  • Reach out to college tree on who they like in their conference as real guys – not their own teams.
  • Early prep on upcoming unrestricted free agents. Make sure who is in the last year, along with potential cap cuts, contract voidable, etc.
  • Potential trades and looking at excess on other teams’ rosters.
  • Thin spots by team.
  • Media comments on camp/OTA performances.

I guess the bottom line is that schedules vary, but even workaholics need a little time to reset so their brains don’t turn to mush.

Follow Your Passion (Mostly)

13 Monday Jun 2016

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I’ve always tried to be encouraging when I can in this space. We all have dreams, and plenty of people that discourage us from that dream. You don’t need someone else telling you you can’t do it, especially if your passion is like mine, to work in the football business.

However, last week, I saw this short video, and it made me think I need to make myself a little clearer.

If you want to be an NFL player, or a scout, or an agent, or a member of a football team’s administration, that’s great. But I urge you to understand when it’s time to maybe deviate a little from your goal. Follow your passion, but don’t be stubborn about it.

In the video, TV personality Mike Rowe discusses a septic tank cleaner he once profiled for his show, ‘Dirty Jobs.’ This wealthy owner of a sanitation business — literally, a dirty job — told Rowe that he looked to see which direction everyone else was going, and he went in the opposite direction. That’s pretty much my story, too.

When my buddy, Troy, and I launched our draft service, Lone Star Football, back in ’98, it’s fair to say that our unspoken agendas were to be recognized by an NFL team and hired as scouts. After four years, that didn’t happen, so I retooled. I basically went in the direction that was opposite everyone else. Even today, when I try to describe what I do, the person I’m speaking with kind of squints his eyes, then asks, ‘so you’re an agent?’ My job doesn’t fit neatly into a traditional role like scouting, or recruiting, or negotiating contracts. But that’s OK, because enough people get it that I’ve been able to make it into my business and support my family with it, and by God’s grace, we continue to grow.

This message is true even if you reach your one true passion, be it scouting or working as an agent or whatever. In my business, I work with several ex-scouts. One, in particular, got let go by a team a few years ago, and really struggled for a while before coming to the realization that he couldn’t sulk about not finding work. He had to find another way to make money, at least in the short run, realizing that scouting isn’t an entitlement. He got rehired by a team, but when the end came (again), he was ready, and already had an alternate profession. He’s thriving now because he was willing to face facts and live in the real world.

Today’s message is not meant to dissuade you from joining me in the football business (and I want to help you!). However, I want you to remember that if you go too far down a road that’s clearly too heavily trafficked, find a different path that gets you where you ultimately want to be. If that one gets too busy, try another one. Keep on looking until you find the one that best suits you and that people will pay you to do. That’s where your passion will really be rewarded.

 

Do Teams Really Grade Draft Trades on Points?

09 Thursday Jun 2016

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You get a lot of media narratives when it comes to the NFL draft. Some are true, some aren’t. One storyline that’s gotten a lot of traction is that Jimmy Johnson, during his time running the Cowboys in the 80s and 90s, he developed a value points system for every pick in the draft, and he used it to weigh the draft-day offers he’d get, as well as the offers he’d make.

One year, I was part of the draft broadcast team for a major radio network, and one of my counterparts was a guy who had spent a little time in an NFL front office and used it to market himself as a personnel guru. At one point, the host asked about the value points system, and I kind of brushed it off, explaining that teams wouldn’t lock themselves into something so one-dimensional. He overruled me, countering that all teams used it and it was a routine part of every team’s war room.

I’ve always wondered which one of us was right, so I asked several of my friends in scouting (seven, to be exact) about it. The responses I got fit into three categories.

  • “We don’t use it:” I only got this response from one team, but it’s one of the better franchises in the NFL. The scout said that, instead, the team compares the offer against similar previous offers and uses draft histories to evaluate each trade.
  • “We use it as part of our evaluation system:” One scout said his team uses 11 different charts to measure draft trades, and Johnson’s chart is one of them. One told me everyone uses it to some degree, and estimated that there are 3-4 other charts out there that teams use.
  • “We do our own charts:” One scout said his team uses its analytics people to develop its own value system for picks. Another scout said his team uses a chart that is very similar, but that his team does not use Johnson’s chart. Another scout said his team is always evaluating its charts and they change every year. Things can get pretty complicated: variables include the relative value of a position, which changes from year to year, the performances of players at differing places in the draft, etc. “It’s a very fluid chart,” one scout said, calling it “football’s version of the slide rule.”

In the end, I guess every team has its own way of doing things, but the idea of a chart, and assigning value to picks, is valid. I guess the main takeaway is that teams are always looking for ways to look at data and break the code for success.

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.

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.

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?”

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.

 

Adding It All Up

18 Monday Apr 2016

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My friend Justin VanFulpen of FootballNextLevel created an interesting list today that you should check out. It’s a list I’ve been wanting to compile for some time, but haven’t ever gotten around to. You can check it out here. Basically, Justin ran down the number of players, by position, that have been drafted over the last five years. Though none of the totals come as a shock, it’s still a fascinating feature and I encourage you to check it out.

By the way, first a shameless plug: Justin and I collaborate on a weekly podcast on the football business. You can check that out here.

Anyway, it’s very interesting how many agents describe their clients as “late-rounders.” The draft is a funny thing, and you never know what’s going to happen on draft day. I get it. However, on average, three fullbacks are drafted per year. So how is it that every agent who reps a fullback claims his guy is a ‘late-rounder.’ The average number of kickers and punters drafted annually — combined! — is about three. Yet any time someone tweets about a punter/kicker, he’s almost always described as a late-round prospect. Well, unless he’s the top-rated guy at his position, he ain’t getting drafted.

This is one of the fundamental problems I have with draft coverage. Look, it’s entertainment, and trying to really deconstruct such things is like trying to fact-check an article from People magazine. Still, when you look at the number of late-round and undrafted players that make a real impact on the NFL, it’s substantial. So why doesn’t anyone take a real look at the number of players that can logically be expected to get a UDFA deal? It’s something I’ve always wondered, and it’s a number that I think is relevant as agents hope against hope that their clients will get drafted, or at least signed, in a week and a half.

Here’s an idea: let’s use Justin’s numbers to guess as to how many players per position will even get UDFA deals. If we total up the number of players by position are drafted, we get 254.8 (call it 255) over 15 positions. Breaking it down by percentage of draftees, here’s what it looks like QBs 4.3 percent; running backs, 8.2 percent; fullbacks, 1.2 percent; wide receivers, 12.3 percent; tight ends, 5.3 percent; tackles, 8.5 percent; guards, 6.4 percent; centers, 2.4 percent; defensive ends, 9.6 percent; defensive tackles, 7.6 percent; linebackers, 12.8 percent; cornerbacks, 12.9 percent; safeties, 7.1 percent; kickers, .7 percent; and punters, .5 percent.

Each team brings in, on average, about 10 undrafted free agents, so with 32 teams, that’s about 320 guys signed after the draft. Applying those percentages to each position, the number of non-draftees signed after draft, by position, is 14 quarterbacks (plus 11 drafted means about 25 on contract); 26 running backs (plus 21 drafted means about 47 on contract); four fullbacks (plus 3, or 7 on contract); 39 wide receivers (plus 31, 70 on contract); 17 tight ends (30); 27 tackles (49); 21 guards (37); eight centers (14); 31 defensive ends (55); 24 defensive tackles (44); 41 linebackers (74); 41 cornerbacks (74); 23 safeties (41); two kickers (4) and two punters (3).

Now, is there a place where you can truly find the top, say, 41 safeties available in the NFL draft? No, not really. The industry uses NFLDraftScout.com, and while those guys do a great job, they’re far from infallible. There are just too many schools, too many players, too many NFL teams and too many variables.

Bottom line, there is a finite number of players that can even be called possibilities as UDFAs. Keep this in mind as you hear the various players from smaller schools and less popular positions called “late-round or camp possibilities.”

 

 

Here’s What Scout Interest in a Non-Combine Invitee Looks Like

14 Thursday Apr 2016

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This time of year, I get lots of questions from newer agents about how they can drive interest in their clients, and what real interest from NFL teams even looks like. Do teams play it close to the vest, afraid their interest will be exposed? Or do they let it all hang out, throwing caution to the wind in an attempt to get as much info as possible on a player they like?

To get these answers, I called my former right-hand man at ITL, Houston-based Murphy McGuire, who passed the NFLPA exam last summer and who now represents Texas Tech WO/KR Jakeem Grant, who set the Internet on fire last month with his performance at the Red Raiders’ pro day. I’ll turn it over to Murphy on what Jakeem’s experience has been over the past three-plus months.

“When we signed him, I was of the belief he would be a late pick. He had a late-round grade. Now, in January, he was coming off a huge bowl game against LSU, and that really helped him a lot. Of course, he was also an All-American as a return guy, but his size is always the first thing teams talk about. At his bowl game (the College Gridiron Showcase in Bedford, Texas), he measured at 5-5 and 5/8, so he’s 5-6 in cleats. How many 5-6 players have been successful in the NFL?

“Anyway, I knew going into the CGS that we needed a good week, and he had a huge week, really lit it up, and talked to every team. All teams interviewed him, which was good, and created a really good vibe for us. Then we waited. I think there were two weeks from then until the last wave of invites to the combine, and there were 4-5 scouts that texted me and asked if Jakeem got a combine invite, and I said, ‘no, still nothing.’ I thought the scouts would hep push the needle for him, but they didn’t seem to, so no combine invite. But he said, ‘I don’t care, I’m gonna prove everyone wrong.’ He has a permanent chip on his shoulder. I mean, he set the all-time receiver mark at Texas Tech, which is kinda known for throwing the ball, so nothing deterred him.

“We got through that time, so he was training at D1 Sports Training in Lubbock (in February), and I got good feedback from his trainers there, but no calls through the combine and into early March. I maybe got two texts from scouts until his pro day on March 11.

“His pro day was crazy. He ran a stupid 40, had 15 reps and threw them up like Mighty Mouse, had a broad jump around 10 and his vertical was about 37 inches, so it was good. Anyway, I started getting calls then. His pro day was on a Friday (March 11), and I got a call from a national scout right after the pro day. He wanted to see him catch punts, but before that, wanted to huddle with his GM and scouts. That following Monday, (the national scout) reached back out, and that’s the week when we got calls, texts, emails, and I think that first week after (pro day) he had one workout, and the next week none, but we set up three the following week. Then this week, he had a Top 30 visit, and he has one next week. So far, he’s gotten four total workouts in Lubbock, plus two top 30 visits. He even had two workouts on the same day last week, one in the morning and one toward the afternoon. One team flew in the day before the workout, went to dinner with him and got to know him, and then the other flew in his special teams coach and watched him catch 7-8 punts, met him, then left. They really liked him.

“So overall, interest didn’t really start until after pro day. It’s a little out of the norm, his 40 time, but I would tell any agent who has a guy with a UDFA or late-round grade, call a scout or text a scout. A lot of times, scouts will respond to a text way faster (than a call). Email is OK, too, but I like to text them. I feel like I actually get more back from them that way. It’s convenient. He may be thinking, I’m not gonna call this (agent), but let me text him and start a dialogue. But most of them initiated contact.

“The one (scout who contacted me) today, about 48 hours ago, they told me, we’re not bring him in for a Top 30, and it was a scout that wasn’t even at the pro day who’s been talking to me. And he asked me, ‘how’s the interest level going,’ so I told him about the Top 30 visit and the workouts, and said, “I want to let you know, there’s a lot of interest.’ So I think I leveraged nothing into something. Then two days later, I got an email saying they want to bring him in, and when’s the best day? With a young (agent), you might be intimidated, but don’t be arfraid to push back. Say, ‘look, I understand your (situation), but there is interest, and if you want to do something with him, you might need to bring him in.’ I think I did a decent job of pushing back a little back.

“The first workout, one of the special teams coaches texted me, and then the last three reached out to Jakeem or me, and said, ‘we want to do this.’ Both of the Top 30 visits, the first one I spoke to the scouting coordinator a while, and then they brought him in. I don’t know if that has anyting to do with me or not, but there could be something there. I think I might have helped.

“I would say, of all the teams that have reached out ot me or Jakeem, Jakeem has been reached out to before me about 65-70 percent of the time. The player has been the first point of contact. That’s not what I expected, but that’s how it’s gone.

“I’m not sure what I expected. I expected interest. I expected teams to reach out. It just doesn’t become real until it really happens. You’re prepared, but you’re not, and then, it’s really happening. Luckily for me, working with ITL for the last three years, I got to meet a lot of agents who told me a lot of stories, so I kind of knew what to expect. It can be, man, I’m really talking to (a scout)! You can’t really expect it until it hits you in the face. I’ve had 3 special teams coaches call me, and they’ve told me to have my phone handy the week of the draft, and I assume most that have worked him out will want to be in touch, I don’t know if he’ll have any more workouts. I mean, I wasn’t expecting any Top 30 visits, but what’s to say there won’t be more?

Wrapping Up with Ray

21 Monday Mar 2016

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Here’s Part 4 of our breakdown of former Browns GM Ray Farmer’s presentation at our seventh annual ITL Seminar in Indianapolis last month. Click here to review the first half of his presentation.

  • Here’s Ray’s take on late-round picks vs. UDFAs: “If I know that one percent of seventh-rounders make it, but three percent of college free agents make it, would y’all call me stupid for trading seventh-round picks away? . .  . Seventh-rounders have got a one percent chance. I’d rather trade my seventh-round pick, move up in another round, get a better player that I like, don’t take anybody in the seventh round, then bring in 55 guys for a workout after the draft, and let the cream rise to the top.” It’s an interesting strategy. When you go that route, you may lose a chance at the marquee UDFAs, but you put the numbers on your side. Often, a team will strike gold at these camps, but it makes scouts nervous because their favorite post-draft players don’t make it to these camps.
  • Like most scouts, Ray doesn’t put much stock in a player’s pro day. “It may change them from a free agent to a priority free agent,” but it won’t move him into the third round. “When ball is done being played, that’s it.” So don’t put too much into a much-hyped pro day.
  • On the other hand, bad character will drop a player. This is a bit of a departure from last year’s speaker, ex-Bears GM Phil Emery, who seemed to lean more in favor of talent over conduct and behavior.
  • Every year in April, some of my agent clients are getting no interest whatsoever from teams. It’s hard for me to do this, but I have to tell them that their client is probably not going to be a post-draft signee, much less a draftee. On the other hand, if a scout calls, there’s an even-money chance the player will get signed as an undrafted free agent. The real difference-maker, however, is if a position coach is calling. That’s when you know a team is interested.
  • Ray says that it’s easy to figure out who a team is looking for, if you pay attention. That makes sense. There’s so much information out there now about free agent signees, futures deals, numbers on contracts, etc., that a good agent should know exactly what teams are the best for his client.
  • Ray makes an interesting point about how teams could significantly reduce the amount of money they spend in free agency — they could hold free agency after the draft. So often, teams sign veterans to plug holes, then get to the draft and find that they could have drafted cheaper, younger players at those key positions.
  • If your client carries a jug of water to weigh-ins, hide that jug from the scouts, because it says “his weight ain’t real,” according to Ray. Yet every year, you see kids in line at weigh-ins at each all-star game carrying a jug of water. Use common sense.
  • Ray recommends that players drop all their social media accounts during draft season, because teams are scrutinizing them for any false moves.
  • Here’s an interesting quote from Ray: “There are a number of quarterbacks in this league that have lived the exact lifestyle that (Johnny Manziel) led for their first three, four, six, seven seasons.” Of course, he’s referring to the party lifestyle, not the domestic abuse allegations. It’s interesting. I agree with Ray: part of Manziel’s failure in Cleveland was his lack of discretion. Another part was that he failed to realize he was a marked man when he entered the league, and he needed to rein things in a bit.