If you took the NFL Agent Exam last month, you’re probably pretty antsy these days as you wait for your results to come in (they’re probably still about a month away). Actually, that’s not a terrible thing, though, because you have work to do before you get started. Here’s our advice on what to do and not to do over the next four weeks.

WHAT TO DO:

Develop a recruiting strategy: Most people who get certified either have a friend or family member they plan on representing, or at least have a school that will be their focus. Maybe Plan A will work, but it’s important to have a Plan B. If you roll with us at Inside the League, we will work extensively with you on what kind of player, position, school, etc., makes the most sense.

Set a budget: Because player representation is such a profession of passion, it’s easy to get carried away when the costs start adding up. Remember, it’s still a business. If you’re recruiting a player who has a chance to get drafted late or signed as a priority free agent, your budget should be about $10,000 per player. How does that money spend? Training, of course, but there are other factors, as well. We cover those things with you if you’re an ITL client.

Develop an NIL strategy: The NIL landscape is still pretty wild, but you are definitely going to answer questions on your plan, so you better have one. Here’s a great primer if you don’t know where to start. I’d recommend watching this, as well.

WHAT NOT TO DO: 

Network with scouts: Every year, I see new agents (and sometimes, agents whose certification is still pending) reaching out to NFL scouts on LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., trying to make friends with them. I get it. It’s a relationship-based industry all the way, and that one point of contact may be what makes the difference for a client as the draft gets closer. However, what you have to understand is, scouts’ relationships with agents is based on one thing only: the quality of their clients. When you prove that you recruit legitimate prospects, scout will want to get to know you. You won’t have to reach out to them, because they’ll be reaching out to you.

Recruit big agencies to hire you: This one I understand, as well. Clearly, if you’re part of a big agency, you have a tremendous advantage over other contract advisors. Still, like scouts, bigger agents want you to prove yourself before they consider hiring you. I know you probably work very hard, and I know you’ve done a lot of homework and prepared yourself for this day for years. Well, that doesn’t do enough to separate you from the field. Just last month, I recommended a new agent to a big, established firm. The first question from my friend at the big firm was, who does he represent? If I would have said no one he would have felt insulted I even brought the young man’s name up. To be honest, I wouldn’t have recommended him, anyway.

One more recommendation: sign up for our newsletter. It comes out every Friday, and it’s widely read within the industry. Register for it here.

Doug Whaley has collaborated with me on several Inside the League projects over the years. The former Bills GM was among the panelists at our networking event at the 2019 NFL Combine, then joined us later that day for our annual seminar on behalf of the XFL, which would launch the following spring. That evening, he met with hundreds of NFL agents to introduce the new league and how it would operate.

Since then, Doug has joined me for a podcast on the 2017 NFL Draft and several Zoom interviews with active NFL scouts, executives, and current and prospective NFL agents. I can’t recall him ever saying “no,” so when he asked if Inside the League would host a Zoom session on Monday, July 25, at 8 p.m. ET, he already knew the answer would be “yes.”

Monday night, I’ll host as Doug, along with XFL executives Marc Ross and Russ Giglio, discusses the “business side” of the league, which returns this spring. If you’re a prospective XFL player or the agent of one, you’re going to want to check it out, and I hope you do.

Here’s what Doug, Marc and Russ will cover:

• Player salaries — will there be win bonuses?
• Do players at all positions get paid the same or do some positions rate higher pay?
• How much room for negotiation is there on salaries?
• How will injuries be handled? How will a player be replaced?
• What about worker’s comp?
• Will there be practice squads? How will they be paid?
• What if a player gets an NFL offer? Will he be released? What if the CFL calls?

I’m sure, if there’s time, Doug will also field questions about where the league stands on the population of the player pool. These days, we get daily questions on how a player who didn’t attend any of the showcases or who has NFL experience can still be considered by the league.

It will be the second XFL Zoom in which ITL has played a part. In April, Doug was joined by several other XFL officials — including league co-owner Dwayne Johnson himself — as we held an initial meet-up with agents, marketers, scouts, coaches, and others interested in the returning league.

Unlike last time, there will be no restrictions on who we allow to join us. But there’s one catch: the Zoom link will be in the Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. So if you’re interested in the finer details of the new league, make sure you are currently registered for our weekly email. If you aren’t already, you can do that here. Just make sure you do it by this evening.

I hope to see you Monday night. Remember: 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll go about an hour, with Doug and the XFL team leading things off, followed by questions. If you’re part of the pro football business community, I hope you’ll join us.

In the last few weeks, I’ve gotten plenty of questions on how to get players into the XFL. I found myself without many answers, so I deferred to Senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Whaley, who graciously agreed to answer some of the questions I’ve gotten.

Without further ado, here are the questions, with Doug’s answers following.

Are the Showcases the only way to the Player Draft Pool?

No. With the help of our scouting consultants, Inside the League and FBXChange, we are able to identify the top free agent players for inclusion into the Player Draft Pool.  XFL league and team personnel executives have been evaluating players for months via college/pro game video. Our personnel team will also attend NFL training camps to evaluate players who may be released in early September.  Furthermore, as is customary in football scouting, our personnel team monitors the waiver wire of other leagues as players are released. With all that being said, in-person evaluations at the Showcases remain a critical component of building a robust Player Draft Pool.

About how many players are in the Player Draft Pool so far?

The Player Draft Pool has been growing every day. As our personnel team identifies players who may have the potential to play in the XFL, we contact the players and/or their agents to extend an invitation (via email) for the players to opt-in for inclusion in the XFL Draft.  This is the first step towards building the draft pool. The players who opt-in must comply with a background check and requests for their medical history.

Will there be showcases beyond what has been announced so far?

We have not planned additional Showcases in 2022. However, we will allow our personnel staff and coaches to evaluate players in their cities of residence in accordance with league policies.

When is the XFL Draft?

November 2022.

When will the player pool be completed?

The Player Draft Pool will be completed a week before the Draft.  We are planning to hold a Supplemental Draft(s) as more players become available in December and January.

Do any players ever withdraw from the Showcases? Is “full” always final?

Players may sign up for the waitlist on showcases.xfl.com. If/when a player withdraws from a Showcase, the next player on the waitlist will be alerted that he is able to attend a Showcase.

My client has NFL experience and I believe he has a strong case for the XFL. Is there any means of submitting his info for expedited review outside of the Showcases and the info@xfl.comemail address?

Prospective players and their agents may submit information to FBO@xfl.com.  Information that has been submitted to info@xfl.com will continue to be forwarded to the Player Personnel department for review.

If my player played college ball in South Florida, will he still be considered by teams on the West Coast, for example? Does geography matter? If so, can an agent apply directly to teams that are geographically congruent with a player’s college team?

There are no territorial or college rights in the XFL. Agents may contact team personnel and coaches directly to discuss their players. 

What about players without agents? Are their only avenues the info email and the Showcases?

A player does not need an agent to play in the XFL. If he has performed well at the college and/or pro level, our personnel team will be able to find him. With that being said, the Showcases are another venue for our personnel team to discover talented football players.

Will player evaluation be centralized? How much latitude will each team Director of Player Personnel have?

The Head Coaches and Directors of Player Personnel will be making all roster decisions for their respective teams. The XFL league office receives player recommendations from team personnel, and we properly vet each player’s background to ensure his eligibility for inclusion in the Player Draft Pool.

If a player is in another league (CFL) during the initial XFL showcases, can he still be considered in XFL player pool if he is released from the CFL after the XFL showcases are completed?

Yes. As mentioned above, it is customary in football scouting to monitor other leagues’ waiver wires. The best available players will be engaged by XFL league and team personnel.

What is the plan for specialists? 

From the press release: The XFL announced it has partnered with Nick Novak, founder of Novak Kicking & Consulting and former professional football placekicker, to run a specialist showcase in San Diego, California on October 23, 2022. This event will focus specifically on kickers, punters and long snappers, and provide a dedicated forum for players to exhibit their skillset exclusively for the XFL’s player personnel departments.

Thursday, I’ll join my friend Matt Manocherian of Sports Information Systems on his excellent Off the Charts podcast. Matt’s a former NFL scout, which is one of the reasons I love chopping it up with his team. The topics we discuss are a little more “inside football” than your garden variety podcast.

If you’re reading this blog, that’s probably your bag, so I encourage you to look for it when it’s published Friday morning. Matt will publish the link on his Twitter page probably Thursday night.

Here’s a list of some of the thing we might discuss.

• There are new GMs in New York, Minnesota, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas. Each has put his stamp on his new team in different ways. We’ll look at each, and what their hirings and firings mean about their team-building philosophies.
• We almost saw Josh McCown go from the field to the head coach of the Texans this past offseason. You never see that in scouting, where things are much more ordered. For example, you’ll never, ever see an area scout jump straight to the GM seat. We’ll talk a little about the scouts who made it to the director and national levels this offseason and what it means for their respective futures.
• On the other hand, the Giants have chosen (so far) not to name a Director of College Scouting. Why is this? Does this harm them?
• The NFL’s new rule giving teams third-round picks for staffers of color who get hired as GMs has been a game-changer. I’m starting to hear of teams that are hoarding talented mid-level minority executives in hopes that they’ll land a future draft pick. I’ve even heard of a team blocking one such executive’s opportunity because he wasn’t leaving for a GM post. It’s an interesting and multi-layered topic.
• Lots of teams have remodeled their front offices but haven’t made official announcements yet. Part of that can be chalked up to a desire to wait until after rookie mini-camps; most teams wait until the second weekend post-draft to have their draftees, UDFAs and tryout players in, and they want their scouts around until the players leave. Part of this is also because some teams write their scouts’ contracts to run from June 1 to May 31. But I think there’s more to it.

What am I missing? What are you curious about? I’d love to hear more ideas besides what Matt and I can come up with. Please tweet me if you have something else in mind.

As we’ve done all month, we’ll be running down all the moves and telling you what they mean in our Friday Wrap. If you’re not already registered for it, I highly recommend it. Register here.

 

This week, with the NFL Draft starting tonight, I thought it would be fun to ask three of my friends who used to run teams’ drafts to tell me how they’d approach the draft for one specific team. I asked them to look at the Saints, who are in an interesting position with plenty of needs and decent draft capital. After we led off the week with former Jets Director of College Scouting Jeff Bauer Tuesday, we continued with former Giants and Bears executive Greg Gabriel Wednesday. We wrap the week with former Titans executive Blake Beddingfield.

 

The Saints are straddling the fence between rebuilding and going for it. The question is, does their lack of a top-level QB in today’s game dictate that they go into 2022 with guns blazing, or do they play more conservatively? 

Clearly, in a division with the ageless Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers but a new head coach, as well as the rebuilding Falcons and Panthers, New Orleans’ braintrust has decided the time is (still) now. That means GM Mickey Loomis and Assistant GM Jeff Ireland will be looking to build with new talent and hope their selectees are all fast learners. 

Key losses include left tackle Terron Armstead (Dolphins) and safeties Marcus Williams (Ravens) and Malcolm Jenkins (retirement). To compensate, the club signed safeties Marcus Maye from the Jets and Daniel Sorensen from the Chiefs, along with backup QB Andy Dalton from the Bears. The Saints also get WO Michael Thomas and QB Jameis Winston (whom they re-signed) back from injury. The returns of Thomas and Winston are almost like adding free agents given the amount of time each missed in ’21. The club also returns 80% of its offensive line.

The Saints have spent a lot of draft capital on their offensive and defensive line since 2017, acquiring three first-round and one second-round offensive lineman as well as two first-round defensive ends to go with perennial pro bowler Cameron Jordan.  

The Saints picks tonight include two picks in the first round (16 and 19), a second-rounder (49), a third (98), a fourth (120), a fifth (161) and a sixth (194). These selections give the team the ability to acquire quality players at need positions with four picks in the top 100. 

Now, let’s talk about team needs. The Saints have a big hole at left tackle, but also need a wide receiver to compliment Thomas and protect the team in case of another injury by the once ultra-productive veteran. Other positions of need are quarterback, tight end and defensive tackle.

In the first round I expect the Saints to go after a left tackle and wide receiver if the right players are there at each position. The top three offensive tackles — Alabama’s Evan Neal, Mississippi State’s Charles Cross and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu — would be ideal, and would each be immediate starters, but would require a trade given that none will still be around at 16. That leaves Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning. Penning is better-suited long-term on the right side, but that position is already taken by pro bowler Ryan Ramczyk. Penning would be an upgrade over what they currently have on the roster at left tackle, but he is not the same prospect as Neal, Cross and Ekwonu. At the same time, there have been whispers in the past that Ramczyk could slot in on the left side when Armstead’s days in New Orleans came to an end. One way or another, Penning makes a lot of sense at 16.

On the other hand, the Saints could package their third-round selection (No. 98) with their first first-rounder (No. 16) to move up and secure one of the top three left tackles. This still leaves them with the 19th pick, along with their second-rounder. Keep in mind that drafting offensive linemen with premium picks is part of the Saints’ DNA. In the past decade, they’ve taken Stanford OG Andrus Peat (No. 13 in 2015), Michigan OG Cesar Ruiz (No. 24 in 2020) and Ramczyk (No. 32 in 2017) in the first round along with Texas A&M OC Erik McCoy (No. 48 in 2019) in the second round.  

The wide receiver position is strong in the first round this year, and multiple players could be options when the Saints are on the clock at 19.  Ohio States wideouts Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave would add speed and immediate help to go along with the team’s current receivers, including Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith and Thomas. Alabama’s Jameson Williams is another speedster and vertical threat option, but will not be able to help the team until midway through his rookie season after tearing his ACL in January. That might remove Williams from consideration; I would think the Saints are looking for an immediate contributor in 2022 and not someone that will be at his best in 2023. Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is another possibility. He’s a big physical, versatile player that gives the Saints a better version of what they had in Ty Montgomery, but he’s not the pure burner the team needs to round out their receiver corps. Southern Cal’s Drake London is another big, athletic receiver that should be playing his best football in the NFL, though 19 figures to be a little early for him.    

On the other hand, it all starts under center in today’s game. It’s possible the team rolls the dice at 19, or in the second round, to take a quarterback to sit and learn behind Winston. Ole Miss’ Matt Corral is an athletic QB with a quick release, toughness, leadership, and the ability to be a very productive NFL quarterback. Corral could even compete with Winston this season or eventually take over the position in 2023. Liberty’s Malik Willis, who likely won’t make it to 16, is a boom-or-bust prospect that needs a year in the NFL before he can be pushed into starting role. Similarly, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett is solid but not the kind of prospect that you expect to step in and star from the beginning. Overall, the quarterbacks in this draft are solid players, but this crop lacks elite, franchise signal-callers.  

Bottom line, the Saints have many options with their first two selections but also have enough quality players on their current roster to not only enhance the 2022 roster but also prepare for the future at quarterback and left tackle and start to get younger at wide receiver. While the team has needs at tight end and defensive tackle, they’ll have to wait until later to address them. I believe this draft sets the Saints up very well with the ability to acquire need positions but also get the quality starters that they seek.

For the last several weeks, we’d been attempting to reach former Falcons scout Bob Harrison, but had been politely brushed off due to his failing health. We’d hoped to feature him in our Catching Up series on former scouts that we include in our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap. Then, on Saturday, we learned that he’d succumbed to his health struggles. We passed along the news later that morning. 

Since we never got to know Bob, we wanted to memorialize himself this week by reaching out to a few of his former colleagues in the scouting and coaching community. This is what they told us.

• “He was a serious guy, hard worker and great evaluator. You knew where he stood on his players and there pro potential. Always had conviction for his evaluations, not a fence rider.” — former Falcons scout Mike Hagen

• “As a gridiron coach and NFL scout, Bob took verse of John 15:16 and ran with it in our beloved profession. The verse is a working transformation to be active. Bob was like this: ‘A good gardener will do what it takes to help a vine bear fruit.’ May he rest in peace.“ — former Cardinals scout Jerry Hardaway

• “He was always a personable guy, was well-read and on top of the game.”  — former NFL running back and assistant coach Johnny Roland

• “Bob was a great guy and his experiences as a coach really carried over and made him an outstanding evaluator. He was a pleasure to work with and a hard worker that really enjoyed his profession. A true pro who had passion and a great respect for the game of football.” — former NFL executive Ron Hill 

• “I worked with Bob for 10 years when I first got into scouting. I could always remember him saying, ‘believe what you see while looking at players and alway stay organized.’ Bob was a great guy and a super scout.” — former Falcons scout Bruce Plummer

• “I worked with Bob Harrison with the Falcons for 12 years. Bob loved the game of football and was really fun to work with. We became really close and loved to rib each other and joke around. I really miss those days with Bob! — Rams executive Taylor Morton

You can read more about Bob in his obituary here and in this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If scouting and evaluation interest you, consider registering for our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap, here.

At Inside the League, we are always talking to people interested in the evaluation trade. We find there are few things in football that inspire passion so much as scouting and identifying talent. Problem is, it’s easy for aspiring NFL evaluators to lock themselves in front of a screen, watching film and spouting wisdom on social media, but never making the connections that are essential in climbing the ladder.

That’s why we’re pretty bullish on the work that Lucas Gauthier, Director of Player Personnel at Colorado State, and Gaiza Crowley, DPP at UNLV, have done to bring together the second annual Personnel and Recruiting Spring Clinic, which will be held Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Friday’s activities will include a social at a local bar and restaurant, followed by a full day of discussions and presentations Saturday. Best of all, the event is totally free. Register here.

“I think the biggest thing is, it’s an event unlike any other for personnel and recruiting people,” Crowley said. “There’s (the) AFCA (Convention) that’s more on the coaching side, but there really isn’t anything that personnel and recruiting people can go to, to network and learn from each other, and that’s their sole focus.”

For that reason, Crowley and Gauthier have done everything possible to remove all roadblocks.

“There’s no cost and no registration fee,” Crowley said. “Just get to Las Vegas. It’s a one-night event, and we’ve got a room block that people are registering for.”

Crowley said he hopes the event can become a tradition and a way for people in the community to not just learn, but to climb the ladder.

“We’re trying to get as many together as we can to build the community like the coaching community has, which eventually will lead to more jobs and more opportunities in this industry,” he said. “As of right now, we have Power 5 and Group of 5 schools registered and FCS, too. We have about 15 FBS schools committed right now, including Iowa; Virginia Tech; Wisconsin; Utah; Florida Atlantic; UNLV, of course; Army; Colorado State; Hawaii, and others, so there’s a good mix.”

If you go, don’t plan to hang out with old friends and drink beer (or at least, not only that). This is a chance to make new relationships, learn and interact in a professional way.

“The basic setup is, we want the event to be as interactive as possible,” Crowley said. “We want everyone to get involved, so we will have multiple roundtable discussions that will allow people to sit with directors and assistant directors and talk about different challenges in the industry. When people register, they can submit topics.

“Some of the things we’ll be talking about will be transfer portal management, staff structuring, the big topics. There will be three roundtable discussions where you can sit and talk with different people, and the panel discussions are leaned more toward pro development. One is Mike Villagrana, the Senior Director of Player Personnel at Virginia Tech, and another is Butler Benton, the Executive Director of Recruiting and Player Personnel at Arkansas. They’ll be more focused on professional development, interviewing, jobs, and getting an opportunity for young people to have conversations with people that they might not normally have had.

There will be a chance to hear from NFL types, as well.

“Last year, we had Jack Gilmore, the scouting coordinator for the Raiders, and we’re reaching out to more NFL teams and scouts to get more of an NFL presence, as well,” he said. “We’ll have a guest speaker, somebody from the NFL. Jack did a great job last year breaking down the evaluation process.”

Though it’s all about learning, there will be time for fun, too, in an environment where everyone can feel camaraderie.

“The social Friday night allows everyone to get into town, and after that, there’s that comfort level,” he said “You will have done your intros and can hit the ground running.

“We have people not associated with teams that are just interested in coming, and we have college general managers and college directors who’ve already RSVP’d, as well. . .  We had about 60 last year from 17 schools, which is a good number for a first-time deal, and we have a little more juice this year, and the vendors will foot the bill for most of it. As long as you can come to Vegas, everything else is taken care of. We are really excited about it.”

While I normally use this space to discuss the issues related to player representation and evaluation, occasionally, I like to turn it over to friends well-qualified to discuss various issues. Today, former Titans team executive Blake Beddingfield analyzes this week’s big deal between New Orleans and Philadelphia.

The trade between the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints three weeks before the draft says a lot about each team. I love these trades because they show two teams and front offices that are confident in their respective team-building approaches and how they individually view this draft and how they can upgrade their teams.

First, the trade: the Saints received the Nos. 16 and 19 picks in the first round and the No. 194 pick in the 6th round of the 2022 draft. The Eagles received the No. 18 pick in the first round, along with the 101st pick in the 3rd round and 237th pick in the 7th round. Also, they were able to acquire New Orleans’ first-round pick in 2023 and their second-rounder in 2024. Let’s look at how the trade benefits each team.

SAINTS

The Saints part of the trade allows them to take two different avenues with those first two selections. First, the Saints now have the ammunition to trade up into the top 10 of the first round and take the young quarterback that can be a long-term replacement for future hall of famer Drew Brees. The Saints struggled down the stretch in 2021 after a serviceable Jameis Winston was lost for the season due to injury.   

Based on the offseason trades of Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson, along with a big new contract for Aaron Rodgers, NFL teams have realized they can’t win the Super Bowl without a top quarterback. To wit: Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford have won the last three Super Bowls. 

Most personnel people (including myself) do not see a quarterback in the 2022 draft worth the draft capital it would take to trade into the top 10. That is why I question the Saints acquiring the extra picks to move up to select a QB. Could they sit at pick 16 and get their future signal-caller while also having an extra selection to upgrade their roster? It’s possible. 

The second road the Saints can take is to use those first-rounders to acquire youth and upgrade a roster that has gotten older while replacing some long-term starters that left in free agency. Cameron Jordan, a Pro Bowl regular at defensive end, will be 33 this season. Wide receiver Michael Thomas is 29 and has back-to-back, injury-riddled seasons. Also, linebacker Demario Davis, another standout defensive player, is 33. With two first-rounders, the team could replace the left tackle they lost in free agency, Terron Armstead, and add a wide receiver or pass rusher. The 2022 draft has enough left tackles, wide receivers and pass rushers to give the team the confidence they could shore up two of those three positions with the 16^th and 19^th selections. This would allow Winston to continue to quarterback the team, add youth and also position the team for a future run in a division that doesn’t have a clear long-term leader presuming Brady doesn’t play for another decade.   

I feel the Saints are looking for sustainability, and replacing Armstead and adding another playmaker is the way to go. My guess is that the Saints are not looking to package the picks to take a rookie quarterback who may or may not be a franchise player.

Now the Eagles.

EAGLES

The Eagles side of the trade is obvious. The Eagles continue to acquire future draft choices to sustain roster-building and youth, because of the current draft capital they have. Trades with the Colts (they acquired a 2022 first-rounder for Carson Wentz) and the Dolphins (also giving them a 2022 first-rounder), they still have plenty of ammo in the ’22 draft with two first-rounders, one second, two third-rounders and a total of 10 selections. 

Eagles GM Howie Roseman has done a very good job of acquiring these current and future selections. Philly can upgrade its pass rush and offensive line and add another playmaker on offense with its first three selections.

Very rarely is a trade on paper good for both teams, but in this case I believe both teams benefit from the early draft-day trade.

At Inside the League, we focus on the representation and scouting side of the game. That’s why see the moves of Mike McCartney, Jaymeson Moten and Kyle Dolan (and their draft clients) from Chicago-based Priority Sports to New York City-based VaynerSports as pretty big.

We more than just broke the story; we devoted quite a bit of space to it at our main site. For garden variety NFL fans, it’s a blip on the screen, but for people who follow the business of the game, like yourself, it’s something much more. Here are a few questions, and our answers, in the wake of Vayner’s expansion.

Is this unusual?: Regarding the timing and the stature of the players, yes. Last year, Houston-based Nicole Lynn left Young Money APAA Sports for Klutch Sports Group the week of the draft, but she took only two players, and they were both Day 3 draftees (Alabama OG Deonte Brown went 6/193 to the Panthers, while North Carolina WO Dazz Newsome went 6/221 to the Bears). That’s the only transfer of agents and players between March 1 and draft day in at least the last 10 years.

What prompted this?: There are a lot of factors, but one of them has to be the social media expertise and bandwidth provided by the three agents’ new home. Though rival firms like Rosenhaus Sports, CAA and Steinberg Sports, among others, got into the name, image and likeness race immediately last July, Priority Sports wasn’t nearly as aggressive. The NIL era promises to change the face of player representation, and indeed, already has. Both of VaynerSports’ clients heading into the ’22 draft, Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder and Purdue WO David Bell, were their NIL clients starting last summer/fall.

What does this move say about the business of player representation?: That you’re either a big fish or your’s fish food, put very simply. Where once there was a solid cache of middle class agencies who could sign and manage a handful of mid-rounders each year, those firms are largely gone. The demands of the NIL era demand a larger commitment. In the past, an agency’s relationship with a player didn’t really begin until shortly before his draft year. Today, agencies are signing players barely out of high school, then expected to produce for 3-4 years. That’s a big ask for a smallish firm with meager resources.

What’s next for Priority Sports?: The cupboard isn’t entirely bare. Los Angeles-based Kenny Zuckerman, who has two projected mid-round picks in this draft (Virginia Tech OT Luke Tenuta and UCLA DT Otito Ogbonnia), has been an NFL contract advisor for three decades, and he remains with the firm. Zuckerman was tied for 56th in total clients in our latest count. What’s more, Priority’s Rick Smith represents 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Lions head coach Dan Campbell as well as, on the college side, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and UTSA’s Jeff Traylor, two of the hotter young coaches on the FBS level. Time will tell if Priority chooses to restock its lineup with new agents on the NFL side.

If the business of the game interests you, and you don’t already get our newsletter, the Friday Wrap, now’s a good time to start. Register for it here.

Today, for the first time ever, we took our deepest dive ever into the individual results of everyone who ran the 40 and did drills at last week’s NFL Combine. We broke out all 324 participants by school and position, agency and training destination, as we’ve done for weeks now, but also much more. 

We also broke out (all behind the pay wall, sorry):

• Combine participants by 40 time
• Combine participants by Relative Athletic Score
• Combine training facilities by their clients

Obviously, what it all told us was that this was a really, really fast combine. One trainer, Brent Callaway of EXOS’ Frisco training facility, said he had six sub-4.4 times in his first 15 years in the business, then had six more (Sam Houston State’s Zyon McCollum, South Dakota State’s Pierre Strong, Iowa State’s Breece Hall, Memphis’ Calvin Austin III, SMU’s Danny Gray and Nebraska’s Cam Taylor-Britt) this year alone. How could this be?

Sure, speed training is getting better at colleges these days; several trainers I spoke to pointed that out. Athletes are better, too. There’s no mistaking that nutrition, time on task (many athletes start training to run the 40 early in high school) and pure raw ability are all better than ever before. If all that were true, we’d see a gradual increase, but not a sudden explosion of sub-4.3 times and nine tackles running a sub-5.0 40. 

There were a lot of good observations made by the trainers we spoke to this week, and we pass along their thoughts today in our Friday Wrap, that comes out this evening (you can register for it here). However, there was one theme I heard from trainers that had nothing to do with track backgrounds, new surfaces, skipping the bench press or other factors. Instead, it had to do with the value the league places on the entertainment that comes from today’s combine. The NFL was planning on a lot of would-be draft gurus glued to their televisions, and they sought to give them a show.

“It’s made for TV now,” said one elite speed specialist. “(The league needs) you to run. If you don’t run, they will have to start paying (the players) to run, which they don’t want to do. If they start putting up bad times, it shuts down their TV show.

“(Agents, trainers and combine invitees) were about to shut down their TV show because of the Covid rule, so (the league) changed that in 12 hours. If they run slow on that official time, kids will stop running. It will ruin their show.”

It’s a valid point. The NFL — much to the chagrin of everyone I know, from agent to scout to trainer — moved all the workouts to primetime. That was done for one reason: ratings. There are a lot of good reasons that times were better this year, which we’ll discuss in today’s Wrap, but it’s impossible to discount the league’s desire to juice its show with splashy times as one factor.

This year’s speed times are something many have celebrated but few have questioned, at least as far as I’ve seen. There’s more to come tonight. I hope you check out the Wrap.