Next week represents almost a month-and-a-half since the 2022 NFL Agent Exam, which means results are right around the corner for the 200-plus test-takers this year. For those people seeking to rep NFL players, that’s the good news.

The bad news is that the number of new contract advisors certified this fall will be thinned by technical difficulties that precluded numerous applicants from even taking the exam, which was offered exclusively online for the second straight year. Those unlucky would-be test-takers have two options: ask for a refund of the $2,500 testing fee by the end of September or give it another go next summer. Easy come, easy go, right?

Not exactly. Zachary Karber, a Tampa, Fla.-based attorney, is a prime example of the real-life cost of this delay. Rather than trying to describe his plight, I asked him to put it in his own words what a bitter pill it was to swallow this unexpected 12-month waiting period.

______________________________________________________________

So why is it a “bitter pill” you may ask? Well, to use myself as an example:

• I have my JD/MBA degrees and nearly 10 years of experience in both the boardroom and courtroom providing legal and business services to banks, politicians, hospitals, developers, and numerous other professionals.
• I spent several hours every day memorizing the source materials during the 2-3 months leading up to the exam, and even temporarily closed my practice the three weeks prior to testing day.
• I took multiple practice exams, attended group seminar courses, retained a certified agent as my private tutor, and created flash cards. I directly expensed roughly $10,000 and indirectly waved goodbye to over $30,000 in lost income preparing for the exam.
• As a result of these sacrifices of time, energy, and money, I aced all the practice exams and was extremely confident that I’d pass the actual exam.

Unfortunately, at no fault of my own and for reasons completely outside of my control, I was never able to sit for the exam and never even answered a single question.  Three weeks after the exam fiasco, the NFLPA ultimately informed me that my only options were either a refund of my application fee (declined) or that I could sit for the exam again the following year (accepted).

The hardest part about all of this is not the money I lost; $40,000 does not even equate to the weekly salary of your average NFL player.  Instead, it’s the bitter taste I now get in my mouth every time I see or think about pro football. I know it will only go away once I actually take and pass the exam.

______________________________________________________________

If you took the exam in July, and you’ve been waiting to find out how you did, there may be good news around the corner. We discuss in the Friday Wrap, our newsletter read by thousands of people in the industry that comes out later today. Register for it here.

This morning, the NFLPA sent out an email to its 2022 test-takers lamenting the technical issues so many faced. For many — I don’t have a number, but I would estimate anywhere from 15-30 — their issues precluded them from even taking the exam. To those people, said the NFLPA, you have two options: get a full refund for the exam (and this must take place by Oct. 1) or wait until 2023 to take the exam again.

First, a few comments from those affected: 

• “I personally would have rather taken the test this year and failed trying, then not being able to take the test at all. The proctor company clearly stated it was their fault and that their server was out. I asked for a later time in the day and they wouldn’t accommodate. I think it’s on the NFLPA to chose either a better proctoring service and or have parameters in place if this were to happen again. Possibly having slots available the day after the main test for those that faced technical problems.”
• “I’m obviously very disappointed after spending quite some time studying and preparing myself for the exam to not be able to take it due to technical difficulties, but I understand it’s not the NFLPA’s fault or anyones fault for that matter. . . I’m looking forward to taking it next year!”
• “This happened last year with a few people. Maybe they need to choose another testing center or go back to in-person testing. This is very frustrating and unfair.”

• “Like in football we can only focus on the next play! At least I have a foundation for the exam next year.” 

• “Since it came nearly a month after the exam fiasco, all my built-up anger, frustration, etc. has all subsided, so I’m a lot more humble about it.  It’ll still sting a bit for the next year, but I fully accept the NFLPA’s decision. . . The silver linings: I got 11 more months to prepare for the exam & perfect my business plan, met some excellent industry folks along the way . . .  and I got more drive in me than I ever did before.  By this time next year, I plan on having a master Jedi Knight level on knowledge of all the rules & regulations.”

Here are my thoughts:

• I expected that this would be the NFLPA’s response, for a couple reasons. No. 1, writing a new exam would be a lot of work, and more than the NFLPA would like to do, I’m sure. No. 2, this wouldn’t work anyway, because the exam is scaled, and how do you scale the results of two different exams? No. 3, even if they could scale the two, this would presumably push participants to receive their results sometime in October, presuming they took Exam 2 by the end of the month and results took their normal 4-6 weeks. That’s just too late to wait to recruit.
• My guess is they knew their course of action weeks ago, but wanted to give participants plenty of time to cool off. There were plenty of test-takers the week of the exam who were figuratively ready to storm the NFLPA’s offices. You can see in the above quotes that tempers are no longer flaring.
• What’s the big deal, you might ask? So they didn’t get to take the exam this year. They have another year to study. There are two problems with that approach. No. 1, most of the people we worked with on preparations were ready for the exam. It’s hard to get as “up” for game day the second time as it was the first time, though I’m sure all our clients will. The bigger issue is that many of these prospective agents had a member of the ’23 draft class (friend, family member, etc.) they were planning on representing. Now that will be impossible, through no fault of their own.
• Naturally, we will walk with those people who didn’t get a chance to be tested this year, hoping to make this year count anyway. For those who are members, we will include them in our Zooms and instruction for their respective rookie years so they can hit the ground running next year. There’s also name, image and likeness work that requires no certification. We’ve got a very special event on the calendar that will allow them to sharpen their skills and maybe even make some money between now and next summer.

 

 

 

If you read this blog semi-regularly, you know that, from time to time, I like to turn this space over to some of my friends in scouting and evaluation. This week, with the 2023 college football season just around the corner, I decided to reach out to several of my friends to give me their first impression of the strengths and weaknesses of the ’23 class. What follows are the thoughts of Greg Gabriel, who spent several years in the front offices of the Giants and Bears at the director level.

Trying to figure out if a draft will be strong eight months beforehand is not an easy task. Why?

Who’s there?: First, we really don’t know who will be in the draft. If the last 5-6 years is an indicator, we know that there will be well over 100 underclassmen in the draft. It’s the underclassmen who make up a good part of the early rounds of every draft.

Intangibles: Of course, what happens off the field and in the huddle counts, too. NFL scouts are already on the road making school calls where they begin to form a strong opinion on prospects, partially due to their character. When I say character, I really mean two things: football character and personal character. Football character deals with a player’s passion for the game, desire to be great, work ethic, etc. Needless to say, personal character deals with how a person lives his life. They are two very separate categories, and a scout puts a grade on each. Those grades have a lot of say in where a player gets selected.

Going up/going down: Another area that is extremely important is the players’ 2022 tape. Who will show improvement this season over last? Whose play will fall off, and last, who will sustain an injury that will have an effect on their draft status? Preseason ratings are based on what the player did the previous year. Often, players take a huge step in their final year and end up getting drafted much higher than anticipated in August. In August 2019, did anyone actually think that LSU’s Joe Burrow would dominate the 2019 season and be the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft? I doubt it. In August of 2020, did anyone feel that BYU’s Zach Wilson would be the second overall selection in 2021? I can guarantee there were none. Most had him rated as a high Day 3 pick at best going into the 2020 season.

Entering 2021, many felt Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater was going to be a premium pick, but the thought process was he might be better off at guard than tackle. Many also felt that, at best, he was a late first and more likely a second-round type. After a strong 2020 season, he ended up the second offensive lineman selected and the 13^th overall pick.

The inverse of this also applies, and I’m going back a few years for this example, but it happens every year. During the 2013 college season, Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater was supposed to be a lock to be the top pick in the 2014 draft. The draft analysts kept this conversation going well into November even though his play didn’t warrant it. After following up a mediocre season with a poor pro day, not only was he not the first overall pick, but he went 32^ndoverall!

Needless to say, what you read now as far as ratings can be meaningless. Yes, they can give you an idea of what the player might be, but until NFL evaluators can go through the entire scouting process, we won’t know for sure. That takes time.

No reason to stop now! I asked three more former NFL evaluators to give me their first impression of the strengths and weaknesses of the ’23 class, and I added their thoughts to this week’s Friday Wrap, which comes out tomorrow afternoon. You can sign up for it here.

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.”