Introducing the ITL Sleeper Report

11 Friday Nov 2016

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This week, with the season past its halfway point and seniors building a case for continuing their careers on the next level, we introduced the ITL Sleeper Report. We’ll use our weekly report to check in on players that play often-unsexy positions, usually at less-than-exciting schools. These are not players that will be first-rounders, but players that could nonetheless spend several years in the league as unsung workers that help create a team’s foundation without drawing headlines.

Our two evaluators, Danny Shimon and Todd Therrien, were recommended to us by Dan Hatman of The Scouting Academy, a service that trains the next generation of NFL scouts. We asked Danny and Todd to find players who weren’t featured on any Websites and to offer insights that were theirs alone. In other words, they are giving their opinions on one player each without a lifeline — these are their evaluations, solely. Unlike so many ‘Internet scouts,’ they’re sticking their necks out for players they believe in, without a net. We published their reports Thursday, and will continue to bring them to our clients each Thursday this month, and perhaps beyond. We’ll also bring select reports to Succeed in Football.

Without further ado, here’s their work for this week:

Brown, Blair (Ohio)
Position LB (4-3 Will/3-4 IB)
Ht/Wt 6010/240
Class RS Sr

Strong Points – Brown is a fast-flow LB who shoots gaps and fills with speed and power. Plays with great lateral quickness and awareness, and can read reach-blocks of the OL to cut off the outside zone. Brown diagnoses the run game and reads pulling guards in power and counter schemes exceptionally. Brown’s downhill, physical demeanor makes him above-average at meeting the pulling blocker in the hole at the line of scrimmage. Brown is physical and violent when it comes to ripping underneath blocks at the POA, making it difficult for offensive linemen to sink to his level and stay engaged. Brown is a high-risk player on the field, often shooting gaps recklessly, resulting in him playing out of position with disregard to his assignment. He plays with great situational and conceptual awareness, spilling blocks out to where his help is in run support.

Weak Points –Brown’s lack of size results in him getting swallowed up in blocks of long-armed offensive linemen. His “run first” demeanor has shown to get him in trouble, biting on play-action pass concepts, and getting caught not dropping to his zone.  Brown plays poor in man coverage, and is far too stiff when playing in open space. Brown possesses a strength in timing up pressures very well, hitting them on the run and baits offensive linemen out of position when blitzing. He consistently rakes and rips at the ball when he’s cleaning up ballcarriers, forcing a lot of fumbles. Brown has a nose for the football, and is an above-average tackler both inside the box and in open space, consistently wrapping up runners and finishing tackles. Brown could be a liability in the passing game, which does not pair well with under-sized, two-down linebackers. Although Brown was a consistent contributor to the Ohio Bobcats for four years, starting all games for his final two years, he has not played against top-tier competition consistently.

Summation: Overall, Brown is an athletic, sideline-to-sideline run-stopper, who better helps the pass defense by rushing the QB with blitzes, inside or off the edge.

Todd Therrien’s Projection: Late-rounder/undrafted free agent

Spencer, Joseph (Illinois)
Position OC/OG
Ht/Wt 6020/300/5.3e
Class RS Sr
Strong Points – Three-year starter, team captain and an Academic All-Big Ten member twice. Leader along the offensive line, able to call out protections, and identify blitzers. Quick out of his stance able to move his feet and play with good balance. Gets his hands inside the defensive lineman’s chest and can stay in front of his defender. Demonstrates good awareness, able to release primary assignment and help with oncoming rusher. Will chip block then release to get out to defenses second level. Average run blocker who can seal off a defender and create a lane for runner to go through. Competitive player who will finish his blocks once he has his man on the ground – they do not get up. Has position versatility as he can play both center or guard positions.
Weak Points – Possesses limited lateral agility and strength. Can get over powered, and out leveraged at the point of contact. Was asked to retreat block and “catch” defenders rather than explode into them, so on tape we never see him roll his hips and demonstrate his strength. Has limited flexibility and shows some lower body stiffness.
Summation –  Spencer is a cerebral, competitive, interior lineman who has three-years of starting experience, in a power five conference, and offers position flexibility as he can play both center and guard along the offensive line. He is assignment sound and aware. Spencer wins with good snap-and-step quickness to get his hands quickly on the defenders and steer them. Spencer is an average athlete who lacks lateral quickness, and lower body flexibility. His inability to anchor at the point of attack will allow defenders to overpower him and collapse the pocket. He is unable to sustain his blocks for an extended period, and will allow penetrators to pierce his edges quickly.

 Danny Shimon’s Projection: Late-rounder/undrafted free agent

Dissecting Darius: Thoughts on the Intersection of Entertainment and NFL Representation

08 Tuesday Nov 2016

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About a year ago, I was having a conversation with Jay Courie, an NFL agent and partner at one of the bigger law firms in the Southeast, McAngus, Goudelock & Courie. Along the way, he mentioned that he needed someone to partner with, someone who had youth and energy but also someone who had enjoyed success and knew the agent business. I get this kind of request at times.

So I thought about it, and when I bumped into him at the Senior Bowl, I told him I had just the guy. When I finally got Jay together with Kyle Strongin of 1 Degree Management, Jay had already met him and knew him. I could see in his eye that my choice had reaffirmed what Jay was already thinking.

That’s why it wasn’t a big surprise to me when I heard Monday that Jay had brought Kyle in as Vice President of MGC Sports, with country music star Darius Rucker a part of the deal, as well. While I’m not, in any way, taking credit for putting this merger together, I can definitely say I know both Jay and Kyle well, they’ve both been ITL clients for a long time, and I knew Jay was leaning toward a merger of some sorts. The only mild surprise was that Kyle, whom I’ve tried to recommend to inquiring agencies for some time now, was willing to move. He’d always told me in the past that he was happily independent.

While adding a big star to a sports agency is decidedly not a new idea, here are a few thoughts on this move.

  • In 2016, the Kardashian century, celebrity matters. Having a big name on your team is an edge in recruiting, especially in a business that is as poorly understood as football representation, and especially when the people you’re recruiting are young men with big egos.
  • Courie has made significant inroads at Clemson, and has major ties with the school. But if I know him at all, I know he likes to win. I don’t think he’s happy getting the second-line kids at Clemson. He wants the DeShaun Watsons of the world.
  • On the other hand, Rucker, a black country star, is a perfect fit for MGC Sports, which consistently recruits white offensive linemen as well as the speedy black skills position players that have taken Clemson to the next level.
  • Outside of Clemson, MGC really hasn’t been relevant. In fact, I wonder if Jay even consistently recruits non-Tigers. But that’s where Kyle, who finished a close second to super-power CAA on Laremy Tunsil last year, comes in. Jay is an accomplished lawyer, likable and professional, but Kyle, who spent time with the 49ers scouting department as well as in the Ole Miss and University of Tennessee recruiting offices, gives the firm a credible NFL background. Kyle has significant relationships in scouting, and having those insights gives you a tremendous edge when you’re trying to sort out the stars from the overhyped pretenders. Meanwhile, Jay has a legal practice to run, and now he doesn’t have to split his time as mercilessly.
  • The next 60 days will be very telling for MGC. Clemson has a number of top players that will be part of the ’17 draft, and the firm has now gone from a solid contender that operates beneath the radar to a firm that others will be recruiting against. The Carolinas are very contentious, with several solid firms, big and small, battling for talent.
  • In an industry where the NFLPA makes things harder virtually every day, sorting out costs and distilling a profit won’t be easy. But if MGC can land a Watson, a Williams or another comparable talent, it might be the jolt needed to propel it into ‘big agency’ status.

In the end, this is just one more indication that the sports agency business is becoming an arms race, with margins and business decisions perhaps running second to the chase for bigger and flashier names. Increasingly, to stay relevant, bigger firms are going to have to decide if they’re ready to partner up with big personalities, and in so doing, figure out how to make it all work on the profit/loss sheet.

 

A Couple of NFL Draft Sleepers, Courtesy of a Friend and Expert

04 Friday Nov 2016

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One thing we rarely, if ever, do in this space is spotlight ‘rising’ or ‘falling’ players, or really talk about draft prospects at all. The main reason for this is because I don’t have time to do it, and most of the people I know who genuinely put in the time evaluating and learning about players — people whose opinions I trust — are people I respect, and I don’t want them to give me something free.

Today, however, we’re stepping out of our normal comfort zone to offer up two late-season sleepers. Of course, this isn’t my opinion, but the opinion of Eric Galko of Optimum Scouting. While the number of ‘Internet scouts’ could fill several stadiums, only a handful of them have proven their ability enough to have (a) stood the test of time and (b) actually created a market for themselves. Eric has done both, having evaluated players for several years and creating quite an audience for himself, and also by evaluating for pay, whether his customers are NFL agents; CFL and indoor football teams; or any of a number of all-star games whose rosters he’s built over the years. Eric is currently working with a couple of games, the first-year HBCU Spirit of America Bowl and the Dream Bowl, which will be played over Martin Luther King Weekend. Due in no small part to Eric, the Dream Bowl has gone from a game mostly ignored by scouts to one that welcomed representatives from six teams last year and that’s expected to host 20 teams this year.

Here are two players Eric feels could surprise next year in the NFL:

Darrell Daniels, TE, Washington (6032, 235, 4.46v, 35 2/8 arm, 10 2/8 hands): While it’s a strong tight end class (one of the best in recent history) and he hasn’t been an overly productive member of the Washington passing attack (13 catches on the year), Daniels has high-level athleticism, seam-stretching speed and flashes of natural finishing ability away from his frame. A bit of a ‘tweener, he looks the part of a less physical, less NFL-ready blocking version of Falcons TE Austin Hooper (3/81, Stanford, 2016), except with potential sub-4.5 speed. Offers an ideal body type all around.
Josh Thornton, CB, Southern Utah (5106, 178, 4.35v, 30 5/8, 9 4/8 hands):  The holdover from the three-draft pick Southern Utah class a year ago, Thornton is arguably a better prospect than Titans DC LeShaun Sims (5/157, 2016) was a year ago, playing with better hip turn and lateral range against underneath and in-breaking routes. He struggles a bit at the catch-point against bigger receivers, and can be over-powered for more reasons than just his size. But he should test really well, and meets the arm/hand thresholds.
If you’re just a fan that follows the draft as well as the business of the game, make sure you’re checking out Eric on Twitter. On the other hand, if you’re an agent trying to make sure you don’t spend $10,000-plus training a player that doesn’t have NFL chops, I’d advise you to reach out to Eric (ericg@optimumscouting.com). For pennies on the dollar, you’ll have a much better handle on where you should be spending your money. I highly recommend him.

 

 

Ask the Scouts: What’s Better for Evaluation, All-Star Games or Combine?

03 Thursday Nov 2016

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If you listen to our Two-Minute Drill series of mini-podcasts, you know that this week we compared the value of the NFL combine vs. all-star games as a tool for evaluation. Our take was pretty much that if you’re a player in the top 100-150, the combine is better because scouts already have a rather firm impression of your playing ability, but for lower-rated players, the chance to show your ability in pads is better than a fast 40 time or a series of well-run drills.

Of course, it’s one thing for me to feel this way, but I wanted to get feedback from my friends in the game. The response was interesting and diverse, maybe as diverse as any question I’ve posed to my friends in the business in the two years I’ve run this blog. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; former Browns GM Ray Farmer told the audience at the ITL Seminar that he prefers all-star games over the combine, simply because it’s actual football, not ‘guys that are ready to be underwear models right now,’ as he said last year.

Anyway, here’s the question I asked:

“As a general rule, do you get more out of the combine or an all-star game? Which is more valuable as an evaluation tool? I realize the scale of the combine is far greater, but in terms of how helpful, what’s better? 2-3 practices in pads with 100 guys you might not have all seen, or 350 guys doing tests in shorts, plus medicals and interviews, all in one place?”

Here’s what I got back from four friends in the business.

  • “More out of the combine because those are real players. All-star games are the free agents, even (one of the more established games) is getting horrible.”
  • “Depends. Always good to see small-school players compete against the bigger-school guys. Both places are great for access/ interviews. Combine wins for medical. As far as evaluating goes, both are probably overrated.”
  • “If you’re asking strictly for evaluation purposes I’d say all-star games.”
  • “All-star (games) for football evaluation. Overall importance is the combine because of medical.”

NFL Supply and Demand

26 Wednesday Oct 2016

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When it comes to the NFL draft, most coverage focuses on the potential superstars slated for selection in the first couple rounds. But taking a broader view of things, which positions seem to be most in demand? Which players, by position, are NFL teams most focused on?

We’ll break it into three groups, based on the percentage of players that sign with agents and how many actually make it into NFL camps (as draftees, UDFAs or tryout players). For more details — total number of players drafted, signed as UDFAs, made it to tryout camps, percentages of each, all by positions — click here.

Most in demand: If you’re an offensive lineman, your chances of wearing an NFL helmet, at least for a day, are pretty good. Centers were the second-most in-demand position, as 71.7 percent of them made it to camp as a draftee, undrafted free agent or camp tryout. When it comes to tackles, 63.6 percent made it to camp, while 64.9 percent of tight ends made it. Defensive ends (62.4 percent) were also popular. Who was most popular? Quarterbacks, which made it to camps at a 72.2 percent rate.

Somewhere in the middle: For positions like running back (52 percent), fullback (52 percent), wide receiver (52 percent), guard (58 percent), kicker (55), cornerback (54), defensive tackle (58) and inside linebacker (50), your odds are somewhere around 50-50.

Least in demand: Though safeties are far more valuable than they used to in the days of the slot receiver and the hybrid LB/S, they’re still least in demand. Free safeties made it to camp at a rate of 45.3, while strong safeties at 44.3. Punters were similar bottom-feeders, as only 44.4 percent of those that signed with agents actually made it to camp.

 

 

A Few Thoughts About ’60 Minutes’ and NFL Financial Losses

24 Monday Oct 2016

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If you operate in football business circles, there’s an excellent chance you saw the ’60 Minutes’ report about several NFL players taken in by a bad investment in an Alabama casino. It was orchestrated by a financial advisor, Jeff Rubin, who was then based in Florida (he’s in Denver now). Here are a few thoughts.

  • This story has been on hold for at least two years. I have no doubt the NFL (and especially the NFLPA) have been battling CBS, which obviously has a big broadcast contract with the league, to withhold it altogether. I have no doubt that this tweet from Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole is true.
  • This report is the tip of the iceberg. The two ‘watchdogs’ interviewed in the report, Rand Getlin and Chase Carlson, are both friends of mine, and both were interviewed at length about far more than just the Rubin incident.
  • Here’s an excellent, comprehensive report Chase put together. It pretty much recounts all the financial advisors registered with the NFLPA who stole NFL players blind.
  • After reading Chase’s report, you might wonder why there are so many such incidents, but so few reports. You might also wonder why Rand (formerly with NFL Network, and a veteran of excellent work at Yahoo! Sports) and Chase aren’t affiliated with major media entities. My theory: it’s sexy to talk about this stuff for a while, but at the end of the day, the man on the street just shrugs his shoulders and says, ‘that’s their problem. If these millionaires can’t keep track of their money, screw ’em.’
  • I guess that’s OK, but at the end of the day, shouldn’t the NFLPA care? I mean, they’re charging thousands of dollars to register financial advisors. Even though the PA is careful to protect itself from litigation exposure by admitting that it has no idea if these guys are legitimate or not, the fact is that agents can only recommend advisors from this program. To me, that’s a de facto endorsement from the NFLPA, whether it’s technically true or not.
  • Dozens of the registered members of the NFLPA program are ITL clients, but I would say the lion’s share of our financial advisor clients that really work with NFL players are not in the program. I was texting with a member of the latter group last night, and I think this pretty much sums up his (and his group’s) thoughts: “The NFLPA feels as though any advisor that can afford a $1500 annual fee must be good.”
  • Here’s a simple fix that I think would work, and if I were the PA, I’d get out of the registration business and simply post this on the site. If you are an NFL player and you are approached by a financial advisor, step 1 is to plug his name into FINRA BrokerCheck. Step 2 is to check out his record there, and if he’s got a few issues, ask questions. If he’s clean, press on with confidence (mostly) that he’s a straight shooter. And if his name doesn’t show up there, presume that he’s not an official, registered, honest, educated financial advisor and consider avoiding this person.

 

Check Out the Two-Minute Drill

20 Thursday Oct 2016

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About two weeks ago, we started a new series that I’d appreciate if you’d check out. It’s called the ITL Two-Minute Drill.

I started it because there just aren’t enough resources out there for the parents of draft prospects, and I wanted to make the process a little more transparent. That’s especially true of players rated as late-rounders or undrafted free agents. Players rated in the top 3-4 rounds are going to get good counsel on the process because the top agents mob them, but for the lower-rated prospects, it’s dodgy. They need guidance, so we’re trying to provide it.

Right now, we’re 14 shows in, and my plan is to continue it for at least two more weeks, with four shows per week. The idea is to have a decent library of topics for parents as the regular season wraps up. My experience is that as the calendar turns to November, parents and their sons start to get serious about agent selection, often wishing they had started preparing months ago. Our series, hopefully, allows them to play catch-up (See? Two-Minute Drill. Get it?).

Hopefully, if you’re reading this, you already have a good idea of ITL and what we do. But if not, we’ve got a Two-Minute Drill on it. But we also unpack a lot of other topics.

For example, if you don’t know the first thing about the scouting process, we’ve got episodes explaining National and BLESTO, as well as five things to know about an NFL scout. We examine how scouts canvas the country, and why some parts of the country get overlooked due to geography. We sort out the process whereby a player goes from ‘just another guy’ to certified draft prospect. We even talk about how scouts look at character, and how it can affect a player’s draft status.

Are agents a puzzle to you? Do you even know when you can talk to them without risking your son’s eligibility? We’ve got episodes on new agents (and why you shouldn’t fear them), why your son might be getting overlooked, and why (even if you don’t like agents) your son needs a plan to get to the league. Here’s an episode on how to research agents without actually talking to any. And by the way, don’t ‘play agent’ yourself (here’s why).

We also address a couple topics that don’t fit neatly into any categories. Is your son considering entering the draft early? Here are a few things to consider.

Today, we explain the undrafted free agent process and why it’s not something to fear (and in some cases even preferable to getting drafted).

Even if you’re a student, an agent or a scout who regularly reads our blog, and you feel this info doesn’t apply to you, maybe you know someone who could use it. We don’t take sides and we don’t make anyone look bad — we’re simply trying to make the process less confusing. Please refer us. What do you (or they) have to lose?

When A Draft Pick Fails, Whose Fault Is It?

19 Wednesday Oct 2016

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When it comes to draft busts, it’s rare when you hear that a player “wasn’t developed well” or “he just didn’t get the coaching he needed.” The narrative you usually hear is that the GM is dumb or the scouts weren’t thorough or “every other team knew he couldn’t play.”

I wonder if that’s fair, though. Is it true that when players fail, it’s due to poor evaluation? I posed this question to some friends in scouting, and as you might expect, there was sharp disagreement over the premise that the evaluation was wrong.

Here are four responses I got on this question:

When a high draft pick fails, what percentage of the time is it because he wasn’t as good as advertised, and what percentage that he wasn’t coached/developed well by the team?

  • “That’s a hard question to answer. There’s so many different reasons. New coordinators, not used right, kid finally got money for the first time, outside influences. There’s just so many reasons. I’d really have to think on that, just because everyone is wired differently.”
  • “Players don’t fail! The teams fail for grading a talent that was not good enough based on overrating his talent, or taking him high based on need when he did not belong at that pick, or not smart enough, or the player really did not love football. Those are the players that fail. . . All teams have errors in the first round. There are first-round talents that fail because their addiction, ego or work ethic gets in their way. You can name those. . . Most new GM’s were not good scouts. Their decisions and record tell the tale.”
  • “I’d say a quarter or maybe even a third of the time the player is not coached/developed like scouts think he should be. Happens all the time. Majority of the time, if you take a guy high, the player will at the very least have the traits — height, weight, speed, athleticism etc. — so it’s extremely hard for a scout when you feel he’s not getting developed properly. And maybe a third of the time you missed on the guy’s talent and he just wasn’t good enough, good as you thought he was. Another third, you miss on the person. You didn’t realize how the kid was wired, whether it’s toughness, motivation, mental capacity, whatever reason.”
  • “Definitely, it is more often than not getting a bad match with a system or coaching staff, oh maybe would say 50/50. I have seen coaches and been told, ‘man, who do you want to make it? We totally control who plays and who looks good.’ Actually, (our defensive coordinator) told me that sitting with a couple of scouts one night. I saw it with (our head coach) and his staff. If you brought someone in they did not like, he had no chance. (That’s) totally why personnel and coaching has to be on the same page, because a lot of (coaches) do not like personnel guys telling them, ‘this guy is good,’ when what they saw they thought (at the Senior Bowl, or during limited film study), he stunk, wanting to prove they were right. (Our head coach was) totally like that. Oh, (our head coach was) nice and fun to scouts until there is a difference of opinion on a guy and he does not get the guy he wanted. But there are some (head coaches) who know that none of us are right 100% of the time, but they respect the process.”

Screaming Eagles ‘Fanchise’ Welcoming Players AND Executives

13 Thursday Oct 2016

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Fantasy football has become a critical part of the NFL fan experience, and to me, the reason is obvious: people want to be part of the decision-making process of an NFL team and pit themselves against others to measure their front office acumen.

The Succeed in Football reader, however, is more than just a fan. Our readers are so passionate that they want to be part of the game. That’s why you, dear reader, need to know about the Salt Lake Screaming Eagles, an Indoor Football League (IFL) franchise that’s holding a tryout (along with several other IFL teams) in Dallas next weekend.

“If you’ve ever had a passion to help build your own football franchise from the ground up, the fanchise is necessary in your life!” said Ray Austin, a former NFL player who is the co-founder and Director of Team Operations for the Eagles. “We respect our fans, we engage directly with our fans and give our fans direct contact with us. There are so many awesome components of a football team, from scouting, coaching, or being a bad-ass play-caller, or even a part of our GM staff, to helping with marketing the Screaming Eagles. Either way, you have a say with your team.”

The Eagles are a ‘fanchise’ that literally allows members of its virtual ‘front office’ to make important team decisions, even calling plays during the game. Already, Screaming Eagles subscribers (you can become a scout, assistant coach or assistant GM depending on the monthly fee you choose) have chosen the team’s name, uniform colors, head coach and team logo, with votes ahead on the team’s field and uniform design as well as the makeup of the dance team. Still on the horizon is the big kahuna: actually selecting the players that will try out for the team.

“Fantasy football and gaming is the closest you can get to ever coming close to coaching, calling plays and or drafting or building an actual dynasty. Until Fanchise,” Austin said. “It’s easy to go off of best athletes in the world. How good are you? Can you really eye talent? Can you really choose that key third-down play? We’re giving fans the ability to decide from the name to the coach, to even 3rd and 5. Tell me, what fantasy poll can give you that?”

Though the idea of running a team is tantalizing, there have to be players at the tryout before cuts can be made. That’s why the Eagles (along with the Wichita Falls, Iowa and Colorado IFL franchises) will be in attendance Oct. 22 from noon-4 p.m. at the D1 Dallas facility, 8081 Walnut Hill Ln, #100, Dallas, TX 75231. Cost is $75.

“I grew up in Oklahoma and I  know about the athletes in Texas,” Austin said. “They bleed football. Texas has the third-most players in the NFL. It won’t be hard for us to find ballplayers.”

If you’re a player or represent one interested in trying out, click here to register. If you’re interested in becoming part of the team braintrust, click here to get started. Either way, Austin wants to welcome as many Screaming Eagles aboard as possible.

“In February 2017, the first fan-run football team will step on the field, built and run by the fans since Day 1,” Austin said. “Coaches and players will be selected by the fans who want to win. The experience has been amazing, and we look forward to sharing this with the world.”

An Agent Against the Tide

10 Monday Oct 2016

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About a month ago, you might have seen it reported that there would be 103 new contract advisors in the 2016 NFLPA agent class. Well, normally, that would be true. But this year, there will be 102.

You won’t find the name of one of the 103 people that passed on the NFLPA’s list of certified player representatives updated on Friday. That’s because this young man, who’s worked with agencies the last few years and has an intimate knowledge of the business, just didn’t see any point to it.

We exchanged a few emails last week, and here’s one he wrote. I asked for his permission to use it, because I thought it was really illustrative of the way many people in the business feel these days.

“Yeah I decided not to register. I’m worried about the future of the business due to the 1.5% default commission. It was extremely difficult to break-even on rookies with the 3% commission as is. Even though there were concerns about the maximum fee dropping to 2% when I registered, I’m not sure I would have even signed up for the test in January had I been aware of the 1.5% default fee. 

“Unfortunately, not everything worked out like I thought it would have, so I decided it wasn’t in my best interests to get certified. Football already had the lowest agent commission fee for any sport, and cutting it in half is insulting to the agents who have invested so much of their time and money into this business. Agents get a bad reputation, but most of them ones I have come across work their asses off for their clients every single day. I am happy that the certification fee is staying in my own pocket.
“Even though I’m not in the business, I hope for the best for the future of NFL agents.”

I don’t have a lot to add to this. I think I’ve made my feelings pretty obvious at this point. I just don’t think the Players Association fully understands the value of good counsel and advice, and the people who provide it, given the direction the union has gone with its new SRA.

I hope I’m wrong. In the meantime, we’ll wait to see how many agents chose not to pay their dues for the 2016-17 league year. Those results will be available in a few weeks.