A QB’s Dilemma

22 Tuesday Dec 2015

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I’m working with the family of a QB who’ll be part of the ’16 draft class, and I had a long conversation with his father today. I thought his perspectives on the coming draft, and what concerns he has for his son, were interesting, and I thought they shed a lot of light on the decision-making process. Without providing specifics that would give the young man away, here are a few observations on our discussion.

  • Marketing is a major concern: We talked at length about the marketing situation that faces his son. As we recounted in last week’s blog post, quarterbacks, receivers and running backs are really the only three positions where a player can make considerable off-the-field money. For this reason, the father is seriously weighing the value of splitting off his son’s marketing work to a firm that specializes in it (normally it’s something that the contract advisor is left to do).
  • What can an agent do?: There’s a perception, especially among lower-rated players, that an agent can get a player drafted much higher than he would without a good agent. Is that true? Yes and no. However, one thing that a good agent can do is get his client to the highest-rated all-star game available, and if the Senior Bowl is attainable, that’s big. That’s a major issue for my friend.
  • Coaches are a major influence: I already beat this drum pretty hard already in this space, but when it comes to the major draft prospects, it’s rare that there’s not some coach offering (usually unsolicited) advice. Some of the coaches have the player’s best interests in mind, but some are getting some form of compensation from interested parties. The hard part is figuring out who’s up to something and who’s trying to help.
  • Training decisions are tricky: When it comes to quarterbacks, release and footwork are critical, and the wrong trainer can come in and try to rework things, just to put their own spin on things. That’s why finding a QB coach who is willing to yield on some things but be forceful and stern on others is pretty important.

Real Talk on Pre-Draft Marketing

17 Thursday Dec 2015

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One thing I’ll admit I don’t know about the pre-draft process is the marketing side of things. With that in mind, I asked a friend in the business (who asked to remain anonymous) to give me a few pointers on the business for the benefit of draft prospects and new agents.

Today, he’ll discuss the pre-draft process solely. The following is what he provided:

Over the last 10-15 years, the NFL has seen an explosion in the marketability of its athletes. For many incoming rookies, especially at the skills positions (QB, RB and WR), marketing money can heavily subsidize or even supersede a rookie’s base salary. However, for many players coming into the league thinking they will make substantial money off the field, their rookie season can be a shocking reality check. Players are faced with many complex decisions and need to remember a few key things when considering how to capitalize on marketing opportunities.

Here are a few tips.

  • Choose the right marketing representative and choose one early: Marketing is primarily about relationships, and you want a marketing rep who has experience — a lot of relationships — and time to foster and grow your potential marketing relationships. For marketable players, many can make money immediately following the expiration of their college eligibility, and in some cases, that money will go away if not earned quickly. Once drafted, every NFL player is forced to sign a general licensing agreement (GLA) with the NFL Players Association that essentially signs over the player’s marketing/licensing rights to the NFLPA. A good marketing rep will know when a player should sign the GLA and which marketing opportunities to take advantage of prior to signing the GLA.
  • Consider hiring a marketing agent: The job of a marketing agent and a contract advisor are two very different ones. Contract advisors are used to dealing with teams, a situation in which decision-makers are well known, player contracts are a business necessity, contract details are public information, and there is a salary cap structure, including salary minimums in place. Because this is a rather involved situation, many contract advisors are simply not equipped with the experience or time available to devote to marketing. The marketing business is different. There, decision-makers are hard to locate, contract details are protected by non-disclosure agreements (and are not public information), player market value is extremely subjective (no salary structures or minimums), and athlete endorsements are definitely not a business necessity. Many of the most marketable players in the NFL keep their agent work and marketing separate for this reason.
  • Don’t get tied down: There are a couple situations that can complicate your career if you’re not careful. In some cases, agents or agencies will try to entice players by using marketing advances, which can be tied to money reimbursement or binding contracts that are difficult to escape and which can be harmful to players. Also, at times, agencies will leverage the marketability of their best players to enhance the marketing value of others, damaging the value of their best players. It is very important that when deciding on a marketing rep, you make sure your rep is dedicated to maximizing your marketing potential.
  • Get informed: It’s also important to educate yourself on realistic marketing opportunities. Skill-position players are going to make the most money off the field as rookies, primarily on trading card and memorabilia deals, while non-skills position players are going to have to be proactive and patient. For some players, trading card and memorabilia money will be the only marketing opportunities they have as a rookie, and can be quite lucrative. One of the most important things a rookie can do to maximize the money he makes off the field is to sign your trading cards and return them on time. In addition to trading card and memorabilia deals, there will be a few opportunities for certain players to initiate partnerships with shoe companies, NFL sponsors, team sponsors and other regional companies.

 

An Open Letter to the Bubble Draft Prospect

15 Tuesday Dec 2015

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Every year, I work with dozens of players that are draft hopefuls and/or their parents. Some are top prospects and some are much lower rated. Some get the unique situation they are in, and the effort it will take to get to the next level. On the other hand, some seem to think it will all take care of itself, and that time is on their side.

Today, I want to address the player who hopes to be drafted, but knows in his heart it’s a long shot, and furthermore, knows just getting to an NFL camp will be a challenge.

First of all, there’s no shame in being a fringe draft prospect. You are already well ahead of most football players out there, and even though all those around you have already seen you as a future NFL star, there will be no shame if you don’t make it. That said, I think there are some mistakes that you can avoid this time of year that will help your cause. I’ll list them here.

  • We’re a little less than three weeks away from the unofficial/official start of combine prep for the 2016 NFL draft. It’s not a big deal if you wind up training somewhere other than a splashy, sun-drenched facility. But it’s very important that you take steps in the next 10-15 days to have a plan for training, no matter where that is.
  • You may have gotten minimal interest from agents this year, far less than you were expecting. You may be hurt or angry, but don’t let that stop you from aggressively finding representation in the next week or two. Some big-name players may put off selecting an agent, but you don’t have that luxury. You need someone working for you right now.
  • Avoid the temptation to look at the next four months as a time when you might prove you can’t play in the NFL. You don’t have that luxury. You need to look at the next 120 days as an endless audition. You’ve got to move past the 10-15 players at your position that are in the same boat you’re in. If you don’t, there’s a chance you don’t get into a camp.

Now for a brief plug. You are very close to doing something very cool in life that few get to do. I realize that in 2015, there’s a perception that anything worth finding is available for free on the Internet. Well, that’s not true. The highly detailed, highly nuanced counsel associated with helping someone get into the NFL is something that only ITL does. We are not an agency, but we will help you get the kind of agent you need as soon as possible. It’s a critical part of the process for you. We’d love to help.

Best wishes to you. I hope you have the best of luck this spring, and that one way or another, your dreams come true.

Good luck!

Neil Stratton and everyone at ITL.

More Innovation and Opportunity for ’16

14 Monday Dec 2015

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I’ve been pretty complimentary of the things Craig Redd and Jose Jefferson are doing with the College Gridiron Showcase, an event that will give ’16 draft hopefuls an audience with NFL scouts without breaking the game’s bank. Still, Craig and Jose aren’t the only ones trying to give young players a platform.

Michael Quartey ran the FCS National Bowl earlier this month. Though the players participating must cover a game fee (around $600) plus their travel, there were 13 NFL teams in attendance for a contest that featured the Dolphins’ placekicker, Rensselaer Tech’s Andrew Franks, last year. This month, he’s back with another chance for players to impress with the first-ever Tropic Bowl next month in Miami. What’s interesting is that Michael isn’t content to run the game with his own expertise and contacts. He’s brought in former NFL and CFL scout Ken Moll as well as Austin Atkinson, who was formerly a central part of the hugely successful Medal of Honor Bowl in Charleston, SC, which just converted to a traditional bowl format.

I sent Michael a few questions this weekend, and he responded with the answers. I’ve gotten several agents who’ve been asking about the contest, so I thought I’d present those answers here.

Let’s start with the name of the game, its location, its format (just practices? Combine included? Game too?), and how many players will be participating.

“The FBS-level Tropic Bowl all-star game will take place Sunday, Jan. 17, at 1 p.m. at North Miami Athletic Stadium in Miami, Fla. The practice schedule will be the same as our FCS Bowl, and includes two days of practices and one game day starting Friday, Jan. 15, with practice at Florida International University’s (FIU) practice field, a grass surface.

“There is no combine included with the Tropic Bowl. Approximately 80-100 players will participate in the game, and our coaches have been with us for 5-plus years, so they will keep implementing a quick-learning playbook that has helped many of our other alumni get into camps.”

What is your football background and background organizing and running all-star games?

“East Preps is going into its seventh year of putting on successful all-star games and combines. I’m a former certified NFL contract advisor for a number of years and have organized the National Bowl and FCS Bowl at FIU, which had 13 NFL teams in attendance last week at FIU Stadium.”

What will be covered by the game’s organizers? (food, lodging, travel, jerseys, etc.)

“The Tropic Bowl will cover the three-day event, including food and game jersey but not travel to the game or lodging while here. Also, equipment will not be provided. We are not a big-budget game, and compared to the rising costs of player representation and training, booking a flight and a hotel room for the player to get some more film and to be scouted is minimal compared to the potential gains.”

How many NFL team commitments do you have? How many do you expect?

“We just had 13 NFL teams at our FCS / National Bowl and have just finalized our staff including experienced Deputy Director of Player Personnel Austin Atkinson of the Medal of Honor Bowl, along with 13-year NFL scout Ken Moll, so we will start getting commitments from teams starting Tuesday as we send info to the league. Although it’s our first year, we expect a decent turnout of scouts. We already have some great player commitments, and NFL scouts will only need to travel to Florida three days before the East-West Shrine Game reporting day (in St. Petersburg, Fla.).”

How does this game differ from the FCS/National Bowls that you ran in December?

“Our FCS / National Bowl featured top talent from Non-FBS Schools and is not a sponsored event. The Tropic Bowl is partially sponsored by NFL Draft Blitz and our training partner, Genetics Athletics. The game will not be held at FIU Stadium in order to keep the game costs lower and make the game sustainable to grow over time. Hopefully, we can grow our sponsorship in the next five years for this game.”

Why should a player attend your game over the other bowl games?

“In a time where bowl games open and close regularly, the Tropic Bowl will give players an opportunity to get scouted and interviewed and play in a great game with players from across the country, and there is no fee for FBS-level players. If a players plays, lives, or trains in Florida, it is a big plus, as it’s a short drive away. The Tropic Bowl will not be about bells and whistles, but rather players getting film, getting scouted, getting interviewed, and just playing football!”

 

For agents who don’t like to think outside the box, this might not be the right game. But for other contract advisors (and their clients) who are willing to take a small risk, this might be just the right opportunity. For more information, email fbsbowl@yahoo.com or call 609-367-2911.

For Your Consideration: ’16 Draft Edition

10 Thursday Dec 2015

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Last season around the end of this month, we featured a handful of players that were as yet unsigned with agents and, we thought, promising. Two of the four in that article landed with NFL teams the following spring and had extended runs, and both remain on rosters.

The first post was so well-received that we trotted out another batch the following week. One of them made it to a camp and another to a prominent all-star game. In all, we worked with 10 players and six got into camp, at the least. Though none are necessarily slated for a Pro Bowl, making a 90-man roster is no small achievement for these young men and something they should be proud of.

This year, we’ve decided to go off script a bit (yes, we still owe you a WSW for this week, sorry) and post a handful of deserving players a little earlier, hoping it gets them the attention from agents that they seek. We’re all about putting good, deserving players with good contract advisors whenever possible.

As always, there’s this disclaimer: the following players are certainly no lock to be drafted, nor to make a camp. Still, we think they certainly bear consideration and feel that though they aren’t without flaws, they are certainly on scouts’ radars, or will be soon. They are presented in alphabetical order.

Brian Berzanski, OT, Central Missouri: Brian’s not getting a lot of pub, and that’s a little puzzling given that he’s essentially a four-year starter at a super-glam position, left tackle. He probably lacks classic height for the position, and there’s no denying he comes from a small school, but as one scout once told me, when it comes to offensive linemen, they almost have to prove they can’t play. There’s a true scarcity when it comes to players that are around 6-5 and 300-plus. They’re not so sexy, but who cares? They tend to play a long time.

Ryan Burbrink, WO/KR, Bowling Green: Look, Ryan isn’t big (5-8, 183), he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers his senior year, and slot guys aren’t sexy. And Ryan’s got ‘slot guy’ written all over him, but hey, what’s wrong if he develops into the next Amendola, Welker or Edelman? What’s even better is that he returns punts. When you’re talking about players that are going to fight to make a roster (even a 90), they better have special teams encoded in their DNA. That won’t be a problem with Burbrink. And if you’re asking, why didn’t he get 1,000 yards receiving or 100 catches, understand that Bowling Green had a four-deep receiving corps that would be the envy of most BCS schools.

James Harris, QB, California (PA): Harris is interesting because he has an FBS background, only not in football but in baseball. His athleticism is not in doubt, and he’s just tall enough to check all the boxes, though he’s off the radar because he’s a little on the old side and, of course, did all of his damage on the D2 level. Still, he’s got lots of upside and teams are always looking for quarterbacks. He’s also in the running for a postseason all-star game, which could give him a chance to impress NFL teams.

If any of these players interest you, and you’re an ITL client, let us know. We’re happy to pass along contact info so you can begin a dialogue.

 

Inside the College Advisory Committee (Pt. 2)

09 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Today, though it’s War Story Wednesday, let’s continue our conversation with Cara Luterek, whose extensive experience in the NFL’s personnel office includes plenty of time with the College Advisory Committee that reviews juniors and redshirt sophomores’ requests for a draft status review.

As always, my questions are followed by Cara’s answers. They indicate that the league takes this process seriously and doesn’t simply try to discourage players with negative grades.

How early can a request be submitted? How many players typically submit their names?

Any time following the completion of a player’s regular college football season. Approximately 185-200 the past few years.

I’ve always heard that there is a set number of rotating teams whose representatives evaluate the names submitted. Is this true? How many teams are part of this rotation? How long is a team on this rotation? Does a team typically use a director-level scout for this? A combine scout? Up to the team?

All 32 NFL teams are represented on the Committee, as well as National Football Scouting and BLESTO. Each team’s representative is a senior level personnel evaluator, whether it is the General Manager, Vice President of Player Personnel, or Director of College Scouting.  Each player request is assigned to a minimum of four NFL teams, as well as NFS and BLESTO, for a total of 6 grades. After grades are submitted to the NFL office through an internal website, the player personnel department looks for a consensus, not an average. Additional teams are asked to submit grades if there is not a clear consensus.

Have you ever had any coaches, or anyone affiliated with a school, intimate that ‘the kid isn’t ready’ or ‘he’s crazy to do this’ and maybe try to influence you to rate the kid poorly?

There have been instances where a college coach expresses concern that a player is not ready for the NFL or is making a poor decision, but never to influence the committee.

Has anyone ever ‘appealed’ their grade? Have you ever gotten pushback from a player or team based on the information you returned to them?

There were instances when players clearly thought they would be evaluated more highly than the grade the Committee returned or did not agree with a grade. However, the NFL office always asked for additional grades on any player that had a wide range or who was bordering on rounds. Despite the player’s shock, many times he ended up being drafted exactly where the Committee projected.

Inside the College Advisory Committee (Pt. 1)

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

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The NFL’s College Advisory Committee is the group that annually accepts applications from college juniors and redshirt sophomores seeking guidance on whether or not they should enter the draft early. Though they’re often criticized in football circles for not always being accurate about their predictions, the results tell a very different story.

As players this time of year are weighing their fortunes pretty heavily, we talked to Cara Luterek about the nuts and bolts of the process. Cara spent more than a decade working in the NFL’s personnel office, with a special focus on the committee. That means she knows what she’s doing when it comes to the process, so we asked her about it. Our questions and her answers follow.

What’s the process for submitting a request? Who does it go to? Is there one specific point of contact? Must it be submitted via a specific protocol (In writing? Fill out a certain form? Faxed to a certain number)?

Eligible underclassmen may request a CAC evaluation after the conclusion of their respective college football regular seasons. A player must submit an evaluation request through his head coach, pro liaison, or (director of football operations). The college official submits the request electronically through a league office website. Players must also sign a printed form and that page is uploaded to the website as well.

Who (specifically) can apply for a player’s draft advisory board review? Does it have to be a certain person (i.e., relative, coach, school administrator)? Can an agent do it on a player’s behalf (I get a lot of questions about this)?

All requests must be submitted by the player’s head coach or a representative on his behalf — typically the college’s pro liaison or (director of football operations). If a player contacts the NFL office directly, he will be instructed to go through his college. An agent should direct the player to speak with his head coach or liaison.

Does the number of requests typically increase as the deadline nears? Lots of procrastination?

The requests typically come in on a rolling basis. In past years, additional requests do come in toward the end. Sometimes media attention or teammates receiving evaluations back sparks additional requests.

How long does a grade typically take? Does it take longer the later the request is submitted?

Grades are returned by the committee on a rolling basis. It may take 10 days or longer. Requests that are submitted early are typically returned quickly. NFL personnel evaluators may have more flexibility in early December with the college season ending than they do in later December with bowl games.

More about the process tomorrow.

More Insights from ex-NFL Scout Dan Hatman

07 Monday Dec 2015

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Last Wednesday, we featured Dan Hatman, who founded The Scouting Academy to help teach the fundamentals of evaluation to people whose one desire is to become NFL scouts. Though our interview focused on the exciting program the Academy will host at this year’s Senior Bowl, there are always things that don’t make it into a post. Often, those are some of the most interesting things an interviewee has to say.

With that in mind, I thought I’d focus on some of the insights Dan had on the scouting profession and the direction of the business for those folks who are looking for an edge. I’ll also add comments on Dan’s thoughts.

Dan: “I left the Eagles in Spring of 2013, a couple months into (head coach) Chip (Kelly)’s tenure, when I had an idea for Dynamic Sports Solutions. We were building software to value players, to take what the scouts do and run it through algorithms behind the scenes to evaluate the player.”

Analysis: Even though Dan had a job in the NFL, he was thinking of ways to address weaknesses in the business and identifying  markets. The tendency of a lot of people, once they reach the NFL, is to say, ‘well, I made it.’ That’s foolish, for a couple reasons. One, you’ll never advance if you are satisfied with where you are. Two, when you’re in the NFL, you better always be preparing for when you’re not in the NFL. It’s a volatile business.

Dan: “While guys were writing code (for Dynamic Sports Solutions) . . . I put up a post on Work in Sports, and said I’d be willing to help people that want to learn scouting, and I got 100 applications. That’s when the light bulb went off that people might pay for this.”

Analysis: I know I hammer on this point here at Succeed in Football, but if you ever want to get paid to work in sports, you’re going to have to start out working for free for a time. There are simply too many talented people with a strong desire to work in football to comb through, so you have to pay your dues (maybe several times) by providing your work for free. That may be in college, may be early in your post-college career, or may be much later in life. It’s the price of getting a chance.

Dan: “Scouting used to be former coaches who weren’t good at the X’s and O’s, or were of a certain age, and they’d be turned into scouts. But in the last 10 years, they’re hiring nothing but people under 25 who don’t have families, and they’re willing to work for $17,000 and no benefits. I made $17,000 with no benefits for a year. That’s intern pay. I made $18,000 for the Eagles. Once you’re full-time, you break the $40,000-$50,000 barrier, which is first-year scout pay. Once you have more than five years, you’re around $75,000, and directors are making six figures.”

Analysis: This is truth, and good info about the salary expectations if you’re looking to get into scouting. You have to work a long while to get into real money.

 

WSW: Finding and Filling a Need

02 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Dan Hatman was in his 20s, working as a pro scout for the Eagles, a few short years after making $17,000 a year (with no benefits) as an intern, when he realized there was a need for The Scouting Academy.

“It was 2012, and we were in camp with the Eagles. We had seven interns in camp. One had worked for a football team, one was a college player, and one had a crazy story who’s now the Director of Player Personnel at a major university.

“The back end of the (90-man camp roster) was hammered with injuries, and we were having trouble keeping our defensive line healthy and working that third unit. We had exhausted the (undrafted free agent) pool, and we needed to scout the (Arena Football League) for guys, so we got AFL film and had to grind that. These seven had made it through the door, and they didn’t know what to look for in a defensive lineman. While they’re watching the film, they liked sacks and size, but (we) needed a guy who could look for the mechanics. We (the Eagles) wanted a guy that wouldn’t get other players injured. The mechanisms we were looking for . . . what kind of athletic ability did they need? What kind of size?

“(Most of the interns) didn’t have a baseline for comparison, and they brought me a list of 25 guys that they thought could make it.”

The fact that seven people working for an NFL team — people that were barely removed from the scouting department — identified 25 players from the AFL that they thought could play pro football was an epiphany for Hatman.

“We ended up finding one guy, and we brought him in,” Hatman said. “Anyway, it was illuminating to me. I had seven human beings at my disposal, and we needed one guy for a week or two, and we still almost couldn’t find any.

“So I started asking myself, how do you do this online? The more people I talked to, the more people jumped at the cause, and wanted people coming in to be better developed.”

It was just a few months later that Hatman founded The Scouting Academy. Today, the Academy boasts of several big NFL names (former Bears GM Jerry Angelo, Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and former Browns head coach Chris Palmer among them) that help the Academy’s students learn X’s and O’s from people who do it for a living.

In January, at the 2016 Senior Bowl, Hatman will take 30 Scouting Academy students to Mobile, Ala., to spend a week watching film, grading the players and networking. Fifteen of those in attendance will be from the Academy’s rolls, and 15 more will be former NFL players learning the ropes so they, too, can one day become part of an NFL team’s war room.

“Our hope is that we can take those guys that have that passion (for scouting), so that if they get that chance, they have the tools to do it well,” Hatman said.

 

Relating the Draft and League Success

01 Tuesday Dec 2015

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If you read this blog regularly, you know we’ve spent some time studying the correlation between a team’s total draftees active in the league (on their own roster or otherwise) and its year-to-year success. With the season about two-thirds done, let’s review the totals and try to match draft success with won-loss records.

We’ll analyze the teams in the top third, the middle third, and the bottom third.

Top third: 49ers (59); Packers (57); Steelers (52); Ravens, Bengals and Eagles (50); Vikings and Seahawks (49); and Chiefs (48).

Analysis: The Seahawks and Packers (who share a draft methodology, by the way) are known throughout the league for finding solid players throughout the draft and gems in the latter rounds, and that has been reflected in both teams’ consistent play over the last decade. The big surprise is that the Niners lead the league in this category, suggesting that though the team may move on from head coach Jim Tomsula after the season, GM Trent Baalke and his staff should remain safe. For what that’s worth. Meanwhile, the Vikings have obviously been taking care of business on draft day, and the emergence of Paul Zimmer as head coach, plus the return of A.P., have allowed the team to put it all together.

Middle third: Cardinals, Cowboys, Broncos, Texans and Titans (47); Bills and Patriots (46); Dolphins (45); and Panthers, Browns, Jets, Raiders and Rams (44).

Analysis: I’ve spoken to teams that have decried the Patriots’ drafts, though the team remains a constant Super Bowl contender; this probably shows the huge impact a top-flight QB can make on a team (and why teams are constantly chasing prospects at the position). Similarly, Cam Newton (and Luke Kuechly) have taken the Panthers upon their backs despite the team’s lack of talent on offense.

Bottom third: Lions (43); Saints and Chargers (40); Falcons (39); Bears and Jaguars (38); Bucs (37); Colts (35); Redskins (33); and Giants (30).

Analysis: The Lions made a change at GM (and made the surprising admission that the team hadn’t worked hard enough in evaluation) already this season. The Bears and Redskins made a change at GM before this season, and the Bucs before the ’14 season. Meanwhile, the Falcons stripped personnel responsibilities from GM Thomas Dimitroff before this season. The Jags’ David Caldwell and Colts’ Tom Telesco are in Year 3, and Colts’ Ryan Grigson is in Year 4.  Saints GM Mickey Loomis and Giants GM Jerry Reese have both been at their posts for a comparable eternity. It will be interesting to see if any of these teams make changes at the end of the month.