• Aaron Curry, LB, Seattle Seahawks (4th overall pick) – Octagon
• Andre Smith, T, Cincinnati Bengals (6th overall pick) – GMG Sports (Alvin Keels)
• Eugene Monroe, T, Jacksonville Jaguars (8th overall pick) – 320 Sports
• B.J. Raji, DL, Green Bay Packers (9th overall pick) – Athletes First
• Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers (10th overall pick) – Maximum Sports (Eugene Parker)
• Aaron Maybin, DE, Buffalo Bills (11th overall pick) – BEST (Blue Equity)

Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the company with the most amount of first-round selections (9), has all of its clients in camp with Malcolm Jenkins putting pen to paper on a 5-year, $19 million deal.  While the rest of the agencies listed are hoping to get exorbitant contracts for their clients, to use the figures in their recruitment packages for the 2010 class of draft-eligible players, CAA can boast that not only did the company have the highest number of first-round picks, but got them all signed before other big companies like Athletes First and Octagon, small companies with 1 first-round pick like 320 Sports, and signed their boys for good money.  You better believe that Todd France of FAAM will be using the same strategy on the recruitment trail over the next year.

Which method will win out?  The agents who have their clients holdout/threaten to sit out a year well into training camp, or those who get their boys signed for good money and get their boys into camp before the middle of August?

Football

• Eli Manning poised to become the highest-paid player in league history in the next month or so? [It's time for the Giants to pay Eli].
• Instead, Ochocinco should release a cage of blue birds after his first touchdown in ‘09 [NFL Says “No” to Players Tweeting During Games].

Baseball

• First Andy Oliver, now this [Oklahoma St. faces major rules violation].

Basketball

• The NBPA does not charge any commission [Stephon Marbury Uses Players' Association to represent him as Free Agent].

Sports Agents

• Ralph Cindrich has a nice view [Couple move toward culture of Downtown life].
• I was interning with CS&E when they first brought in Menocal [Menocal's northeast Georgia exploits to last forever in Hall of Fame].
• Commercial is corny, but I’m sure Rosenhaus got paid well by the Panthers [Panthers reduce season ticket prices on thousands of BankAtlantic Center seats].
• Dubbed one of the hottest up and coming agents in the industry [Young Enough:The story of NFL agent Alvin Keels].

Social Networking

• How can this site be utilized? [Jockipedia: A Social Media Database of Pro Athletes].

More recently, Anquan Boldin dropped Drew Rosenhaus for Tom Condon and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).  And yesterday, Cardinals GM Rod Graves expressed his excitement to work with Boldin’s new agents. 

Asked if there would be enough money under the salary cap to sign Boldin this year, Graves said, “It will have some challenges. There’s certainly cause for some give and take and creativity on both sides, but Tom’s been noted for that. Again, I just look forward to sitting with him and we’ll find out where we are at that point.”

I never saw a quote like that from Graves when Rosenhaus was on the other side of the negotiation table.

It seems as though GMs and other team personnel definitely play favorites when it comes to sports agents.  While Graves and others might place Condon over Rosenhaus, does it necessarily mean anything?  As long as the agent gets his client the best deal possible, quotes in an article don’t mean a thing to me.

The Andre Smith sweepstakes is over.  For now.  The newest winner (if that’s what you want to call it): Alvin Keels of Global Management Group (GMG).  Just as a recap, here is how Andre has chewed up and spit out agents thus far (in chronological order).

1. DeBartolo Sports
2. GMG
3. Priority Sports

And now he’s back with Keels and GMG.  But wasn’t Smith supposed to actually be re-signing with Priority after firing the company prematurely?  That’s what his one time agent, Rick Smith, had thought.  On May 14, Rick Smith of Priority was saying that Andre Smith decided not to fire Priority Sports and that the Smiths were still tight.  Meanwhile, Alvin Keels was asking for his Twitter fans to root him on in winning back Andre Smith as a client. Rick Smith did not believe it (or did not tell the press he believed it) at the time, but Andre was not coming back to Priority.

Rick Smith is not happy.  Here is what he had to say to ProFootballTalk.com yesterday,

“In regards to Andre Smith, we are moving forward and devoting all of our attention on the high character, hard working and honest clients of Priority Sports.

“We were asked to come in at the last minute to provide credibility to his draft status and we succeeded in that task.  Soon after the draft, Andre Smith became a tremendous distraction to our company.  What we have subsequently determined is that Andre Smith does not match the culture of Priority Sports and the character of the clients we take so much pride in representing.

“This will be our final statement on this matter.”

Is this a hit at A) Andre Smith B) Alvin Keels or C) All of the Above.  I pick answer C.  Should we expect a response from Mr. Keels?  Will it be made from his Twitter account?

And wait, Priority just now found out that Andre Smith might have character issues?  Also, what are your thoughts on agencies/agents making these types of public statements?  Does the statement do more to help or harm Rick Smith and Priority Sports?

Yesterday, I reported that Andre Smith dropped his third agent (Rick Smith of Priority Sports) and rumor had it that he was planning on re-signing one-time agent of Smith’s, Alvin Keels.  By the afternoon, the world was once again turned on its head.

Rick Smith was proclaiming that Andre Smith decided not to fire Priority Sports and that the Smiths were still tight.  Meanwhile, at around 2 p.m. EST, Alvin Keels was using his new Twitter toy.  He wrote, “How about this Andre Smith story? I’m in a heated battle right now to win his business back. We are in the bottom of the 9th. Root me on!“  According to Rick Smith, the game was postponed, because Andre is not leaving.

Hopefully, Jim Trotter, the guy who originally broke the story of Andre Smith dropping Priority Sports and later informed everyone that Smith would be re-signing the company, is less confused than I am.  Once we figure something out, I am sure Andre will shake things up again…he would not be my favorite 332 lb. person without those crazy antics of his.  For the meantime, until Andre Smith officially informs the NFLPA that he is rescinding his termination of Priority Sports, the 5-day waiting period before Smith can hire a new agent will run.  If by Friday Andre Smith has not yet re-signed Rick Smith and Priority, Andre will be able to sign with Alvin Keels or any other NFLPA agent that he likes on that particular day.

If I were partaking in some NFL football betting, I’d say that Andre has a lot of people talking in his ears right now.  In fact, I don’t think he’s close to making up his mind on who to select.  One day it could be Keels, the next, Rick Smith.  The fact that I have no idea how this will turn out is exactly why I stay away from sports betting.

All I know is that Eddie DeBartolo must be laughing his ass off watching everything that has gone down since Smith originally moved on to Keels.

Before Bowl season, he was listed as the best Offensive Lineman going into the 2009 NFL Draft.  Then he was banned from playing in the Sugar Bowl for apparently having dealing with an agent (which is a big no-no when you are a collegiate athlete).  Even though Smith was suspended from what would probably have been the most important single game of his young career, no one thought that it would take any toll on his draft stock.

The winner of the Andre Smith sweepstakes was Alvin Keels and Global Management Group.  Many rumors had been circulating that Todd France and FAAM were the favorites, but Keels came out on top.  For the time being.  I doubt that Keels knew what he was getting into when the talented O-Lineman signed with his company.  Andre Smith ended up showing at the NFL Combine unfit to perform, refused to participate, and then fled the scene.  To make matters worse, the picture above came out and the press was eating it up.

Then Smith scored a 17 on his Wonderlic Test.  And then, with only days remaining before the NFL Draft, Smith dropped Keels in favor of Priority Sports.  Somehow, some way, Smith was a top 10 pick.  His thanks to Priority Sports was a big middle finger.  Yesterday, Jim Trotter of SI.com reported that Smith dropped Priority Sports and guess who Smith is apparently going to hire to fill the void…Alvin Keels.

This is what Keels had to say in response:

“I haven’t been rehired yet,” Keels told us via e-mail.  “Honestly, I might not get him back.  If I do get him back it definitely wasn’t planned that he fire then rehire me.”

But who fires an agent only to re-hire him later? Oh wait, apparently Jeremy Shockey is in the midst of doing the same thing with Rosenhaus Sports Representation as we speak.

Interestingly, Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague.com reports that even before Smith first hired Keels, he was with DeBartolo Sports.  That means that once Smith officially signs with a new agent (or a new agent who also happens to be a former agent), it will be the fourth time he has signed on the dotted line.  Andre Smith has still not taken a snap in a professional game.

• CAA clients Matthew Stafford, Jason Smith, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Knowshon Moreno, Brian Orakpo, Malcolm Jenkins, Brian Cushing, Josh Freeman, and Jeremy Maclin were selected in the first round.  CAA’s nine first round selections beat their 2008 record of six clients picked up in the first-round.  Most impressive about the nine CAA draft picks this year is that they were all taken between picks 1-19.  Talk about some big commissions!  It must have been interesting to be a member of the CAA crew when it had four of its clients picked in a row (12-15, starting with Moreno and ending with Cushing).
• It looks like Andre Smith might have received a nice boost by switching agents.  For the past few months, Andre was the talk of the town, for all the wrong reasons.  Days before the draft, he switched from GMG Sports to Priority Sports and made his way back into being a top ten pick (going to the Bengals at #6).  Maybe the Bengals had their eyes on him all along.  We will never know, but this will definitely help Priority land clients in the future and will undoubtedly be used against Alvin Keels and GMG Sports.
• Before the draft, I mentioned that CAA had a remote possibility of having 11 of its clients selected in the first round; 9 is nothing to complain about.  I also said that Octagon, BEST, Athletes First, and FAAM had the best chance at being runner-up.  It looks like that honor will go to Athletes First.  The company had 5 clients taken in the first-round: Mark Sanchez, B.J. Raji, Clay Matthews, Donald Brown, and Eric Wood.  Interestingly, Matthews, Brown, and Wood were all taken in a row as well (26-28).
• Third place in first-round selections is a tie between Octagon and FAAM (both had 3 selections).  FAAM was helped by the early selection of Kenny Britt by the Titans at #30.  Six WRs were taken in the first round this year after none were taken in the 1st last year.  Octagon’s Cutty, Pettigrew, and Hood make up the company’s 3 clients selected in the 1st.
• BEST, Maxximum Sports, and BC Sports followed up the pack by having two clients each taken in the 1st.  BEST was happy that Percy did not slip to the 2nd after the failed drug test, BC Sports had both of its clients go back to back (and they both went to the same school – Ole Miss), and Maxximum Sports had both of its guys go top 10 (Tyson Jackson and Michael Crabtree).
• Last, Al Davis loves speed.  Go find next year’s track star and call Oakland’s front office on Monday

MMA

• Gary Wimsett expands his online presence and has a great interview with Jens Pulver [No Rest for the Wicked: Jens Pulver Fights for the Little Guy].

Basketball

• Jason Belzer looks at some young college coaches who have tons of talent [Young Guns: 3 Top Under-the-Radar College Assistants].

Golf

• From WMA to IMG [Wie to get ‘fresh start’ with IMG].

Football

• The last of the big-name inside linebacker free agents has been signed [Peterson, Falcons ink deal].
• A $16.6 million pay cut for the former #1 overall pick [Smith reworks last 2 years of deal].
• Nothing that $100 million can’t fix, right? [Haynesworth indicted on traffic charges]
• Do Trace Armstrong’s connections to CAA have you concerned about him being a candidate? [Contentious campaign, critical vote for NFLPA's top job]
• It only keeps getting worse for Alvin Keels.  I cannot imagine the amount of stress he is under [Alabama’s Tubby, Shirtless Wonder, Andre Smith].

Sports Agents

• Bruce Ciskie has doubts about Bus Cook [Is Bus Cook a Troublemaker?]

Baseball

• One of those “great stories” [Lester lands five-year extension with Red Sox].

• Alvin Keels and Joel Segal got DeAngelo Hall $54 million ($22.5 million guaranteed) in a 6-year deal with the Redskins.
• The Redskins have already spent a lot not only on Hall, but also on Albert Haynesworth.  Chad Speck got his client a 7-year deal worth a maximum of $115 million if he remains with the team all 7 years and meets all performance bonus clauses ($41 million is guaranteed, including $32 million in the first 13-months of the contract).  Is there still a salary cap in the NFL?  At least the Skins don’t have to worry about Jason Taylor taking money away from the cap (he was released).
• If he knew about this website, Sage Rosenfels would be a fan of our Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up.  For the time being, he will be counting his money that the Minnesota Vikings offered him.  Rick Smith got his client a 2-year deal worth $9 million.  Not bad for a guy who does not have the starting job wrapped up in Minnesota.
• Kenneth Vierra did not instruct his client, Chris Kemoeatu, to sign with whatever team presented the most money to his client.  Instead, Kemoeatu accepted a $20 million, 5-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers (including $6 million guaranteed), and passed up a bigger offer from the New York Jets.
• Will Cedric Benson be the starting RB for the Cincinnati Bengals?  Who knows?  What we do know is that Eugene Parker was able to get Benson a 2-year, $7 million deal.
• The Bengals also agreed to terms with Laveranues Coles.  Roosevelt Barnes is happy to see his client join Ocho Cinco.  Barnes also helped structure the 4-year, $28 million contract.
• No one will be competing for the starting inside linebacker position on the Baltimore Ravens.  Ray Lewis tested the free-agent market and did not like what he saw.  Or maybe he just loves being a Raven.  He re-signed with the team, while teammate, Bart Scott, signed with the Jets.
• And last, but not least, some guy that goes by T.O. signed with the Buffalo Bills.  Terrell Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, accepted a 1-year, $6.5 million deal.  It is a little bit colder in Buffalo than Dallas.

I once looked at the various similarities between myself and Keels.  We both work out of home, started our agencies in our early twenties, and owned promotions companies while students in college.  When I wrote the article almost exactly a year ago, Johnson and Keels seemed to have a great relationship.  Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports found out straight from Keels that the relationship has recently turned sour.  LJ must hold off on hiring a new agent until five days after the termination of representation was made official by the NFLPA.