Here is a strong paragraph from Jackson’s article:

It no longer is about why some sports agents from outside of the ‘hood are continually allowed to “visit” and take talent without essentially giving anything back. It’s about how it’s been eight years since Eugene Parker negotiated a contract for Larry Fitzgerald to make Fitzgerald then the highest-paid rookie in NFL history; but, of the 96 players (76 of whom are African-American) chosen in the first rounds of the 2009, 2010 and 2011 NFL drafts, only 18 were represented by black agents. That’s 18.75 percent representation. Barely above the 15.62 percent representation of black head coaches in the League.

Visit and take?  I am not sure that Jackson uses the most accurate language in his piece, but then again, the words he chooses are purposefully inserted to prove his subjective point.  I do not believe that talent is “taken” from the hood.  Instead, talent actively seeks to leave the hood and looks for good representation (or a short-sighted handout).  No one put a gun to players’ heads and told them they have to sign with white/latin/Jewish agents.  But central to Jackson’s piece is what he views as black athletes looking past, over and around black agents, which he considers to be an epidemic.

I find it rather interesting that to prove his point, he cites Greg Townsend as an example.

As the story was told by former NFL agent Josh Luchs in a piece for Sports Illustrated called “Confessions of an Agent,” Townsend, while playing for the Raiders, befriended a ball boy. The ball boy, Luchs, got in good with the player. Townsend even had the kid drop a urine sample for him to help him try to pass an NFL drug test. (Townsend eventually was suspended for testing positive and wasn’t able to use the ball boy’s sample.) In Townsend’s mind, the ball boy, all of 19 years old at the time, seemed to “care about the players” and because of that — and the fact that the kid was a “New York Jewish guy” just like Raiders owner Al Davis — Townsend suggested that the ball boy become his agent.

Accurate statement, except for the fact that Luchs co-represented Townsend with a black agent.  Jackson went to great lengths to take away any ounce of credit from the “New York Jewish guy” without doing an ounce of research to realize that the Jewish guy worked with an established black agent.

I agree with Jackson when he states that white agents do not owe black folks or the black community anything.  There is no obligation.  However, I am blind to the epidemic Jackson speaks of.  Perhaps it is because I am neither black nor from the hood, but I highly doubt that.  Next time, Jackson should actually interview black players and ask them why they chose white agents over black agents.  My guess is that it had little to nothing to do with race, and mostly was based on track record, expertise, and quite possibly some of the up-front “gifts” we read about so often.

Scoop Jackson Misses The Mark On His “African American Agent Epidemic” Article from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Bryant was selected by the Dallas Cowboys as the #24 overall pick in 2010.  The Cowboys signed him to a five year contract worth up to $11.8 million, including $8.5 million guaranteed.  With many years left in his rookie contract, Bryant has fired Parker and signed with Drew Rosenhaus of Rosenhaus Sports Representation.

Rosenhaus just seems to have a knack for scooping up players prior to them signing their second contracts (where the real money starts to be made).  Don’t be surprised if you start to hear about negotiations between Bryant and the Cowboys regarding the renegotiation of Bryant’s rookie contract.

On To The Next One: Dez Bryant from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

File this under absolute mess.  Seriously.  This legitimately bothers me.  Here comes a necessary LeSean McCoy timeline:

• 10/10/11 – I reported that LeSean McCoy fired Drew Rosenhaus the prior week (including filing the NFLPA paperwork officially terminate the relationship), but rescinded the paperwork within 24 hours and decided to stay with Rosenhaus.
• 10/11/11 – I noted that LeSean McCoy was rumored to have been influenced by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Mike Vick, to leave Rosenhaus and sign with Vick’s agent, Joel Segal of Lagardère Unlimited.
• 11/7/11 – LeSean McCoy again fired Rosenhaus.
• 11/13/11 – Philly Sports Daily reported that McCoy has re-signed Rosenhaus once again.

Quite a few people have stated that McCoy interviewed agents Joel Segal, J.R. Rickert and Eugene Parker during the most recent period that McCoy fired Rosenhaus.  All along, I had assumed that McCoy would end up with Segal, but in a move that no one could have predicted, McCoy will apparently go back to being a Rosenhaus client for the third time in his short career.

I spoke to one individual with a major agency in an effort to confirm that McCoy has, in fact, gone back to Rosenhaus.  He said that from everything he understands, McCoy is once again a Rosenhaus Sports Representation client, and added, “what a mess.”  Agreed.

LeSean McCoy Is On To The Same One (Drew Rosenhaus) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

I had been hearing rumors of a switch of representation for New York Jets tightend Dustin Keller for a couple of weeks now, but could not get it confirmed.  Luckily, Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal did the dirty work and had Drew Rosenhaus admit to the change.

Keller was drafted by the Jets with pick #30 of the 1st round in the 2008 NFL Draft.  The former Purdue Boilermaker was represented by the team of Eugene Parker, Roosevelt Barnes, and Paul Lawrence at Maximum Sports Management as he was entering the Draft.  He stuck by that team (minus Paul Lawrence, who passed away earlier this year) until recently, when Keller made the switch to Rosenhaus Sports Representation.

Through 1 regular season game in 2011, Keller has 5 receptions for 61 yards and 1 touchdown.

On To The Next One: Dustin Keller from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

BenJarvus Green-Ellis has left Eugene Parker and Roosevelt Barnes of Maximum Sports Management and signed with Joel Segal of Lagardère Unlimited.  Earlier today, I noted that Barnes and Maximum Sports also recently lost Marvin Austin to Impact Sports.  Segal and Lagardère earn the right to not only represent a talented runningback, but also a player who embraces his awesome nickname on Twitter.

Green-Ellis is currently a restricted free agent with the New England Patriots.  He is part of an RB crew that includes Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen (2011 NFL Draft pick #56 overall), and Stevan Ridley (2011 NFL Draft pick #73 overall).  The Patriots tendered Green-Ellis at the 2nd round level before the NFL lockout began.  Segal will undoubtedly be working the phones to see if any other teams will be willing to spend above the tender, which the Patriots will be entitled to match (if they so wish).

I see that Green-Ellis worked out at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida during the offseason.  Ike Taylor of the Pittsburgh Steelers also worked out there, and he is also a Lagardère client.  Perhaps he had some good things to say about Segal and his company while the two were training.

On To The Next One: BenJarvus Green-Ellis from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Happy Birthday to my mom, Gloria Heitner, who has to be the most amazing woman in the world.  New Orleans was a great time and Tulane put on a fantastic event.  Tomorrow, I will be speaking on a panel at the Nova Southeastern University Sports & Entertainment Law Symposium titled “Family Managing an Athlete’s Career.”  I will be able to discuss quite a bit regarding what I wrote in an upcoming Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law article titled, Closing the Cam Newton Loophole, a Sweeping Suggestion.  I have been attending quite a bit of hearings lately and taking a lot of depositions.  So I guess this is what life as a lawyer is all about.  Here are some stories I missed over the past week:

An All Football Wrap-Up

• Supposedly the largest deal ever given to an incoming NFL rookie [Under Armour Wins The Cam Newton Marketing Race].
• A look at what agents spend on their players leading up to the combine [$7.7 million spent on training rookie class].
• I’m not a big fan of this idea [Agent: Limit players to 16 games in proposed 18-game schedule].
• Includes quotes from Ralph Cindrich, Joe Linta, Peter Schaffer, and Eugene Parker [Agents don't expect much progress].
• This booklet has been sent out to all players [NFLPA Guide to the Lockout].
• Even though the league lost $32 million in 2009 and $45-50 million in 2010 [Huyghue: UFL plans to play, pay].
• So Oregon decides to let an agent off the hook at the same time it contemplates instituting a stricter athlete agent law? [Attorney general investigated agent-runner who paid former Oregon Ducks player]
• The comments are rather insightful [The NFL's Unfair Labor Practice Claim & Article LVIII(3)(A) of the CBA].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/18/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Sports Agents

• Congrats to Eugene Parker, who was inducted as part of the inaugural class of the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame [Concordia honors best of the best].

Football

• Making a case that a rookie wage scale might limit impermissible agent payments to student-athletes [Possible effects of new CBA].
• “The greatest trap is trying to live up to the expectation of the NFL.” [Money management a difficult lesson for NFL's rookie class]
• Great Pro Tect Management brochure inside cover find. You come to expect this from Yahoo! Sports [Coach-agent ties probed].
• Some good lines from Saban at the end of this article [Coaches, NFL discuss agent access].

Sports Law

• An effective scare tactic? [N.C. State's Yow warns agents]
• A couple of interesting questions regarding compliance departments [College football grasping to keep agents, lure of cash from tainting eligibility of its athletes].

Baseball

• Think Moorad was saying the same things to baseball execs when he was on the other side of the table? [Who’s Your Padre?]

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (8/13/2010) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Dez is at camp and has already caused a ruckus. Here is a video interview with Bryant from Dallas camp over the weekend, where he states that he will not carry Roy Williams pads or do any of the other traditional rookie chores or gags. Dez says that he was brought to Dallas to win games, not to carry teammates’ pads.

At a press conference the day after Bryant signed, Jerry Jones thanked Bryant’s agent Eugene Parker of Maximum Sports Management for working with the Cowboys to help make a deal before camp possible. Parker represents Michael Crabtree, the 49ers WR that held out well into the regular season last year. Parker had also represented previous Cowboys first-round selections Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins, and had both reporting late to Cowboys camp. With reports claiming that Parker wanted to make a deal with the Cowboys ASAP and ultimately signing a contract only a few days later, it looks like he learned some lessons from the Crabtree holdout and his previous dealings with the Cowboys in Jerryland.

And since the NCAA started investigating several schools last week for impermissible agent/player benefits, let’s not forget what happened to Dez Bryant last season when he only played in three games because of an NCAA suspension for lying to NCAA investigators about dinner and a meeting with Eugene Parker’s former star NFL client, Deion Sanders. Did Parker try harder to get Bryant into camp with a contract and no holdout because he felt responsible for Bryant losing his eligibility last season? Maybe the NCAA even learned something from Dez Bryant’s dilemma at Oklahoma State, and has picked up the level of enforcement this year (or maybe they stumbled upon these NCAA violations from a student athlete’s Tweet about a trip to Miami with the boys).

Anyway, with Bryant’s contract negotiated, the Cowboys began training camp this Saturday with a full roster and no worries about a potential hold out by the player they moved up in the draft to grab. But will Bryant’s signing spur other first round picks to finalize their contracts in the near future? Are NFL contracts getting harder to negotiate? Are agents demanding more money and holding out, or are contract terms and clauses delaying the process or even causing an impasse?

This year’s first overall pick Sam Bradford and his agent Tom Condon recently started negotiations with the Rams. Condon and Bradford are looking to negotiate the richest contract in NFL history.  One worth around $45-$50 million in guaranteed money.

The sooner Condon can work a deal, the better for Pro Bowl veteran quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who will be using the numbers from Bradford’s expected large rookie deal as a barometer for their own contract negotiations. Peyton is even represented by Condon. Brady is rumored to be looking for somewhere around $20 million a year. He is set to make $6.5 million this year($3.5 base) after a negotiating a $3 million bonus in March.  Perhaps Brady wants to beat Peyton in next year’s Fortunate 50 US Athletes. Peyton is the only NFL player in the top ten (#9) of the list, earning a total of $30.8 million including endorsements ($15 million).

Condon surely isn’t the only agent attempting to finalize a contract for his clients. With training camps rapidly approaching for all NFL teams, we will likely see a barrage of draft picks signing contracts and rolling in the “quam,” as Rod Tidwell would say. We all know Drew Rosenhaus and the RSR crew are out there working hard and smart for Terrell Owens and the many other NFL clients on their high profile roster.

According to NFLLabor.com, through Saturday (based on official notification to the league office), 71 percent of the players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft (182 of 255) have signed contracts. Through Thursday, July 22, 163 of the 255 players selected in the 2010 NFL Draft had signed contracts, up from 126 of 256 draft choices signed as of July 22, 2009.  As of July 24th, among players selected in the first three rounds – 26 have signed this year vs. 20 at this time last year, an increase of 30 percent. Through midnight on July 25th, a total of 33 players selected in the first three rounds have been signed.

Although the velocity of overall players signing contracts has increased this year, the number of first round players signing contracts early has certainly not followed suit.

Before Dez Bryant signed, Vlad Ducasse, the 61^st overall pick by the New York Jets, was the first second-round draft pick to sign a contract (Props to Mike Tannenbaum, Ari Nissim and the rest of the Jets management for doing a great job with so many contracts this off-season. There’s still a couple more BIG deals to negotiate). Only four other second-round picks have signed since Vlad. Two of them signed over the weekend. Here is an up to the minute, team-by-team list of all the players drafted in 2010 who have signed with their clubs.

While some people are shocked and amazed when they hear that Bryant was the first first-round pick to sign a contract, and that it was so close to the beginning of camp, this is not the first time the first contract has been negotiated so late. Logan Mankins, the 32^nd pick of the Patriots in 2005, was the most recent first first-round draft pick to have signed this late- and he signed on July 25^th of 2005.

NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash said Thursday (July 22) that it’s normal for so many top draft picks to remain unsigned at this point, and used as evidence the fact that only two first-rounders (pick #1 Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez ) were signed at this point last year.

Even if it is “normal” nowadays for rookie draft picks to sign deals late into the summer, there has to be some reason why the agents for so many of the top NFL rookies and veterans are hesitant to sign contracts this season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Shefter, this is because of the uncertainty that remains with option bonuses in contracts, and relies on the fact that the 2011 season is still not 100% guaranteed because a new (CBA) Collective Bargaining Agreement has not been reached yet.

Agent Jack Bechta from the National Football Post and JB Sports Inc brings up a great point about the flow of cash from signing bonuses in Keeping the rookies hungry. Bechta said:

“Although the pace of signings for later round players is moving about 15% faster than last year (from data turned in to the NFL as of July 16th), it doesn’t mean that the flow of signing bonus cash is moving at the same rate. Usually, when a player signs his deal, it can take up to 10 business days to get the signing bonus check. Furthermore, teams rarely pay out the whole bonus at once. For example, the Cardinals, who have just two late picks signed thus far, have been known to painfully prolong the bonus payout over three years. The Eagles, on the other hand, are more generous and are all about getting the deal done and trusting their player to do the right things. For the majority of first- and second-rounders, of which only one has signed (Vlad), only a portion of their signing bonuses will be paid right about the same time camp begins. Several GMs and head coaches believe that once their players get a pocket full of cash it could mean party time, lots of time cruising in their new ride, sharing the wealth with the boys and cutting back on the workouts.”

Jack Bechta was told by a General Manager he knows, that he likes keeping the rookies poor and hungry until camp. Therefore, he directs the salary cap manager to hold off negotiating until after the July 4th weekend.

Additionally, Bechta stated “If it were up to the agents, all the rookie deals would be done within a few weeks after the draft. The players would have their money, the financial consultants could start their planning, and the players could get set up in their new city.”

I’m not sure if I agree with Shefter regarding the uncertainty of the 2011 season and the issues surrounding the CBA (although a rookie wage scale is one of the topics on the bargaining table), and their effect on the timing of negotiations; however, I do believe that option and signing bonuses in contracts play a huge role in the timing of players signing contracts. The earlier a team negotiates and signs a contract with a player (once which includes a signing bonus and an option bonus), the earlier that team is liable and on the hook to that player if anything happens to him. A prime example of this is the Giants early signing of Chad Jones and his unfortunate car accident earlier this summer. As Bechta points out, the G-men worked out a deal for Jones before he was injured, giving him an $826,000 signing bonus. After a serious car accident at 5AM in New Orleans, Jones may have career-ending injuries and is not likely to return to the G-men anytime soon. He will likely spend the Giants money on doctors bills and rehab before even playing a down for the team.

The Dolphins negotiated a deal with Jake Long in April of 2008, before they had even drafted him with the first overall pick. Long was given around$30 million guaranteed. Could you imagine the amount of criticism Parcells and the Dolphins management would have received for signing a rookie that early if Long was injured shortly after he was drafted, like Jones was?

I think that the uncertainty of the 2011 season (because a new CBA has not yet been agreed to) may have some influence over the terms of individual contracts and could cause for a delay in making an agreement; however, that could also cause some agents and players to crave a deal even more, and is not why early round draft picks and others aren’t signing in 2010.

Whatever reasons NFL management and agents have in delaying signing of rookies and free agents, with the amount of money being offered to players in the NFL, the trend is likely to continue. Every agent is going to try his/her best to bring in the most money for their client(s) as soon as possible, while GM’s and team management are going to save as much money and limit the clubs liability as much and as soon as possible. Even if it means scaring fans and negotiating contracts right before the season begins.

Here is a complete list of all the locations and dates that training camps begin.  All 32 NFL teams open camp by Saturday, August 1.

Feel free to comment and explain why you feel early round NFL contracts are getting negotiated later and later.  Is it uncertainty of the Collective Bargaining Agreement looming overhead?

You can follow Zak on Twitter @ZaKurtz

Sign Here Please: Are NFL Contracts Getting Harder to Negotiate? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

But on to the next one we go.  Speaking of Rosenhaus, he has two new names to add to his always growing list of clients.  They are Quentin Groves of the Oakland Raiders, who was formerly represented by Impact Sports, and 2010 first rounder, Anthony Davis, who was formerly represented by Sunny Shaw.  Mike Florio points out that this is the 3rd 2010 draft pick to change agents, and for Sunny, half of his client stable is gone, leaving Eugene Monroe as his only client.  Jared Odrick is another 2010 draft pick that changed agents earlier this year, also going to Rosenhaus.

The other 2010 1st rounder to make a switch was Trent Williams, who replaced Eugene Parker with Tom Condon and Ben Dogra of CAA.

On To The Next One: Anthony Davis, Trent Williams, And Quentin Groves from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Trindon Holliday has chosen to be the guinea pig of this year’s off-season, becoming the first 2010 drafted player to sign, signing a four-year, $2.713 million contract with the Houston Texans. In the NFL, rookie salaries for players drafted in the earlier rounds (especially first round) are typically highly competitive with essentially unlimited upside to earning potential.

As Holliday is the first to sign in 2010, an interesting aspect of this dilemma is when to sign. As an agent, do you advise your client to wait and potentially holdout or take a competitive offer based upon historical circumstances?

It’s difficult, as there are many indirect variables that could affect a given year’s draft scene. Signing early could also trigger an upward or downward swing for all picks above the 197^th spot, benefiting or hurting many athletes drafted in early rounds. The NFL is in stark contrast to that of the NBA where picks are slotted, with contract values descending as picks fall down the draft board regardless of the agent’s negotiation skills or leverage.

As compared to last year, with draft slot 197 (in the 6^th round) going to the Dallas Cowboys pick of Stephen Hodge, a linebacker out of TCU who received a $1.847 million contract for four years and only a $97,000 signing bonus, 2010 seems to be appreciating. Holliday is receiving $866,000 more than he would have last year – assuming all things equal.

His agent, Ian Greengross, made the right decision, because a contract would have to be signed at some point and waiting could be detrimental financially as others drafted well above pick 197 would eventually be signed, potentially hindering Holliday’s earning ability. On the same note, the longer the holdout, the less time the client has to prepare on the field with his new team for his inaugural season in the NFL.

If agents are to learn one thing from holding-out, it is the shining example of Michael Crabtree. As the tenth overall pick last year, he waited until October 7, 2009 to sign with the 49ers. His agent, Eugene Parker, took his position on the matter – disrupting a franchise and to some extent the integrity of the league. The money was there; it was waiting. Crabtree’s people were reckless – even contemplating the idea of having Crabtree sit out 2009 to be eligible for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Greengross was obviously aware of the circumstances. He knew the situation and advised well on the matter. As a lower pick, signing early just makes sense – it locks in the athlete’s contract, allows the athlete to begin involvement with the team, and benchmarks later picks against the contract and the respective signing bonus.

While it is ultimately a mutual decision between the client, his family, and the agent, one has to consider the fact that if an athlete waits, the risk only increases that a contract further down the line in the draft will be offered and signed – leaving the athlete, your client, and the athlete’s family in an unfortunate situation.

The Deal is Done – Trindon Holliday Signs Contract from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules