An agent’s wish list

Great idea about having assistants coach the senior bowl. I don't know how practical it is for coaches who still have teams in the playoffs though. Chico should have had a top job already. Now he has built his second defense as DC in San Diego. He got screwed by the Bears. Yet we have scuttle butt that the Bills are talking to Charlie Weiss? Rivera and Frazier (both Super Bowl Bears) should be high on everyones wish list. Winston Moss as the assistant head coach in Green Bay should also get interviews after the terrific way he has brought the Packer linebackers up to speed in the 3-4

I understand that the purpose of the draft order is to build up poor teams and increase parity. However US leagues are the only ones that I think of that reward failure. Winning a title and pursuing excellence on a yearly basis should also win you something other than the Lombardi trophy as an incentive (and a marketing bonanza)

I would award a supplemental #1 draft choice at the end of the first round to the Champion. The runner up gets a supplemental at the end of the second round and the losers of the conference title games each get a choice at the end of the third round.

We can't relegate teams to a lower league but teams like Detroit , Oakland et al who are now perpetual cellar dwellers. But they really deserve it for being awful organizations year after year

I think the extra round of the draft idea is good, but the owners are never going to go for adding more players to their payroll. The minority coaching idea is a real good one, if I were a GM of a non-playoff team I would want my coaching staff to be in charge down there. Hell, that's how my Niners fell in love with Patrick Willis.

The equal payments idea would likely complicate matters and add unnecessary costs. Teams already keep two sets of books: 1) cash and 2) accrual (salary cap). Deferred payments would likely require a third set of books. I doubt that the teams are hip to adding to their accounting costs.

Cutting TV timeouts would be great for fans, but I don't see it happening. I hate that I instinctively count down the TV timeouts (five in the 1st and 3rd quarters, four plus the TMW in the 2nd and 4th) as I watch the games. But TV ratings are increasing, so it seems that the market is not exactly rejecting the present volume of TV timeouts.

Do excessive stoppages hurt attendance, particularly late in the season? That might be a question that's worth asking. I've noticed a lot of empty seats in recent weeks.

Regarding...Give players the option to take their money in equal payments over a 12-month time period....

Couldn't this be a service you could offer your clients? Could give you a competitive advantage.

For the most part, good suggestions, particularly regarding UFAs and TV commercials, which make games unwatchable. I can't tell you how many times I miss half a game because I switch channels during the ads and don't go back immediately.

I think the best idea would be a rookie or draftee salary scale. Many teams simply can't afford more JaMarcus Russel disasters or even Matt Stafford deals that pay an untested rookie more than Pro Bowl vets. The current roster size seems very tight. A modest expansion would be very reasonable. Changing IR to a specifc time, say 10 weeks, seems like a good idea. A modest expansion of practice squads and a relaxation of the rules regarding who can be on them would give teams' more flexibility and marginal palyers more chances.

The current fine system absolutely needs to be changed. Having Goodell be judge, jury, executioner AND the appellate judge is ridiculous. The union simply cannot agree to let that continue, it should be non-negotiable and they shouldn't trade any other issues to get it. I believe they are levying more fines to make it such a big issue so they can use it as a negotiating tactic to get something else they want.

In order,
1)I like it and think the draft woulld be better with the first round on Friday night, two through four on Sat and five through eight on Sunday. This will be a fun experiment, but how many wives are going to let their husbands have the TV during Grey's Anatomy.:)

2)Another good idea.
3)A good idea that would have to be collective bargained probably against eighteen games.
4)Never happen.
5)I thought Andrew had said once that everything was pretty tight as far as the schedule goes and would be to difficult to move the draft.
6)A good idea, as this would help some teams pushing for the playoffs and give some guys especially young guys more playing time.
7)Probably have to be collective bargained to get Roger out of that position. Of course, it would ruin the streamlined process. It may seem a little draconian, but it is probably better this way. Being an ex-Marine, I understand that the NFL wants a certain standard.
8)Good idea and maybe you could have two Senior Bowls. It would give more players a showcase and two more coaching staffs a chance to coach.
9)As Jay said, this is probably something you could do. I don't think it would be to hard to implement for the teams though.
10)Hmm, don't know. Wouldn't this take away from some HCs who like to practice in pads and think it is an advantage?

How about instead of minicamps in the offseason have players report for one week at a time each month? That way you could give them stuff to learn, workouts etc. over the course of the rest of the month.

No other pro league puts injured players into limbo like the NFL.
You're hurt in camp so with roster cutdowns you have to IR a player for the year? Ridiculous.
This has been an assinine rule forever and should be changed. Nobodies hiding any player that they've drafted or signed and paid for. If you did an unofficial study on guys injured in camp who are IR'd, I'm willing to bet most of them would be ready to play 8 weeks later.

Mr. Bechta,

Jay's idea seems like a good one to me. There are many firms that specialize in that sort of thing. Your firm could contract with one of them. For example, a local firm here in Bethesda (MD) specializes in distributing lottery payouts. These guys are responsible for the "cash option" plays that are available in multiple states.

My guess is that you will get push-back from players who want all of their money right now. That's a problem. The league or some other authority would probably have to make monthly payments compulsory. There is no way that the owners are going to want to take on that headache.

Jack, please tell me a rookie pay scale is the next thing on your wish list. Living in the bay area, I see the Raiders blow millions of dollars year in and year out on unproven guys. How did it ever come to the point where a rookie who's never played a game in the NFL gets paid 42 mil in guaranteed!

"-Let minority NFL coaches like Ron Rivera, Winston Moss and Leslie Frazier coach the Senior Bowl. Also, let them pick their own staffs and run practices so GMs and owners can see them work."

This might also streamline some Rooney Rule compliance for teams that merit interviews to these well qualified coaches.

Instituting a rookie salay cap then expanding the roster to 48 would take care of the argument from the union that the money would dissapear and takes care of the argument from the owners they can't afford it.
Other changes I would like to see also:
- Change field goals to from 3 pts. to 2 pts. and make safeties worth 3 pts. Time to de-emphasize the worst part of football - the kicker.
- Move the 2-pt conversion from 2 yds to 1.5 yds
- OT would end on td if a fg is kicked the other team gets the ball back.
- Make all plays challengable (pass interfence, whistles, formations, etc.) then only allow 2 a game
- Make a uniform policy for celebrating. Getting flagged for taking a knee then not being flagged for doing the Lambeau leap is ridiculous.
- Make fines a percentage of pay instead of a flat rate, also uniform violation like Ocho Cinco's sombrero being $30k and a cheap shot or punch only $7500 seems out of whack and unfair.
- Eliminate the "victory kneel" by making the clock stop when under 2 minutes if there is any negative yardage. This rule from arena football would be so teams have to keep playing all the way to the end.
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Instituting a rookie salay cap then expanding the roster to 48 would take care of the argument from the union that the money would dissapear and takes care of the argument from the owners they can't afford it.
Other changes I would like to see also:
- Change field goals to from 3 pts. to 2 pts. and make safeties worth 3 pts. Time to de-emphasize the worst part of football - the kicker.
- Move the 2-pt conversion from 2 yds to 1.5 yds
- OT would end on td if a fg is kicked the other team gets the ball back.
- Make all plays challengable (pass interfence, whistles, formations, etc.) then only allow 2 a game
- Make a uniform policy for celebrating. Getting flagged for taking a knee then not being flagged for doing the Lambeau leap is ridiculous.
- Make fines a percentage of pay instead of a flat rate, also uniform violation like Ocho Cinco's sombrero being $30k and a cheap shot or punch only $7500 seems out of whack and unfair.
- Eliminate the "victory kneel" by making the clock stop when under 2 minutes if there is any negative yardage. This rule from arena football would be so teams have to keep playing all the way to the end.
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Very good article.
Thanks

I love most of these ideas.

Except for the senior bowl coaching idea - that idea shouldn't be limited to minority coaches, but for all young potential coaches who haven't got any HC experience.

Although I noticed that a rookie salary cap / wage scale wasn't mentioned - funny that being it is an Agents wish list haha.

8 round drafts-I really do not think this is a big deal, look how many draft picks are cut each season, or stashed on a practice squad. Yes, there are some nuggets out there, but would have to put that blame on whoever runs a particular draft.

extend the signing time-Personally never knew there was a deadline here, and completely agree with you here.

48 man roster-Only way this will happen is if the players agree to cutting back of their salaries. I am all for it though, but it has to come out of players salaries not the owners pockets. Owners would not mind if the league went to an 18 game schedule.

tv timeouts-Players going to take a pay cut here?

Move the draft up-For the most part this will not matter, as most college players can not practice with their team until they hold graduation. I am not in favor of this as quite a few of these players need to focus on school, first. I know realistically this does not happen though.

Injured reserve-We have the pup for injured players, but I think it can be revised, more like a 15, 30 and 60 day ir, and a player can be put on it at anytime during the season.

Levy of fines-I completely disagree here. I did not like Goodell when he first came in heavy handed. Instead I think the system should be revamped and get rid of some of the archaic rules that re in place. Ocho cincho is making a mockery of the system though, and has been heavily punished, but apparently not heavily enough.

Senior bowl-Absolutely not-Should be given to coaches who are perspective, not only minority coaches. I would like to see a short list of head coaches and then maybe voted upon by gms or owners, not sure of the right way to handle this right now.

Players money-It is not a business owner's responsibility to deal with an employees financing. if this is to be implemented, do it through the players union.

Padded practices-Do not think this adds up to anymore injuries. Do not think coaches are going to intentionally wear down their players.

I am completely shocked that there is nothing about cutting the preseason, or you worried that the owners will make it 18 games?

I know this is an article about agents wish lists, what I would like to see is a fans wish list, or a fans bill of rights.

Great read though, keep it up

Jack another insightful article, thks. I like all fans at home or at games hate TV'S hold on the flow of the games. But I understand that having paid the NFL the amount of money they have, they need these commercials. Maybe they could put more commercials in the first half or the first three quaters and not mess with the end of the game. That's just a thought. God knows what the answer is, but come hell or high water they are going to get there TV timeouts.

I don't understand the thinking behind the extra round in the draft.

You state that undrafted players getting matched with the wrong team. Yet those undrafted players have a choice of what team that they sign with. If the draft were to be lengthened to another round that would be 32 more players that do not have a choice of team they get to try to earn a roster spot on. Thus increasing the likelihood of getting matched with the wrong team.

The players and agents can research the teams needs and find suitable matches for their talents in the months before the draft and be prepared for their opportunities.

I think that an undrafted player would have an advantage over a player drafted in the 7th round because of this.

For the first round of the draft allow teams to pick their spot in the draft. So instead of the worst team always getting the first pick and the highest contract burden, allow them to pick which position they'd like. This would add another TV event for the draft while allowing the worst team to maximize the value they see in the first round draft. If the 1st pick is the value play then they'd take the 1st pick, if there are 5 clear top players in the draft but no consensus (within an organization) they taking pick 4 or 5 would be optimal. If a team doesn't like the contract for anybody they'd take in the top 15 then they chose pick 16, etc. Rounds 2 -7 or 8 would be based purely on record.

John, why would a team move down in the draft without getting anything in return? So what if they don't like the contract they would have to pay. If they move down they might not get whom they want. There is no benefit.

you'd rather represent an 8th-round draft pick than an undrafted free agent??!!!

I thought Andrew Brandt had tried to get the players to get a 12 month payout, but that the players he dealtt with on the Packers would not go along with his idea.

Increasing the rosters is an implementation for which I've been lobbying a long time. As you said, it benefits almost everyone, save the guys who write the checks. But three roster spots for bottom of the roster players, one would think, would be near the minimum. It wouldn't drive up the cap or actual salary levels so much that it would outweigh the extreme benefits to competitiveness. We've all seen teams fall apart because one particular unit was strangled by injured players.
I suppose if you're adding new jobs you would also want to move the draft up to the beginning of April also.

Colin, the differences in signing bonuses at the top of the draft, especially top 5, versus the picks below them make for plenty of incentive to drop down a bit. Its more about the return on investment and managing your cap versus just getting who you want. Especially with a capped league, spending each dollar wisely is a significant factor (or should be) in a GM decision making process. In most drafts, paying double for the no 1 overall pick versus the no. 10 overall pick is a poor use of resources.

Where can I find the best online sports sites? I am a huge online sports fan and love to watch NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB. But I want the best sites out there for real fans.

Jack, I have some in depth questions about the limitations of free agency on the Final Eight teams. I will use a Ravens UFA for this example, Mark Clayton.