There have been about seven times in my career when I’ve sought a trade for one of my clients. The majority of time the answer to me, as it is for most agents, was, “No.”
A player usually seeks a trade for one of two reasons: He wants more money, or he wants more playing time so he can get more money. And there’s the occasional superstar who just can’t co-exist with a head coach or general manager.
When a player tells his agent that he’s unhappy where he is and wants a trade, the agent most likely will do the following:
APDespite loving Philly, current Packers CB Al Harris sought a trade when with the Eagles because he was playing behind two Pro Bowlers.
1) Call around and talk to NFL personnel to see if there’s legitimate interest and a market for the player. If there’s interest, he’ll find out which teams might be willing to give his client a new contract.
2) Leak to the media that the player wants a trade. This is done to alert the league that his player is in play. The agent hopes it will spawn unsolicited calls to the team. It also encourages the media to dig for reasons why the player is unhappy and then take a side. Public opinion may influence the process and even help create leverage for the player and agent.
3) Last, ask the team for permission to seek a trade. Or we may have to educate the client that it’s just not going to happen.
You might ask if talking to teams before seeking a trade is tampering if the other teams discuss it. The answer is yes. It’s tampering and it happens every year. A lot of agents and GMs trust each other enough that they feel comfortable having the discussion. However, I’m seeing more GMs insist on playing by the rules.
When Al Harris was with the Eagles, he wanted a trade. Because he was unhappy? No, because he was playing behind two Pro Bowlers: Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. He loved Philly, his teammates and the coaches, but he wanted his own gig and was willing to play anywhere. I approached Eagles president Joe Banner about permission to seek a trade. He asked me to give him time to work on it, and if he couldn’t pull it off, he would then give me permission. Not long after, Al was shipped to Green Bay for a second-round draft pick.
APFormer Falcons WR/KR Tim Dwight was part of the Chargers-Falcons trade for the Falcons’ Michael Vick selection.
Tim Dwight was another story. Many people forget that Falcons WR/KR Tim Dwight was part of the Chargers-Falcons trade for the Falcons’ Michael Vick pick. I was actually having lunch with Tim in San Diego when I received a call from the Chargers money man, who asked, “Jack, is Tim Dwight healthy?”
“Yes,” I said. “He’s sitting right across from me and he looks pretty damn healthy.”
“I’m serious,” he said, “I need to know if there are any issues.” Since we were right on the doorstep of the draft, I put two and two together and realized that Tim was being traded.
This was not a case of tampering because the Chargers had permission to talk to me by Atlanta and had already discussed Tim as part of the trade. Tim and I were caught completely off guard, but it was still welcomed.
To this day, then-head coach Mike Riley takes credit for the idea of getting Tim as the deal closer in a trade that was legendary in bringing LaDainian Tomlinson to the Chargers.
Follow me on Twitter: jackbechta
The Crabtree holdout and the Prime Time collusion on a separate matter may have diminished the interest for agents to advance this kind of approach at the present time, except for stark instances.
I agree with CW's comment. There's only so much Favre, Vick and TO banter, and every over-hyped issue the mainstream media feels compelled to ram down our throats.
It's refreshing to be able to read something about the current state of the game, and actually learn something. In reference to your contribution, Jack, the only insight we get in regards to agents is whatever ESPN tells us about Drew Rosenhaus, or what we saw in Jerry Maguire.
Do you realize how sad that is?
I agree with the othr guys, great stuff. We saw this exact scenario playout twice with the Broncos this offseason. It worked for Cutler, failed for marshall. I honestly thought the Cutler trade ruined both teams, but it appears I could not have been more wrong. You have to wonder though. Considering how Orton has blossomed under McDaniels, how good would they be if they had kept Cutler? What kind of numbers would Cutler be putting up?
i really do enjoy reading your articles like others here.
A couple of questions.
When was tampering made illegal for the NFL?
If it is so prevalent or more used to be, why not legitimize it?
When tampering is proven, what determines the punishment?
As it is so hard to prove tampering, how do teams actually get caught at it?
Thanks, I totally enjoy reading your articles, it is a part of the game that no one shares info about.
What about Brett?
Why is that in the NFL. There isn't the trade deadline activity like thee is in baseball.
It would seem wise for teams like the Packers to get something for players
like Aaron Kampman that are going to more than likely leave in off season.
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Oct 15, 2009
11:33 AM
Thank you. This is exactly the kind of stuff that I love to read. In an age where you read the same storylines over and over and over again, and when you read the same "talking points" that rarely offer any new insight, it's refreshing to have you, Brandt, Lombardi, Bowen, and the rest, offering new angles and perspectives in substantive columns.