Getting the right deal for a client requires a well-planned strategy. Jack Bechta
I have just one unrestricted free agent this year, safety Tyrone Carter of the Steelers. My sole focus is to land him in a position where he can compete to earn a starting job. Tyrone has been an extremely productive force as one of the team’s top special teams players and top playmakers when he’s on the field.
Because of injuries to Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark, Tyrone has gotten significant playtime (62 percent of the Steelers’ defensive plays in 2009) and has put up some impressive numbers. He was also named defensive player of the week twice while filling in for the starters.
My job is to find Tyrone a solid contract that matches his production with a team that appreciates his skill set.
This is how most agents prepare for free agency:
1. Draw up a list of their free agents, which they hand out to GMs at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. There may be a sentence or two about each player. Usually there are no contract numbers since agents don’t want to be tied to a price range too early.
2. Some may send out a one-pager to all or selected teams with a comparison analysis of their players. It looks like a comp sheet used in valuing residential real estate. Here’s an example:
Statistical Comparison to Starting NFL Safeties:
Tyrone Carter, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2009 APY: $831,000 APY=average per year
Michael Griffin, Tennessee Titans, 2009 APY: $1.67M
James Butler, St. Louis Rams, 2009 APY: $3M
Jermaine Phillips, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2009 APY: $2M
Deon Grant, Seattle Seahawks, 2009 APY: $5M
The Bottom Line:
These are only a few of many players that make significantly more money (by APY) than Tyrone Carter. All of these players have put up modest statistics thus far in their careers. When Carter has been given a chance to play on a regular basis, his numbers approach some of these players. When Carter was a starter with the Jets, he recorded more tackles than all of these players have in any season.
3. Overcome the objections or concerns like injuries, age or character. Agents will meet any concerns head-on by showing proof of health or improved character. In Tyrone’s case it might be his age (33). I will remind GMs that safeties seem to blossom in their mid 30s. Their experience helps to slow down the game, and they become masters at reading the offense. Examples: Rodney Harrison, Brian Dawkins, John Lynch, Robert Griffith and Darren Sharper, who turns 35 in November.
4. To visit or not to visit? There are two strategies here: One is to set up multiple team visits for your player. It’s typical for teams that are interested in a free agent to want them to visit with their coaches and pass their physical before making an offer. Needless to say, this can only be done at the start of free agency. Agents then line up visits in the order of who they think will pay the most. Two, don’t let your player visit anybody until a deal is struck. This sometimes makes teams nervous because they don’t know who they’re competing against.
This method can also backfire on the agent when teams move on to the next player on their list. In 2006, I told the Browns that guard Eric Steinbach would be visiting them first as they requested. However, the night before free agency, I told them they would be second. At 12:01 a.m. eastern, they quit posturing and told me that Eric was their guy. The deal, however, didn’t get done until he was on his way out the door to visit another team. The visit schedule reveals a lot in free agency.
5. Leverage the media. In an environment where most reporters and bloggers would rather be first than be right, there’s a lot of misinformation floating around. This plays nicely into the agents’ scheme since we can create an appearance of interest where they may be little. The biggest names in the business are used as our personal PR agents. The interesting thing is that they don’t care. So when you hear the term “NFL source,” it’s usually an agent. NFL teams also use the media to their advantage.
The bottom line is that free agency is a supply and demand market dictated by the teams but controlled by the agents. Every year, a few teams jump in fast and overpay or wait too long and miss the market on a good player. And sometimes agents pass up an early offer in hopes of a bigger deal and suddenly find themselves chasing the market.
With 2010 being uncapped with no minimum spending floor, I sense we’ll see some different trends prevail. My sense is that the market will be slower than in previous years.
Follow me on Twitter: jackbechta
Jack - As the guy said in the movie "And Justice For All" - "I'm a loyal Colts fan". Reading this made me think of a weird situation we had with a player a few years ago at the start of free agency that I'm wondering if you could shed some light on. His name was Brad Scioli and he was just about to hit unrestricted free agency. Apparently his agent was playing hardball and left a good deal on the table, then the Colts pulled it as soon as the free agency period started, leaving Scioli without a contract and they signed Monte Reagor who played the same position. Then something weird happened. A few days later the Colts signed him, I think after he changed agents. Have you ever heard of a team signing a player after pulling an offer, especially after signing someone at the same position. And how do you know when the last offer from a team is truly the "last, best offer"? Does the player give you parameters that you can or can't agree to without calling and explaining the numbers?
Ironically, the value of Clark and Sharper plays against each other at this time. Both are(will become) great additions to a team.
Just praying that "Tyrone the Headhunting Gnome " finds a deal far from Pittsburgh!
Just praying that "Tyrone the Headhunting Gnome " finds a deal far from Pittsburgh!
Linking your points about visits, and Lombardi's old saw about deals not made are sometimes the best deals of all, an interesting anecdote regarding the Steelers:
After Dexter Jackson went Larry Brown in the SB, the Steelers tried to sign him in free agency to fill a hole in their secondary. IIRC the Steelers thought they had a verbal agreement in place with Jackson and were hammering out the contract to be signed. Also off memory, Jackson's wife was expecting soon, and Jackson used that as an excuse to leave before signing. But instead of going home to his wife he bolted to Arizona and leveraged a better deal outta the Cards leaving Pittsburgh high and dry. Mike Logan torn a tendon in his knee in the playoffs. So with nobody on roster or elsewhere they turned to the draft to fill the hole and traded up for Polamalu.
After the Dex debacle, they were determined to fill another hole thru FA the next season when they brought in Marcus Washington and tried to hard sell him. Which ended up pissing him off instead. They wouldn't let him leave until they had a signed contract in hand, and it's said they went as far as trying to lock him in the building. Washington eventually got out and signed with the Skins. The Steelers settled for their in house jag FA Haggans. That camp Haggans broke his hand lifting weights, and they brought back James Harrison who was mulling over hanging em up good and getting a bus driver's license.
Finally, not a visit story, but the Steelers were high on Stacy Andrews in 04 and planned on taking him round one. But Dan Rooney, still smarting over not drafting Marino (which his dad never let him forget), steered the conversation toward Roethlisberger who they ended up drafting instead of Andrews.
Just strikes me as funny, especially compared to how that 70s Steeler team was built, that the seeds of this SB stretch team were sown with ham-hands and failed deals.
Jack, please tell Tyrone we love him in Pittsburgh. That is all. :)
Uncle Rico,
I don't understand this:
"Just strikes me as funny, especially compared to how that 70s Steeler team was built, that the seeds of this SB stretch team were sown with ham-hands and failed deals."
The 70's team was built through the draft, as was the 00's team. What's your point, that they considered other people for certain posistions before deciding? Don't all teams do this with every decision?
Also, your Dexter Jackson story makes little sense. You're saying that going after a free safety and failing led the Steelers to draft a strong safety in Polamalu?
As you point out, people who seize that opportunity can make a convincing argument for their selection when pro scouts are there for the big name team mates. Extra value is what usually separates teams in acquiring talent, extra effort is what gets that vlue noticed, good luck in the coming days to all the draft hopefuls.
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Mar 05, 2010
04:08 PM
Jack-
Great info! In terms of the statistical comparisons you provide, do you include any type of analysis of what coaches or schemes the player has played under? If so, how in-depth is the information and how much of your time does this particular part of the process account for in your overall negotiation.
Thanks so much.