Agent On Kevin Colbert's Idea For Three Extra Picks In NFL Draft: I Don't Like It
In response to the NFL Draft going ahead at the end of this month, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert proposed that teams be awarded three extra selections in this year's draft, because of "inherent challenges posed by the coronavirus restrictions," as reported by the New York Daily News. Extra selections sounds great for television, because it's additional programming at a point where audiences are desperate for anything sports currently. It's great for teams in that it increases the margin for error. And it sounds great for players because there would be an additional three rounds worth players drafted, but when asking an agent to get their perspective, the response was, "I don't like it."
The first reason was hardly surprising. "What happens with the money?" Undrafted free agents not only have the power to negotiate where they go but what they're able to get in terms of a contract. Unless the NFL would be saying that the extra three rounds would be at the same compensation level as round seven, they'd be getting less money and there are already agents that would rather their clients go undrafted than be selected in the seventh round to give them a better opportunity to succeed in addition to financial flexibility, not being tied into a three-year contract for little money.
And while this would seemingly prevent some smaller school players from being forgotten, that's the agent's job anyway. Agents are already in contact with teams regarding their clients in terms of information, arranging meetings, tape and in a situation like this, filling in the blanks. The agents that cater to the players that this would most impact would rather do their job to try to get their client a better deal.
The fear is that teams will scoop up players they don't need either because they like them or want to ensure other teams don't get them. This season with so much up in the air already as to what will and won't happen, they are likely to have fewer preseason games to be showcased. Some teams already will use combined practices, have undrafted free agents they like participate in those and then hide them in televised preseason games so other teams can't see them to try to poach them. The new CBA will make that even easier to accomplish with fewer preseason games in 2021 and beyond, further limiting opportunities for anyone to see them. That will only make it easier for them to stash players, where some of them are never heard from again.
The agent used the Arizona Cardinals as an example. The Cardinals drafted three wide receivers in last year's draft. They traded for DeAndre Hopkins and they still have Larry Fitzgerald. If they pick a wide receiver their agency is representing late in this draft or with three extra picks, that receiver is effectively going to be buried and his career may be over before it begins.
The agent would rather their client be an undrafted free agent and be able to negotiate with a team that has better opportunities for the receiver to succeed. That's part of why the players hired the agent to represent them; to help guide them to the right situation.
To agents like this one, the idea rings hollow as being beneficial to players, only working to serve the teams best interest, protecting themselves from failure. But this idea could ultimately dilute the talent pool as there is less player movement if another 96 players are drafted.
When asked if there was anything that would make this idea more appealing for agents representing players that could be impacted this year, the response was, "No. There's nothing."
