April 27-May 3

Though we put the 2024 NFL Draft in the rear-view mirror last weekend, we didn’t have the time we normally have to really focus on the winners and losers from the business side. After all, we rarely see the volume of hiring and firing in NFL front offices that we saw this week (more on that later). 

However, we still had the time to identify a few top performances that had nothing to do with how this year’s first-rounders fit their new teams’ needs and why they’re can’t-miss prospects. Here’s what we found.

CAA rolls, as expected: As we predicted in early January, CAA was the runaway winner in draft value points with almost 16,000 points on the strength of five picks in the top 12, a total of 12 on Day 1, and 20 through the end of Day 2 (CAA was “off the floor” by the middle of the fifth round when Ohio State IB Tommy Eichenbergwas taken by the Raiders at pick 148. Coming in second was Athletes First, which tallied 7,379 points with 24 picks overall and four first-rounders and 17 picks total through the end of Day 2. WME Sports came in third with 5,120 points (four firsts, seven through Day 2, eight total picks). “No agent,” on the strength of USC’s Caleb Williams and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., finished fourth with 4,800 points. As always, we’ll have a full rendering of every agency with a pick and the point-by-point totals soon. Review all our metrics on previous drafts here.

EX-cellence: For the third straight year, the top three finishers in the points race among trainers were two EXOS locations, Texas (EXTX) and Arizona (EXAZ), plus Athletes First Academy. This year, EXTX (8,424 points) came out on top, followed by EXAZ (6,317 points) and A1 Academy (5,969). No one cleared 10,000 points, as both A1 (10,597) and EXTX (10,538) did last year. We’ll have a full rundown of all the trainers and their points totals in the coming week(s).

A good year for the Combine: This year, 18 players who weren’t invited to the combine were still drafted. That’s about half as many as last year, when 35 non-Indy players got the draft call, and less than half of 2022, when 38 were picked. Furthermore, there were fewer non-combine draftees this year than even in 2021 (19) and 2020 (24), when pro days and private workouts were severely curtailed. So hats off to NFS and the 32 teams who helped craft the combine roster this year. 

X3 soars again: Speaking of non-combine invitees, there were 14 training facilities that readied them for their respective pro days (one trained at school). Of the trainers of the 18 picks, the draft value points leader was EXOS Arizona, which prepped British Columbia OT Giovanni Manu (selected 4/126 by the Lions). However, only one training facility worked with more than one pick: the Fort Myers, Fla., location of X3 Performance and Physical Therapy, which trained four (Illinois WO Casey Washington, drafted 6/187; Findlay OT Mike Jerrell, drafted 6/207 by the Seahawks; Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs, drafted 7/243 by the Browns; and Purdue SS Sanoussi Kane, drafted 7/250 by the Ravens). A tip of the cap to Jordan Luallen and his team, which worked with players in Nashville (Friend of ITL Blake Beddingfield played a key role there) as well as West Florida. We at ITL are proud to partner with X3. Also worthy of special mention: Triple F Elite Sports Training in Knoxville, Tenn., which has had a draft pick in its first two years offering combine prep. This year, Georgia State OT Travis Glover went 6/202 to the Packers. 

Who needs Indy?: Of the 18 non-combine draftees, three were represented by one firm, Indianapolis-based Exclusive Sports Group (Wake Forest OC Michael Jurgens, selected 7/230; Oklahoma DE Jonah Laulu, picked 7/234; and Illinois’ Washington). That’s deserving of applause, but that’s not the only firm doing impressive work with combine snubs. Cincinnati-based Plan B Sports had Jerrell and Briggs. A hardy salute goes out to both firms. 

Fast learners: Three agencies had rookie agents with clients drafted, a genuine rarity; it’s the first time since ITL started tracking the draft that we saw this occur. Ty Schwab of TL Sports co-reps Boston College DC Elijah Jones, who was a Day 2 selection (3/90, Cardinals). Also, Billy Cress of The Standard celebrated the selection of Utah FS Sione Vaki by the Lions (4/132). Finally, Everett Levy of Goal Line Football co-repped (with his father, and GLF principal, Brian Levy) Texas A&M-Commerce DT Levi Rodriguez (7/232, Vikings). We at ITL are proud to have worked with Ty, Billy and Everett and congratulate them on their immediate success. We’ll look at first-year agents who got players signed to UDFA deals next week. 

Firsts: North Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rosenbach Agency and Houston-based Next Page Sports each had their first-ever draftees. Next Page scored with Oregon State SS Kitan Oladapo (5/169, Packers) while, for Rosenbach, it was Glover. Also, Agency1 Athlete Management logged its first-ever first-rounder in LSU QB Jayden Daniels (1/2, Commanders). Again, we salute all the members of the ITL family that are doing great things in player representation. 

The draft in podcast form: Our evaluation of the draft wasn’t completely confined to the business side. This week, ITL’s Neil Stratton and Rodrik David of Right Step Advising welcomed ESPN’s Jordan Reid to the Scouting the League podcast. It was the latest sizzling episode of their new podcast, and in it, Jordan discusses his how he went from North Carolina Central QB to draft expert on the Worldwide Leader; what it’s like working with Mel Kiper Jr.; which Day 3 picks have the best chance at success; and plenty more. Check out Jordan (and all the guests and shows) here.

So, as we mentioned, while fans were focused on how their teams drafted, we focused on the people doing the drafting. Or, at least, who used to be doing the drafting. 

Last year, a busy offseason for scouting changes, most teams let scouts go home, take a breather, then return for rookie mini-camp before shaping that season’s scouting lineup. Was it the best way? Maybe, maybe not, but no matter, because this year has been way different. 

We’re less than a week from the 2024 NFL Draft and already we’ve seen 11 openings created in NFL scouting staffs. Though we predicted a busy year in this space a few weeks back, we were completely unprepared for so much movement before the first rookie reported to any of the seven teams having camp this weekend. Consider:

• The Bears kicked off “scout jobs season” with two shocking changes. Neither Sam Summerville, formerly the Senior National Scout, or area scout Drew Raucina will be back in 2024.
• The Cardinals will go without their Director of College Scouting, Josh Scobey (13 seasons with the team), and area scout Darius Vinnett (11 seasons with the team) in the coming year. 
• Experienced pro and college scout Brad Obee won’t be on staff for the Eagles next year after almost a decade in Philadelphia over two stints. Obee has also served with the Bears.
• Joe Dever parted ways with Cleveland after five seasons with the Browns.
• After 20 years in scouting, Tom Roth, who had been with the Titans since 2017, is a free agent. Roth also spent 14 seasons with the Bills.
• The Panthers’ pro scouting department is without a director or assistant director after Rob Hanrahanand Tyler Ramsey were let go, per this tweet.
• The Bucs’ scouting staff is smaller by two now that Mark Ellenz (formerly an area scout) and Alex Smith (formerly Assistant Director of Pro Scouting) won’t be with the team in 2024. 
• The Raiders’ “scout teacher” won’t be with the team in 2024. Keith Kidd, who was the Director of Scout Development, arrived with former GM Dave Ziegler and formerly scouted for the Cardinals, Browns, Patriots and Broncos. 
• Michael Coe, who handled the Northeast for the Panthers as a Carolina scout since 2022, won’t be with the team this season. 

We also uncovered several moves that teams have made in their scouting departments (especially on the analytics side) that have taken place since the start of the 2023 season – as well as a couple changes at scouting assistant – and they’ve all been listed on the Scouting Changes Grid.

Are the changes over? There’s no reason to think so. With so many openings created, it just makes sense that many of them will be filled by evaluators who are in-house or with other teams. Also, with so many GMs in their first or second seasons with their respective teams, we’re still seeing teams’ front offices take shape. 

Still, it’s about more than just the spoils systems of new GMs. Last year, we saw a tidal wave of activity in the analytics space, with several teams expanding their numbers-crunchers or making changes at the top. Our theory: many teams are clearing space in their budgets by saying goodbye to seasoned scouts and their salaries in order to beef up their analytics sides. Another reason: it’s hard for owners to measure success in scouting, so why not go cheaper and younger? 

There are more thoughts and observations to be made after so many developments on the scouting side, and ITL’s Neil Stratton does that in this week’s post at Succeed in Football. Will the mounting numbers of professional scouts on the street mean colleges will start to add them to their operations? And if not, why not? Also, will teams mostly rebuild their scouting departments in-house or with hires from other teams? We address all this in our blog. 

Catching Up: Dave Gettleman, 73, spent 36 years in player evaluation as a two-time GM (Panthers and Giants) and longtime scout (Buffalo, Denver and BLESTO). We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “Basically, we’re splitting time between North Jersey and Cape Cod. I tell people I summer on the Cape and winter in North Jersey, and people look at you like you have brain damage. My wife and I have lived in Florida, but it’s really all about our kids. In terms of Covid, it really made everybody think about a lot of things. So what we’ve decided, my oldest and youngest are here in New Jersey, and my little guy lives in Whitman, Mass., which is only about an hour from our Cape house, so we can touch our kids year-round, which is what I want. It’s a blessing. My son is eight minutes away and my daughter is 10 minutes away, and my son has to drive by my street on the way home from work. This is the routine we’ve kinda settled in.”

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “You know, really and truly, I miss the people. It’s kinda fascinating. People told me it would take me at least a year to get settled, and they were absolutely right on the money. It’s amazing how the emails, texts and calls stop, It’s like you died. They just stop. So I miss the people, and you know, you miss the action. Who doesn’t? Who’s kidding who? You miss the action, but with that being said, I’ve never regretted for a moment that I retired, because it was time. The NFL has become an 11-month job, especially as a GM, and even the four weeks you’re down, the phone is still close by. Covid, of course, was different, but I actually was in Cape Cod for six weeks in 2020, and I worked every single day except the day my son got married. So you miss the people, you miss the action, but it’s a load. It’ a heavy, heavy lift. I look at some of the guys who are in positions or responsibility and I say, ‘that man is exhausted.’ A few of them have white flags in their back pocket and ready to start waving them.” 

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: I keep in touch with people in my generation. (Former NFL scout) Jeff Smith obviously. (Giants Pro Personnel Executive Scout) Jeremiah Davis, I keep in touch with JD. There’s people around the league I’m still in contact with. As old farts, we enjoy talking about the old days, and it’s really interesting to talk about what’s going on now and the new challenges that the NFL is facing. The NIL and transfer portal and all that craziness. At every major college there are probably 30 kids, guys that could come out and those that will come out. Especially with the NIL money, 15 of those reports might go to an archive until the guy really comes out, so there’s a lot of work. The technology makes it a little bit easier. I started in the days when you’re dragging the 16-millimeter (projector) around, and God, I could tell stories about that, but now, all you need is good wi-fi and you could do it from a treehouse. The technology has made it easier, but the load, the volume of players you gotta look at (has changed). And I used to tell the pro guys, college scouts have a much more difficult job than we do, in terms of evaluation, not the volume of work, but just figuring out and putting a number on them. It’s way different from when I started and much more problematic, and on top of that, you have the media now. I finally broke down and got a subscription to The Athletic, partly because it was a $1 a month, but it’s like anything else. You got this guy giving every team grades, but you gotta be kidding me. Who are you? What have you done? When have you put your nuts on the line? But sadly, you got owners listening to these clowns, and even GMs listening to these clowns. The NFL has become a very tough job, and scouting is difficult. You still have schools with rules -- when can I come in? When can I not come in? It’s a load. I feel for the college scouts, I really do.”

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “You know, God’s honest truth, I kinda divorced myself from football my first year out. I needed a break. I watched more ball this past year, way more pro games than college games. I’ve gone to a couple high school games. I love the game, but retirement is different for everybody, and I never wanted to be that guy who sits in front of a TV. But I follow it, and I’m aware of what’s going on.” 

• Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?: “I root more for people than for teams now. I have people that are in the league that I’m in touch with, and I root for them, wish them well and kinda enjoy the games from them. There are people I root for that worked for me and with me. You just hope that they do well because it’s such a cutthroat business. It’s a brutal business.”

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

Roster management for scouts: One question we always get from NFL scouts is, where do I go to learn the basics of the CBA as it relates to building a team? Until now, we didn’t have a good answer, but now, we do. Tuesday and Wednesday (May 7-8) at 8 p.m. ET, Shane Costa of Generation Sports Group will have 90-minute sessions dealing with the cap as it relates to scouting and evaluation. Cost is $50 plus tax, and all participants will get videos from both nights. Once registration is complete Tuesday afternoon, we’ll send out the Zoom link. If you work in the league and feel a little insecure about questions related to restructured contracts, signing bonuses, voidable years, delayed payments, etc., Shane will answer all your questions. We hope you can join us. Got questions? Email us at nstratton@insidetheleague.com.

Profile Reports: It took us a while, but we’re finally rolling on our team-by-team breakdowns. Though we skipped Monday, we picked up on Tuesday with Arkansas State, followed by Army on Wednesday, Auburn on Thursday and Ball State today. Read the Profile Reports to get a heads-up on which players the scouts will be watching next fall. Review them all, going back 15 years, here. 

Teaching time: Our next session for prospective agents is Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. As always, NFL agent Ian Greengross will join aspiring contract advisors on Zoom for an hour to cover several key concepts necessary to pass the exam, which is set for the end of July. Our April session includes several meaty topics, which include:

Video vault: So you’re taking the NFLPA Exam in July, but while you were working and not paying attention, you suddenly noticed that there are less than 90 days until the exam in late July. Not to worry! We have three recorded Zoom sessions ready to help you. They are:

• February: Given a signing bonus and Year 4 cap number, calculate rookie salary • Calculation of problems re: June 1 rule, a key concept that's always part of the exam • Calculation of agent fees, including split between two agents after one has been terminated. • Accrued seasons, accrued seasons for benefits, and accrued seasons for salary. $35 plus tax

• March: Eligibility (accrued, credited for benefits, credited for salary) and free agency (Tenders, ROFR, exclusive rights free agency, restricted rights free agency, unrestricted free agency; transition tag, franchise/non-exclusive with terms, franchise/exclusive with terms); determining if a player has accrued a season, earned credit for benefits, earned credit for salary; deadline for payment (if cut on Tuesday, does he get paid?). • Split contracts • Termination pay • Veteran salary benefit. $35 plus tax

• April: Preseason split and in-season split, types of splits, definition, etc.; workman’s comp offsets, etc.; draft signals; PPE (partial coverage); and practice squad salaries. $35 plus tax.

We’ve also got a study guide ($350 plus tax) and two practice exams. We’re ready to help, and look forward to working with you. 

Next week: In a way, the work has ramped up since the draft ended. Don’t believe it? Check out what we have on the docket.

• Scout hiring and firing is red-hot, and we’re all over it. We’re talking about what we hear, what we think about the moves already made, and what to expect in the Rep Rumblings. Make sure you’re staying current on them. While we’re at it, we’re also updating our Scouting Changes Grid, move by move. 
• The Scouting the League podcast continues next week with a special guest that has insights you need to succeed in this business. It’s going to be another great episode after several of them the past few weeks. Check out our entire schedule of shows here.
• We hope to have our Agent Changes for April next week, though there’s a good chance we won’t, to be quite honest.
• There’s a whole slate of draft metric features we publish every year. There’s also the Draft by the Numbers feature. Hopefully, we can make progress on all, or some of them, this week. 
• The Succeed in Football blog will focus on the transfer portal as it winds down; the draft; the scout hiring practices; or something else relevant to today’s young football professional. 
• Getting ready for the exam? We’ve got everything you need here. 

It’s more important now than ever to be up to date on the industry. Not an ITL client yet? Start here.