NFL Business Analyst Andrew Brandt
NFL Business Analyst Andrew Brandt joined the Norris and Davis show to discuss Baltimore Raven's rookie Matt Elam and his contract situation.
Andrew Brandt joins Norris & Davis
Steve started out by asking the former player agent about Matt Elam and the fact that he is not going to hire an agent. Andrew said that the Elam thing is going to be something that existing agents are wondering about and asking themselves the question that most young players are now asking: why should I be paying an agent a portion of my rookie contract if it is pretty much already set in the new CBA. The new CBA, if you remember, presets the rookie contracts. However you can negotiate with an agent the amount of money that he will receive. The agents handle the interviews and talk about other things of importance to ready the NFL young players for a successful career.
Ed then asked if an agent can negotiate sponsors. Andrew said that they definitely can and that people don't appreciate all the things that go on behind the scene with an agent. 4-6 hours of work each day goes by without receiving any money at all for most of these guys. Brandt has a twenty year experience as an agent and you definitely want a buffer to negotiate with you don't want a player doing in raw. The most difficult negotiations that Brandt has ever had has come in negotiations that an agent is not present. He advises all players to get an agent because it makes the players life much easier.
Steve then asked Brandt about Hernandez and whether Patriot security should have detected something like this. Brandt said that this is the worst time a year for an NFL executive. Brandt said that the issue he had with the Pat's, is why they would give him a player friendly deal of 40 million after he was only with the team for two years and had two more years left on his original contract. These contracts are for corner stones of your future so it seems weird that the Pats wouldn't have seen something in his character that would derail the process of locking him up for a number of years at a steep price.
