Tag: agent

Report: Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy hires ‘super agent’ heading into final year of contract

From @ToddBrock24f7: Don Yee has represented Tom Brady, Sean Payton, and Jim Harbaugh, among others. He’ll now add McCarthy entering a pivotal 2024 season.

The start of the 2024 regular season is still over four months away, and things have already take a potentially dramatic turn regarding the Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy, who is heading into a contract year.

McCarthy has reportedly hired “super agent” Don Yee to represent him, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.

Yee, 64, signed Tom Brady while the quarterback was still an unknown senior at the University of Michigan and then went on to represent Brady for the duration of his record-shattering NFL career.

The California-based agent has also represented Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, Broncos head coach Sean Payton, and Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

McCarthy has led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-win seasons and a playoff berth in each of those campaigns, but the team finished just 1-3 in the postseason under him.

It was announced shortly after the most recent loss, a stunning 48-32 loss at home to the seventh-seeded Packers, that McCarthy would not be receiving a contract extension and would coach through the final year of the contract he signed in 2020.

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The move comes just hours after the Cowboys’ annual pre-draft press conference. During that Q&A session, team owner Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones spent the majority of the time discussing the current financial state of the franchise, especially getting grilled by reporters on why the Cowboys have yet to sign their three biggest stars- Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons- to contract extensions.

Jerry blamed past contracts and the salary cap, while also explaining that he likes to give himself plenty of options as he wait “to see a few more cards play.”

Now it appears that McCarthy is lining up his own options, keeping his own interests protected for however the Cowboys’ 2024 season plays.

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Jayden Daniels reportedly believed Commanders visit was a one on one

Jayden Daniels believed his meeting with Washington would be a one-on-one visit.

It’s been a wild week regarding LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner was believed to be the leading contender for Washington to select at No. 2 overall. Therefore, it made sense why the Commanders would schedule their top-30 visit with Daniels the week before the 2024 NFL draft.

The only problem was that Washington also scheduled visits with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Those visits weren’t solo visits, either. Instead, Commanders general manager Adam Peters scheduled an outing at Top Golf for the four quarterbacks.

That didn’t sit well with Daniels’ agent, who liked a pair of tweets on X seemingly knocking the Commanders for scheduling a group visit for the four quarterbacks.

On Friday’s episode of “Get Up” on ESPN, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Daniels believed his meeting with Washington would be a one-on-one visit.

What does this all mean?

Ultimately, it means nothing as the Commanders control the situation. If they want Daniels, they will select him. If not, they’ll choose Maye or McCarthy. There’s nothing wrong with Daniels thinking it would be a solo visit; the issue comes from his agent’s unprofessional actions, making this a much bigger deal than it actually was.

If Washington planned to take Daniels No. 2, nothing that occurred this week will change anything.

Daniels’ agent did him no favors this week, though, creating a bunch of unnecessary noise before the biggest week of his life.

 

 

 

Does Jayden Daniels not want to play for the Commanders?

It’s been a rollercoaster week regarding Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.

At the beginning of this week, it looked like a mere formality that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels would be the next quarterback for the Washington Commanders.

However, a visit to Top Golf changed everything. We are kidding — sort of.

On the final day that NFL teams could host the top 30 visits at their team facilities, Washington did things a bit differently. It hosted a large group, including four of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL draft: Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr.

On Wednesday, some questioned why the Commanders would host four quarterback prospects on one visit, although it’s been done multiple times over the years. Daniels’ agent saw the tweets and hit the “like” button on X—formerly Twitter—on two of those tweets.

Some thought it was much ado about nothing, while others thought it was extremely unprofessional.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who has long predicted Daniels to Washington, has seemingly backed off that “guess” in recent days. In an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, Schefter mentioned the possibility that perhaps Daniels would like to play elsewhere.

“The signs point to Jayden Daniels, which they do, and the Commanders are going through it after this week, when again, I think it’s a situation where from the outset, Jayden Daniels has had an interest in being other places,” Schefter said.

“Now the interest is, “What do the Commanders do about that?” Schefter asked.

Schefter then mentioned the Raiders as a possible option for Daniels, who played at Arizona State when head coach Antonio Pierce was an assistant there, and the two have remained close.

What do we make of this? Whether Daniels wants to play elsewhere or not, he has no choice if Washington selects him. And if Washington takes a player who supposedly wants to be elsewhere, who cares? Every year and in every sport, a player may have a preference, and that doesn’t stop teams from drafting them.

If Daniels is the guy for the Commanders, he’ll be the pick next week — and he’ll be fine. For his part, Schefter said signs still point to Washington selecting Daniels second overall.

Wil Lutz’s agent rips Saints after trade to Broncos: ‘He didn’t lose his job’

Wil Lutz’s agent rips New Orleans Saints after trade to Denver Broncos: ‘The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster’

The New Orleans Saints made a surprise trade ahead of Tuesday’s NFL roster cuts by trading former Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz to Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos. It’s a move that Lutz’s agent John Perla isn’t quick to embrace, telling the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson “He didn’t lose his job. The Saints just made a poor decision.”

Lutz and Grupe were neck-and-neck throughout the summer, with things coming to a peak in their final Saints preseason game. Grupe nailed a 50-yard field goal early on and had enough distance on a 60-yard try later, but the ball drifted too far to the right and swung wide of the uprights.

That didn’t dissuade the Saints from giving Grupe the starting nod and shipping Lutz off to Denver. But Perla still isn’t happy to see his client cast aside.

“The better player is not the one who is left on the Saints’ roster, I’ll tell you that,” Perla added to Tomasson.

We’ll see how things play out for both kickers when the regular season kicks off in a few weeks. Lutz will be playing for a coach he knows well at high elevation, where kickers have performed well before. Grupe will be working indoors for much of the season under a coach who has expressed a ton of confidence in him. Both guys are in good situations, but it’s pretty clear that Lutz didn’t leave New Orleans because he wanted to.

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Phillip Lindsay’s agent reached out to Broncos about potential reunion

Phillip Lindsay’s agent has reached out to the Broncos about the possibility of the running back returning to Denver.

Former Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay, who is currently playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL, would like to return to the NFL with the team that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

“I would love to come back to Denver,’’ Lindsay said in a recent interview with The Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. “That would be a great storybook ending to a big-time fairy tale. I would be ecstatic. It would be a dream come true again.”

Lindsay made NFL history when he became the first undrafted running back to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons from 2018-2019. His role was then reduced in 2020 and he left the team in 2021 seeking an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere.

Since then, Lindsay, 28, has had brief stints with the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. He’s now playing in the XFL in an effort to get back on the radar of NFL teams.

Lindsay’s agent, Mike McCartney, has reached out to the Broncos about a possible reunion, but Denver told him they want to see how the draft goes before considering free agent running backs.

Lindsay believes he could have a role with the Broncos even if they do draft a running back this week.

“I wouldn’t be there trying to be a starter,” Lindsay told Tomasson. “At this point of my career, being a role player would be just fine with me, going in there and doing my part on special teams and bringing a spark when I can. Just being a great person and a great vet.”

There’s no doubt that Lindsay has a perfect team-first mentality, but whether or not Denver believes his on-field contributions warrant a roster spot remains to be seen. The draft will conclude on Saturday night, then the Broncos will revisit possible free agent additions.

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Broncos OLB Aaron Patrick suing NFL, Chargers after injury

After tearing his ACL on the sideline at SoFi Stadium, Broncos OLB Aaron Patrick is suing the NFL and Chargers.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Aaron Patrick is suing the NFL and Los Angeles Chargers (among others) after a carpet on the sideline of SoFi Stadium caused him to tear his ACL during a game on Oct. 17, according to a report from TMZ Sports.

“Patrick is suing for unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential,” TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.

Patrick’s torn ACL was a season-ending injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Patrick’s agent, Lamont Smith, told NFL Network in October that he was “very disturbed” by how the injury happened.

“I was very disturbed about the way the injury occurred with the carpet being on the sideline like that,” Smith said last month. “His cleat got lodged in the carpet trying to avoid the media person.”

JC Tretter, the president of the NFL’s players union, recently wrote an article that called for the league to “clear the excess people and dangerous equipment from the sidelines.”

“We have seen too many injuries because of this issue, and it really should be a simple fix,” Tretter wrote on the NFLPA’s website. “Give the players their space to perform. Year after year, the NFL tells us they will look into it; and year after year, nothing ever changes.”

The NFL has not taken action, so Patrick is taking matters into his own hands by suing the league. Perhaps that will motivate the NFL to make some changes to its sidelines going forward.

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Aaron Patrick’s agent ‘very disturbed’ by cause of OLB’s torn ACL

Aaron Patrick’s agent told NFL Network he is ‘very disturbed’ by the way Patrick tore his ACL on the sideline.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Aaron Patrick suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.

After covering a punt in the fourth quarter, Patrick ran out of bounds and attempted to avoid running over someone on the sideline. Patrick planted his left foot on a carpet and his foot got stuck and his knee was caught in an awkward position, which resulted in a torn ACL.

After news broke on Tuesday that Patrick will miss the rest of the 2022 season, his agent, Lamont Smith, released a statement to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“I was very disturbed about the way the injury occurred with the carpet being on the sideline like that,” Smith told Pelissero. “His cleat got lodged in the carpet trying to avoid the media person.”

The carpet appeared to be on the sideline to cover wires, and the person that Patrick ran into appeared to be some kind of NFL game-day personnel member.

Patrick played 76% of the team’s special teams snaps in the five games he played this year before suffering the injury. He will now spend the rest of the 2022 season on injured reserve before returning for a contract year in 2023.

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NFL agent sent funny tweet to announce his client signed with Broncos

Mike McCartney has a good sense of humor 😅

The Denver Broncos made headlines in the football world on Thursday when they agreed to terms on a five-year, $245 million contract extension with star quarterback Russell Wilson.

The new deal includes $165 million guaranteed, and Wilson is now the sixth-highest paid QB in the NFL on a per-season average. In a sport where QBs are by far the most important position, Denver getting a long-term deal done with its franchise QB was clearly the biggest news item of the day.

Or was it?

NFL agent Mike McCartney took to Twitter on Thursday to announce what he (jokingly) refereed to as “the biggest Broncos news of the day”: McCartney’s client, offensive lineman Will Sherman, signed with Denver’s practice squad.

It was witty tweet from McCartney, who also uses Twitter to tease fans who confuse him for Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy.

McCartney often responds to fans who confuse him for the coach during the season.

“It definitely started when Mike was in Green Bay a few seasons ago,” McCartney told ESPN in 2020. “I’m on Twitter and I just remember a person tweeted at me as if I was the coach. And it was in-game. I was like, ‘Are they really that clueless? Our names are spelled differently.’ But then I thought it could be fun to reply as if I’m Mike McCarthy.”

Funny guy, that Mike McCartney.

As for his client, Sherman is a 23-year-old lineman who was picked by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Colorado. Sherman spent his rookie season on New England’s practice squad last year, and he’ll now provide backup offensive tackle depth on the Broncos’ practice squad.

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Broncos unsigned free agent RB Melvin Gordon changes agents

Still unsigned, RB Melvin Gordon recently changed his agents. He’s set to turn 29 next week.

Melvin Gordon is among 16 unsigned Denver Broncos free agents — and he’s arguably the most notable player on the list.

Gordon has remained productive in recent years but he’s set to turn 29 years old next week, which might partially explain why he hasn’t been drawing a lot of interest from running back-needy teams.

In what seems unlikely to be coincidental timing, Gordon has changed agents. The veteran running back used to be represented by Fletcher Smith and Damarius Bilbo, but NFLPA records now indicate he is represented by Brian Murphy and Joe Panos, according to ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio.

NFL teams are often wary of running backs approaching 30, and Gordon is believed to have a current market value of $2.5 million for one season, according to Florio. That might explain why Gordon had this reaction when the Dallas Cowboys gave a punter an average of $3 million per season:

The presumed implication of Gordon’s tweet is that NFL teams have given a punter more value than the running back — at least in the case of one specific team and one specific punter.

Gordon earned an average of $8 million per season in his two years with the Broncos. In today’s running back market, he won’t get anywhere close to that on his next contract, regardless of who his agent is.

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Amid a contract year, Saints safety Marcus Williams changes agents

New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Williams fired his old agent and hired a new one while playing out the final year of his rookie contract.

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Marcus Williams entered the 2020 season as one of the highest priorities to re-sign with the New Orleans Saints, behind only running back Alvin Kamara and linebacker Demario Davis. Kamara and Davis each signed long-term contract extensions before the season kicked off, but Williams hasn’t played up to his potential in the weeks since — or even playing up to the level of someone who should be retained by the team.

So he’s probably become frustrated with any contract talks with the Saints, or a lack thereof. On Wednesday, Williams fired his agent (Todd France of Athletes First) and chose a new one (Tory Dandy of CAA, where France previously worked), though he must wait five days per NFLPA rules before making the switch final.

Williams’ decision was reported by Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal, which was confirmed by Amie Just of Nola.Com.

Just added that Dandy has an impressive resume of clients currently signed with the Saints, including tight end Jared Cook, rookie guard Cesar Ruiz, and defensive backs P.J. Williams and Marshon Lattimore. France, who had represented Williams before the changeup, counts wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and safety D.J. Swearinger among his clients.

Maybe it leads to some momentum, one way or another. Williams was a great player for the Saints during his first three years, with the only real knock against him being occasional lapses in tackle discipline. But this season his strengths have receded and he’s allowed too many big plays through the air, whether on busted coverages or by being fouled for holding or defensive pass interference. It’s early, and he has plenty of time to turn it around, but early on he’s been a liability.

With also-talented safeties like Malcolm Jenkins and C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the fold, maybe Williams could be shopped around before the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline. Or maybe his new agent could ask for a trade. At this point, we can only speculate.

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