Malik Shareef, an NFL agent who represents seven players in the league and has been certified to negotiate playing contracts by the NFL Players Association since 2007, has signed New York Giants wide receiver
Victor Cruz and NFL draft prospects
Janoris Jenkins and
Dwight “Bill” Bentley.
Cruz, who was undrafted out of Massachusetts in 2010, was formerly represented by Abu Toppin and Jack Huntington for contract work. IMG represents Cruz for marketing work.
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Agent Malik Shareef has picked up Giants standout Cruz (top) and prospects Jenkins (below, left) and Bentley.
Photos by: GETTY IMAGES (2); ICON SMI
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Shareef said he does not know why Cruz left his former agents. “He just got in contact with us and it kind of went from there,” he said.
Toppin and Huntington, who run Reliance Sports Management, did not reply for comment, but Toppin said last month it was disappointing to learn Cruz planned to leave the firm. Cruz finished third in the NFL in receiving yards in 2011 and was the Giants’ team leader with 82 receptions and nine touchdowns. He is scheduled to make $490,000 this year in the final year of his rookie contract. Absent an extension, he will be a free agent after the season.
Shareef said last week he has not yet had talks with the Giants about an extension for Cruz.
As for Jenkins and Bentley, both cornerbacks, they both attended Pahokee (Fla.) High School. Bentley last year
played at Louisiana-Lafayette. Jenkins previously starred at Florida but was dismissed from the team in spring 2011 after three arrests, two of which were for marijuana possession. He played last year at Division II North Alabama.
Jenkins was formerly represented by Ben Dogra of CAA Sports. Bentley was formerly represented by Bill Johnson of SportsTrust Advisors and, before Johnson, by Neil Schwartz of Schwartz & Feinsod.
The players are believed to have fired their agents around the same time, if not on the same day.
Shareef, when asked why the two players left their previous agents, said, “I have no idea.”
Dogra, when asked for comment, said, “We wish [Jenkins] well, but this is in the best interest of all parties.”
Said Johnson about Bentley, “His arrow is pointing up, but this move is in the best interest of both parties and we wish him well.”
The moves to Shareef raised eyebrows in the industry. Shareef did represent a high draft pick in the past — cornerback Joe Haden, the No. 7 overall pick in 2010 — but Haden fired Shareef and signed with Drew Rosenhaus last year.
Todd McShay, NFL draft analyst for ESPN, said switching agents in and of itself is not something that could negatively affect a player’s draft status, but it could be seen as a negative if it’s regarded as part of a pattern of behavior. Teams may want to find out why and who is making the decisions in a player’s life before drafting him high, McShay said. McShay had Jenkins ranked No. 24 overall and Bentley No. 56 overall last week.
Rob Rang, senior draft analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, had Jenkins ranked No. 35 overall and Bentley No. 87. Regarding Jenkins, Rang said, “He is dropping a very respected program, which is obviously his right. … It’s just something that, if I was running a club, I would want to know why.”
PROFORMANCE SIGNS MLB PLAYERS: Proformance of Richmond, Va., has signed free agent outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and Toronto pitcher Henderson Alvarez for representation. Jay Alou, Orlando Ventura and Junior Rojas will represent them.
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
