Bakari (c) was one of several veteran NFL agents that took part in the annual meeting with players last week ADISA BAKARI
Members of the NFLPA had another contentious meeting with agents, this time involving a new group that has formed to represent NFL agent interests, according to a memo the union sent out to all agents on Friday. "There was a portion of the meeting when one agent made an unfortunate remark that many players interpreted as extremely condescending, and during a rather heated exchange about the 'roles' of the agents in this business, other agents specifically and personally targeted an Executive Committee member about the contract that he signed," the NFLPA stated in a letter sent to all agents Friday. The letter stated that veteran NFL agents Peter Schaffer, Christina Phillips, Jason Chayut, Steve Caric, Pat Dye Jr. and Adisa Bakari met with NFL players at the union's annual meeting in Miami last week. The meeting follows a standing room only meeting agents had at a convention hall with a 250-person capacity at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month to discuss their common concerns about the business. A group of NFL agents have held conference calls for more than two years, with as many as 100 NFL agents on a call. There have been at least two meetings between agents and the union where voices were raised. Last year at the NFLPA agent meeting at the Combine, agents lined up at microphones to yell and complain to union officials about the increasing regulations the union was placing on agents, among other things. In its memo to all agents, the NFLPA characterized players as being "dismayed" and its meeting with the six agents it named as not very productive. "There was a general feeling among the players that the agents came into the session grossly underestimating our players’ understanding of complex CBA/negotiating issues; many of the agents’ remarks focused on emphasizing their value in the CBA negotiation process, and thus the session was clearly not as productive as it could have been," the NFLPA stated.
SIGNS OF A SPLIT: The memo, which the union sent out to the more than 700 agents, was remarkable in several respects, including that it appeared to reveal a split between the agent group and the union player representatives on economic issues involving player contracts at stake in the upcoming CBA talks. "The agents in the auxiliary session engaged in some discussion of their positions on certain CBA items like the funding rule and the franchise tags and seemed to be under an impression that those issues were not equally important to players," the memo stated. "However, as we have done in previous years, those issues as well as other important issues had been discussed in-depth by players during their sessions throughout the three days of Rep Meetings. Like the agents, we agree that those are items that we would all like to improve and/or change. However, at the auxiliary session, players were dismayed by the lack of any input by the agents on 'real world' options when the Owners are likely to push back strongly on changes to these and other economic and restriction issues." Agents in other sports do talk to union officials about economic and other issues where they have disagreements, but those other sports unions keep such issues in-house.
STATEMENT FROM SCHAFFER: Schaffer declined comment but offered a statement that reads, “We want to thank the NFL Players Association for inviting several agents to attend the recent auxiliary meeting of the NFLPA Board of Representatives. The agents in attendance were selected by the NFLPA, and represented a cross-section on the agent community and participated in the interest of solidarity and cohesion with all members of the NFLPA, in order to work together to build a strong relationship to identify both problems within our common interest profession, and solutions. The opportunity to have such varying perspectives and sharing of viewpoints in one room, particularly as we prepare for the upcoming expiration of our labor agreement, is rare and unique. It is a step forward that the NFLPA allowed for and heard suggestions that led to spirited debates, without which there can be no real solutions and transparency. The agents attending shared with the players a common heartfelt passion for both the business and game of professional football. We look forward to future opportunities for various groups of agents and members of the NFLPA to gather and continue a dialogue for the betterment of all current, former and future NFL players.”
