Lamar Jackson never had an agent. He was always needed.
He needs him now, more than ever.
Five years ago, the absence of an agent in the weeks leading up to the military draft allowed for the spread of delusional stories and statements that Jackson could potentially change his position so that it would not be held back either publicly or privately. Despite what Bill Polian from all over the world was saying into the microphone, agents representing other quarterbacks must have vilified Jackson behind the scenes to ensure their own clients could be picked higher. Jackson had no one to protect him from this dynamic and, unsurprisingly, he slipped to 32nd.
Now, with teams quickly slamming the door on Jackson before he even gets close to the front porch, Jackson needs an agent to devise and implement a plan to use Jackson’s new non-exclusive franchise status to his advantage. As teams that are otherwise committed to due diligence on every single competent player try to bury their heads in the sand about Jackson, a seasoned, well-connected agent can get their attention. An experienced agent with connections can explain to these teams how to get Lamar to sign a proposal sheet that the Ravens might not or might not be able to agree on. A qualified, well-connected agent could get the media to give the impression, true or false, that there would be a bidding war for Jackson’s services. A truly skilled and connected agent might even get a team that isn’t really interested in Jackson to feign interest as a favor, perhaps bringing some other team to the table.
If, as MDS pointed out, some agents represented Lamar, some national insiders with more than 10 million Twitter followers would report that several teams are preparing a list of lucrative offers for the quarterback. True or not, it just doesn’t matter.
These are all real benefits of having a good agent. And all these are actions that are not related to real contract negotiations. Players who choose to represent themselves think they are saving money on services they don’t really need, without even realizing the full range of services that a good agent can and will provide.
It’s too late to make amends for the damage done to Lamar’s interests by not having an agent. But he must resist the temptation to double (or triple) the bet on his decision by refusing to give the impression, by hiring an agent now, that he was wrong not to have hired an agent sooner. He must understand that he has virtually no chance of getting the long-term deal he deserves over two years without an agent.
It’s clearly not Crows. They have shown they can make fair deals with a wide variety of players and recently signed a self-representing midfielder. Roquan Smith for a long term deal. The problem is, Lamar doesn’t have an agent.
There’s another reason Lamar should have an agent besides the upcoming free agent process. The team that signs him will presumably want to keep him for more than two or three years. At some point, his contract may need to be renegotiated or extended. Given the chronic and persistent struggle the Ravens have faced when it comes to reaching any type of agreement with Lamar, teams may want to avoid similar issues in the future.
For all these reasons and more, Lamar needs an agent. He was always needed. Now that he is able to communicate with other teams and potentially negotiate a long-term contract, he needs an agent like never before.
Let’s hope that someone who really cares about Lamar and has influence over him will make him understand this before he finds himself without a long-term contract and having to choose between playing or not playing in 2023 for an insultingly low sum of money. $32.4 million. .
Source: profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
