Welcome to our first-ever 'special edition' of the Friday Wrap. With virtually the entire pro football world in one place this week, we thought we'd try something different and write a Wrap that advances, rather than reviews, the week. Today's edition will be shorter and feature different content than our loyal readers are used to, but we hope you find it helpful, and we'll be back to our normal routine next week.

 

What's on the schedule?:While the invited players get revved up to work out at Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend, we'll do our usual work educating, greeting and providing a platform for people who are building the industry. Today, we'll set up in Room 125 of the Indiana Convention Center all day, hosting three events. First up is

	Darius Leonard is one reason the Colts are the odds-on favorite to land the Best NFL Draft 2018 Award tonight.

the  2019 Franklin Capital Strategies ITL Coaches Agent Seminar Presented by Texas Interventional Orthopedics. As you know, we'll have a panel of experts who will help our guests unlock the secrets of getting college and NFL coaches noticed, interviewed and hired in today's changing marketplace. From noon until 4 p.m., our suite will host the  XFL Hospitality Room Presented by TEST Football Academy.  Doug Whaley, Senior V.P. of Football Operations for the new league, will be on hand, along with his staff, to answer questions about the return of the league from a nearly 20-year hiatus. Lunch will be available. Then, at 6 p.m., we'll cap the day with our 10 ^thannual seminar, the  TEST Football Academy ITL Combine Seminar Presented by the XFL. We'll toast the team with the  NFL's Best Draft in 2018as voted on by scouts and executives; we'll present the inaugural  Eugene E. Parker Lifetime Achievement Awardto a titan in the industry; we'll hear from our keynote speaker, Whaley; and last but not least, we'll provide a forum for a robust discussion of the agent industry and best steps forward as led by  Peter Schafferof Authentic Athletix. Take note: we will have very limited seating, so make sure to be there early. Also, while we will try to accommodate everyone, due to the nature of this year's meeting and our space limitations, priority will be given to NFLPA-licensed contract advisors, especially after the awards presentations. We look forward to seeing everyone today!

 

Can't make it in? Plane arrives too late?:As we discussed, a lot of weighty topics will be on the docket for tonight's meeting. Can't make it? Stay tuned to the Inside the League Twitter and Facebook pages for live updates throughout the evening. We'll also post the full event up on our   YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe. Still thirsty for more? Highlights of key issues will be analyzed on our weekly blog,   Succeed In Football. As always, we're dedicated to providing you with the info and tools necessary to help you achieve your goals. Need more info? Email us.

 

Tonight's agenda: Once more, here's a look at everything we'll be packing into our three hours this evening. 

• Doors open, open bar service begins at 5:30 p.m. (beer and white wine).

• Welcome and opening remarks by Inside the League's Neil Stratton at 6 p.m.

• Presentation of the Best NFL Draft 2018 Award by Stratton, followed by remarks by winning team's GM

• Introduction of the Eugene E. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award by Peter Schaffer, Authentic Athletix

• Presentation of Eugene E. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award by Parker's son, Brandon, of VaynerSports. Presentation will be followed by brief remarks by the winner of the award.

• Opening of Certified Contract Advisors program by Schaffer

• Remarks and introduction of keynote speaker Doug Whaleyby title sponsor Kevin Dunn of TEST Football Academy

• Remarks by Whaley, Sr. Vice President of Football Operations, XFL

• Conclusion by Stratton at 9 p.m.

Where's Neil?: Due to a wedding this weekend, ITL's Neil Stratton has an abbreviated schedule in Indianapolis (wheels up before daylight on Saturday). Best time to catch him will be at the XFL Hospitality Room (125 of the Convention Center) mid-day today; tonight at the Sure Sports 'Sports & Spirits' event at Charblue Steakhouse; or outside the Sagamore Ballroom (site of the 2019 NFLPA Seminar) after noon on Friday. 

 

Say hello to our guests this week: Neil will be joined by Dr.  Aadam Quraishi of Houston-based Texas Interventional Orthopedics along with his associate  Sameer Ahmed and former SMU great  Ramon Flanigan, Quraishi is at the vanguard of an exciting, non-surgical solution for players suffering from tears, sprains and other injuries.  Regenexx stem cell and PRP procedures are revolutionizing the industry and giving new life to established players, and Dr. Quraishi is quickly winning converts in the Bayou City, a place that professional athletes of every stripe call home. For more information, visit  texasinterventional.com.

 

Happy camping?: If you or your client is planning a summer camp or clinic for local youths, Doug Oomen would like to talk to you. Doug is Director of Elite Teams for VKTRY Performance Insoles, a new product that is jump-starting (literally) the careers of a growing number of athletes. Doug is out to spread the word about VKTRY and if you represent a starting NFL player, he's up for a discussion. Contact Doug at 312.933.7529 or [email protected].

 

While you're in Indy:It's not uncommon to find yourself in Indianapolis for the combine with time on your hands. The good news is that there are plenty of places to go. We recommend visiting any of our combine prep partners' suites, all situated in major hotels or the convention center. McKinney, Texas-based  Michael Johnson Performance will be in the Presidential Suite ( which looks like this) at the  Omni Severin Hotel, 40 W Jackson Place, Indianapolis, IN 46225. The Omni will also host  EXOS , which will fill the lower ballroom. Boca Raton, Fla.-based  XPE Sports  will be at the Westin, 241 W. Washington St, while Miami-based Bommarito Performance Systems will be in the Indiana Convention Center, Room 209. And of course,  TEST Football Academy, which sponsors today's events at Room 125, will be here through the weekend (after today, the suite is reset with couches and tables). Finally, Jordan Luallen of Nashville-based  Boost Performance , one of the fastest-rising training facilities in the business, will be on the top floor of the building at 201 S. Meridian St., above  Kilroy's, in unit 4B. 

 

ITL 250 for 2020: While the best prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft go under the microscope this week in Indianapolis, we're already looking toward next year. We've got our first look at the top 250 seniors in the 2020 draft class  here. We're excited about the list, which features a good cross-section of big-school players as well as those from mid-majors and sub-FBS schools. We'll have the ITL 100 coming later this week. 

 

2019 NIC Grid:So far, we've tracked three players who'll be in Indianapolis without an agent. They are West Virginia OT  Yodny Cajuste, who fired Tag Sports; Washington State OH  James Williams, who's not listed as having an agent; and Mississippi State DT  Jeffery Simmons (who's technically not part of the combine, but who will be in town for medical check). For a complete rundown of who reps whom and who trained where (as well as when a player's pro day is scheduled), make sure to check out  our complete listing. 

 

Rising Contract Advisors Newsletter:Just a reminder that if you're a new contract advisor, you might have questions as we round third and head for home in the run-up to the 2019 NFL Draft. If so, we're here for you. Our newsletter is a proven best-practices tool for you as the twists and turns of the business arise in the next eight weeks. This week, we reviewed our first nine ITL seminars; recommended how to spend a day-and-a-half in Indy if you're new to the city and the business, and broke down, in minute detail, how we're helping make the business of football a little better with our events and seminars this week. Next week, we'll start going into further depth on pro days, workouts, and what to do now that the only thing that stands between your client and the draft is his workout. All first-year agents get our daily newsletter and will through the draft. If you're a new agent, catch up with the rest of your class by  joining our team.

 

Next week:There's still plenty of work to do even after the combine ends. As pro days get started, we'll track all the results and add them to our  Pro Day Grid. In our Rep Rumblings, we'll start working to gather up as many names as possible of the invitees going to the second-chance combine in Kansas City (as well as which players are accepting their invites), and it's among the things we'll have in our  Rep Rumblings. Also, there are always terminations after the combine, and we'll have our ear to the ground, trying to find out who's unhappy; this will also go into our Rumblings. Our primary focus, however, will be our Profile Reports. We've got a lot of work to do as we prepare for the 2020 NFL draft. We'll also have our weekly blog,  Succeed in Football; four more editions of our series for new agents, the  ITL Rising Contract Advisor Newsletter; at least one Agent Changes report as we're three behind; updates of the NFL agent-coach list and the college head coach-agent grids; and plenty more. But that's next week. See you in Indy!