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The rise of combine prep facilities is the biggest change in the draft business in the last decade. Of course, these things must be funded somehow, as packages can run up to $25,000 or more, so let's focus on the economics, breaking it down by prospect level.
Combine invitees: If you are a combine invitee, you can find an agent to pay for your training. You may not get to train at
Bommarito Performance
,
XPE Sports
,
Exos
,
TEST Football Academy
,
Michael Johnson Performance
or one of the best services in the business, but you'll find someone who will pay. You may also not get your first choice agent-wise, and you might have to make a business decision based on how much you value training somewhere other than your school, but you'll probably find training.
Starter at FBS school:
If you started your senior season and played for a successful Division I-A school, you have a chance to have your training paid for. Of course, there are several variables. If you played an impact position (DE, LOT, QB, CB, etc.); played at a BCS school; started multiple years; arrived at your school as a highly touted recruit; or have extraordinary physical skills (4.3 40, or an Olympic background), you have a better chance of getting your training covered. If you were a one-year starter; you have a background of arrests; you played a low-impact position (OG, box safety, PK, PT, etc.); or lack NFL dimensions and/or speed for your position, chances are you'll struggle to find someone to pay.
The training rider:
Either way, a good agent will cover himself by asking you to sign a training rider. This rider will state that all training fees are covered as long as you don't fire your agent before signing an NFL deal. You'll find some agents that might not ask you to sign such a rider, but be careful there, because either that agent is so desperate to sign you that he's probably in over his head, or he's so lacking in knowledge of how the industry works that he's likely to make a costly mistake down the line. Of course, before you sign a rider, realize that it will make it much tougher for you to fire your agent in most circumstances. If you dump your contract advisor in, say, March, you'll face preparing for your pro day, the most important event of the offseason, while simultaneously trying to find a new agent willing to cover a training package that could be thousands of dollars. If you're projected to go in the first three rounds, that's probably not going to be a problem, but if you're not one of the top 100 prospects in the draft, it's going to be a lot more difficult. Training riders may be tricky, and it may feel like they inhibit your freedom, but it's the only way agents can protect themselves and their investments.
So what if you can't find anyone to cover your training costs? We'll cover that next week.
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Neil Stratton
