Ask Brett Tessler

[Brett Tessler]

Yet another question...

What are your thoughts on Terrell Buckley doing his own negotiating with the team of his choice and do you think that will be a trend? I believe that I read somewhere that he was able to save himself about $22,000. by doing that which his agent normally does.

And...How much do these players actually make? Suppose a player gets a 1 year -- 3 million dollar contract...how much does he actually see of that after agent fees and taxes?

An agent's work goes far beyond just negotiating a contract. I give my guys peace of mind and allow them to concentrate on playing football. My clients come to me for advice on a daily basis and I think it's in every player's best interest to have a middleman between himself and the team. That way when a tough decision needs to be made, the team doesn't hold it against the player. All it takes is one bad decision to ruin a player's career. Buckley may have saved thousands by doing his own deal, but Teddy Bruschi just cost himself over $6,000,000 by not having an agent.

To answer your second question, players usually take home a little more than half of what they make. The majority of it goes to Uncle Sam.

 

[Brett Tessler]

An agent with integrity? I didn't know such things existed. Have you ever had to deal with negative fan reaction just because of people's negative feelings towards agents?

No, I've never experienced any negative fan reaction. In fact, most people I encounter are intrigued about what I do and often tell me that I've got the coolest job in the world. The only problem is that I might strangle the next person who comes up to me and yells, "Show me the money!".

 

[Brett Tessler]

I appreciate the advice you have given us from phinzone to finheaven. Thanks Brett.


I also wanted to know are there a lot of sports agencies located in Florida?
And do you know of any requirements needed to get an internship for their programs?

Thanks
Pete

It's my pleasure. There are definitely a lot of agencies down here, but I'm not aware of their internship requirements. Be resourceful and you will soon find the information you need.

 

[Silent Hippy]

why did you want to be an agent?
did you play ball in high school?

 

[dolphindan1970]

The only problem is that I might strangle the next person who comes up to me and yells, "Show me the money!".

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: Now thats Funny !

 

[Brett Tessler]

Do you think that the Seahawks overpaid for Grant Wistrom?? How about Jevon Kearse's deal with Philly?? $20 million in bonus (16 + two $2 million roster bonuses) seems like a lot for a DE. Heck, that's seems enormous even for a QB.

What's your take on this sudden surge in pay for DEs. How much of a ripple effect will it have on ALL new contracts?? Just seems like things went sky high in a hurry.

Finally, Ogunleye's contract. Give us your best guess as to what the contract will look like (years, bonus, total). :)

Muck, I don't currently represent any defensive ends so I haven't taken the time to study the market for Ogunleye. There's no question that the deals for Kearse and especially Wistrom have raised a lot of eyebrows. It's not really a sudden surge in salaries, because defensive end has always been one of the highest paid positions by average.

 

[Brett Tessler]

thx!

What has been your most gratifying moment as an agent thus far?

There have been many gratifying moments. One that immediately comes to mind is when Ozzie Newsome (general manager of the Baltimore Ravens) called to sign one of my players. Ozzie was my hero when he played for the Browns in the 80's. When he left me a voicemail I played it for my mom, my cousin, my friends, and everybody else I know.

 

[Brett Tessler]

Brett, I know their are alot of ways to circumvent the cap,and I was just wondering that if in most cases, doesnt these end up really hurting a team in 3,4 years down the road (like the 49ers,and some others). I know their are different ways to work these things, but why I worry is that because I know the Dolphins have reworked alot of deals over the past few years, like Zach and others, and are now soon going to have to deal with Olgun,Chambers, and more, so I am hoping that none of this is going to put the Dolphins in terrible shape 3,4 years down the road as well. I appreciate your thoughts,thanks, Dan

Dan,
The Dolphins have been pretty smart about not overpaying the wrong guys. There's enough room under the salary cap for teams to afford their share of star players. Teams get into trouble when they start paying top signing bonuses to average players. The Dolphins let a guy like Todd Wade leave now so they could afford to keep guys like Chambers and Ogunleye in the future.

 

[Disnardo]

Brett, great to have you in this site and answering some of our questions. Thanks for taking mine.

Now take for granted this is a hypothetical scenario, so I would not expect anything less than a hypothetical answer...

Let's say that Wale Ogun sits out the 1st 10 games of the season because he and the Dolphins don't reach an agreement, so he will play the last 6 games and he will head into FA next year.
Let's say that the replacement DEs that the Dolphins will use will get a combined 10 sacks, and do a good job at run stopping.

My question is this: How will this poduction, by these other DEs, affect Wale's future contract at the end of the season?

Disnardo

 

[dolphindan1970]

Dan,
The Dolphins have been pretty smart about not overpaying the wrong guys. There's enough room under the salary cap for teams to afford their share of star players. Teams get into trouble when they they start paying superstar signing bonuses to average players. The Dolphins let a guy like Todd Wade get away now so they could afford to pay guys like Chambers and Ogunleye in the future.

Thanks again Brett, your explanation really helped alot,plus took some worry about the future off. Nice to know the Dolphins have done a good job on these things.

 

[Brett Tessler]

How much have you seen players be more ameniable to giving up $$$ to sign with a favorite team or team that they want to join because of Super Bowl hopes ?

Many players do that. Especially towards the end of their careers when they already have the financial security and just want to win a Super Bowl.

 

[Brett Tessler]

Hi Brett , what is the status of jason Gildon? Is miami interested at all? gabe

Gabe,
As you know, Gildon was released by Pittsburgh last week. Even though he's in the twilight of his career, plenty of teams will be interested. I don't think Miami will be one of them. Thanks for the question.

 

[*_*ADMIRAL*_*]

hey brett,
how long have you been in the Agency business?
How often do you represent a football player that is from a small school?

 

[ptmn]

I want to get into the sports agent business, and was wondering how often you are faced with the dilemma of ethics? How hard is it to compete for some players when agents are doing illegal things to attract them? I read a lot about these kinds of practices and wondering if I should believe all of this. Would you recommend anything that could prepare someone for the world of sports agents?


Thanks

Pete Malinosky

 

[BSQX4]

Brett, I also live in Plantation. An area called Plantation Isles. I grew up in Miami Beach but really like living in Plantation. Could you evaluate the job Spielman has done as G.M. in an impartial way. What do you think of Feeley, did we pull the trigger too fast. Should we have gone for Jeff Garcia? Do you like Vernon Carey as our first round pick. Have we done enough to improve our O-Line? Do you think Boston will work out? Do you think Ogun will eventually sign? I think he needs a reality check. Alot of guys have put up numbers opposite Jason Taylor. Look at Mixon, Armstrong and Bromell, none of these guys has duplicated the success they had playing accross from Taylor. He's not worth what he's asking. Yes, I want very badly for him to be on the Dolphins but he has to come out of the clouds on his demands. This is my opinion, what's yours. Thanks, you've been a great addition to this site. This site is much more fun when the season starts, you'll see!