Dec. 25-31

The month of January is our favorite because it’s our annual chance to get out of the office and hang out with the people who make up the football business. Though we’re excited about 2022, we’re also excited about the last six months. Today, we want to recap our favorite editions of the Friday Wrap for everyone interested in the football business, especially those people who are newer fans of the Wrap. 

Whether you’re interested in scouting, player representation, the draft and how teams are built, NIL or a little bit of all of them, we talked about it in the second half of the year. Let’s review.

Plenty for scouts and those who hope to be someday: In early August, we took a deep dive into the scouting departments of all 32 teams and made a few observations about baseline totals in various areas, how they differ and how they are the same (if you want to be a scout, make sure to read the list of teams that don’t have any scouting assistants as of last summer). In early October, after conversations with numerous scouts about the challenges they faced this year, we listed the biggest hurdles to college player evaluation. Hint: it’s more than just schools’ Covid protocols that made scouts’ jobs a lot tougher this fall. Just before Thanksgiving, we took a first look at the teams contending for Best Draft Award 2021 based on the performances of their rookie classes; we found some teams that haven’t been previous contenders who are making a strong case (by the way, we’ll announce the five finalists next week). Finally, in late November, with the close of our annual Know Your Scouts update for 2021, we told the stories of several NFL evaluators and how they broke into the game. If you’re a budding scout looking for encouragement, don’t miss it.

Representation of agent matters: In early August, we talked to dozens of people who took the ’21 agent exam, which was different from its priors in many ways, and shared their thoughts. If you plan on taking the exam next summer, make sure to check it out. A little more than a month later, with the results of the exam out, we took a look at the ’21 agent class and made a few observations.

The news on NIL: Three weeks into the new era, we took a look at the signings, where they signed, what schools and positions the signees played, and what it all meant. In October, we looked at seven big names entering this season who signed splashy NIL deals and reviewed their exploits on the field, which were a mixed bag, for sure. A week later, we asked scouts how NIL had affected their jobs, what they asked about players, and what school officials told them. What we found out was that the new era hadn’t changed a great deal from the previous era, at least as of Halloween week. 

Remembering (and honoring) a friend: In August, we lost a longtime Friend of ITL, former Rams scout Danton Barto, so we memorialized him, discussing the impact he had on Inside the League in his many Zoom sessions and contributions to Scout Speak. We also talked to his many friends in the game, and they had plenty to say about what he meant to them. However, we didn’t want his legacy to end there, so in September, we introduced The BART List, our vote – by active NFL scouts who have been working for teams at least five of the last six seasons – on the 10 best scouts in each conference. The following week, we had an update on the progress of voting as well as a few notes on the composition of team scouting staffs that we dug up in the course of our preparation for the vote. Then, on Oct. 1, we released the results of the voting with the 10 scouts in each conference who garnered the most votes plus those who just missed. All 20 scouts will be recognized at our seminar in Indianapolis in March. 

Dissecting the ’22 Draft: Just two weeks ago, our own Blake Beddingfield broke down the ’22 draft class by position, pointing out where teams need to fill their respective shopping carts early and where they can wait to find bargains. This followed our three reviews of seven top draft services and their mock drafts at the mid-September, early November and late December points in the season. Also, in early December, we asked several scouts how this year’s QB crop compares to last year’s. 

Catching Up: We were also privileged to talk to 24 former members of the NFL scouting community. Among our subjects were Buddy Nix, Ron Labadie, Bill DeKraker, Bill Baker, Tom Ciskowski, Don Gregory, Daniel Kelly, Jerry Reichow, Steve Devine, Pat Mondock, Steve Verderosa, Rick Thompson, Jeff Smith, Dan Rambo, Ted Sundquist, Mike Ackerley, Ray Biggs, Ed Lambert, Conrad Cardano, Craig Smith, Don Deisch, Matt Manocherian, Jim Goodman and Lloyd Richards Jr.

As you know, you can review each one of our Friday Wraps going back two years here. Our newsletter has become a key part of what we do here at ITL, and we hope you’ve found it to be an insightful piece that caps your week while preparing you for what’s ahead. If you’re one of our faithful readers, let us take this time to thank you. It’s incredibly gratifying to be able to provide a look at the game and how its business is conducted that we hope is different from what you find anywhere else. Happy new year to you and yours!!

Here’s a look at what else we saw, heard, read and said in the business of college and pro football this week.

Catching Up: Vinny Cerrato, 62, spent 20 years in evaluation with the 49ers and Redskins. We caught up with him this week.

  • Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I live in Fallston, Md., and I do a sports talk radio show in Baltimore. . . I talk about the Ravens daily and watch film of the Ravens games and do a scouting report on the team they’re getting ready to play, and then I recap the game on Mondays.”

  • Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “Well, for my radio show, I grade the top 75 players (in the draft class), so I still watch film and grade players. But going to the campuses and talking to the coaches is what I miss.”

  • Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “I go to Ravens OTAs and mini-camps, so I see those guys a lot. I still talk to some of my colleagues. Not a ton, but every now and then.”

  • Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “No. I coached youth football for like six years in Fallston, but now my son plays hockey, so I go to a lot of hockey games.”

  • Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?: “I like (Chiefs QB) Patrick Mahomes and (Bucs QB) Tom Brady. I never liked (Brady) at New England, but now I like him since he’s at Tampa (laughs). I like watching (Bengals WO) Jamarr Chase, because he’s so quick and explosive.” 

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

ITL Travel Schedule: ITL’s Neil Stratton has finalized his travel schedule for January. Dates include:

  • CGS: Saturday, Jan. 8, to Tuesday, Jan. 11
  • Tropical Bowl and Hula Bowl: Wednesday, Jan. 12, to Friday, Jan. 14
  • Shrine Bowl: Friday, Jan. 28, to Sunday, Jan. 30
  • Senior Bowl: Monday, Jan. 31, to Wednesday, Jan. 2

At this time, there is no plan to attend the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. Travel to the Cajun All-Star Bowl in Beaumont, Texas, and to the HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans in February are still TBA. Hope to see you out on the trail!

Succeed in Football: One of the things we’ll be doing at the College Gridiron Showcase is helping with our first-ever internship program, CGS University, which will allow 21 several aspiring scouts to not only help out with our week and work one-on-one with scouts, but also hear from actual NFL evaluators on what they are looking for in their hires. Of course, just meeting scouts is a good first step, but what do you do with that opportunity? This week, we made six suggestions (six points, get it?) on how to turn your contacts into job opportunities. Make sure to check it out here if being an NFL scout is one of your life goals. 

Rep Rumblings: This week, we had four reports. On Monday, we looked at the selection process for two highly regarded Ohio State receivers as well as other Big Ten stalwarts and who they might choose for representation. We also looked at the vetting process for two others and who’s helping them decide. Tuesday, we took a deep dive into the tight ends in this year’s class and which agencies would be lucky enough to sign the best of them. We also checked in on several defensive backs and passed along our thoughts on one of the newer all-star games. Wednesday, we went all-star game by all-star game and examined the vacancies at various positions, at least based on published invitees. We also had signing buzz from the West Coast and the Bayou State. Finally, on Thursday, we had plenty more signing buzz, plus we looked at the overwhelming number of scouts headed to the Hula Bowl and had details about the CGS. There’s plenty to read about the industry in our rumblings, and you can review everything we penned in 2021 here.

A special thank you: Before we close, we wanted to thank our readers, especially those who are our monthly subscribers. You provide a living to us, but so much more. The camaraderie, brotherhood and fellowship that come with being part of the football industry is addictive and not easy to walk away from, and we thank you for the privilege of being a small part of that world for two decades. From the bottom of our hearts we want to express our gratitude. 

Next week: If you liked our content this week, you’re going to like what’s ahead. Our last week around the home base will be a busy one as we sort out all the signings, final all-star commitments, combine invitations and maybe even terminations and load them all in our big board. We’ll be calling, texting, surfing and all other manner of gathering information as we motor toward the first all-star event, the College Gridiron Showcase, which kicks off with the All-22 CGS Pro Gridiron Showcase on Friday, Jan. 7. Each bowl game brings an end to the season for two teams and a cascade of players into the draft class. We anticipate that well north of 2,000 players will sign with agents this year, and we’ll have all, or most, of them in our grid by the end of March. Of course, that’s not the only thing we’re tracking. We’re giving special attention to the Senior Bowl, and we’ve identified the representation for about a third of published invitees so far, with more to come. We’ve also listed the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and NFLPA Bowl by position and listed them here so as to give agents an idea of who’s where (and where there may be potential vacancies). Almost all our time this week will be poured into filling in the blanks of each of these three popular ITL features. Everything that doesn’t fit neatly into one of our grids will go into our Rep Rumblings, which are filled with the latest buzz on signings, all-star games, pending scouting hirings and firings and anything else associated with the business of football. We’ll also have another edition of our blog, Succeed in Football, which will focus on the business of the game with a focus on the agent or scouting world, and we’ll even try to carve off some information for those who follow us on social media here. If there’s ever been a week to try out Inside the League, this is the time to do it with so much going on. Start 2022 off right! Become part of the ITL family. But whether or not you join our gang of rogues and rascals, we wish you and yours the very best in 2022.