Okung - He wants to enter free-agency without an agent

fridayfrenzy · Jul 20, 2015

http://www.theplayerstribune.com/russel ... in-sports/

Did a 2.5 percent agent fee really make sense in relation to the amount of work that was being done? Did it make sense in relation to the amount — and caliber — of those commercials, endorsements, show deals, suits and parties that were or weren’t delivered? Did I, entering the final year of my rookie contract and what I believe will be the prime of my career, really need someone else to tell me my worth and not only “find me a deal,” but take a cut of it?

I applaud him for taking this step. I don't want to insult any real estate agents out there but this is the type of mentality I have for buying/selling a house.

kobebryant · Jul 20, 2015

Makes sense for an intelligent dude like Okung, and as to your point, knowledgeable homeowners/prospective homeowners.

However, I do believe that sports agents are a valuable asset to a lot of athletes who leave the amateur ranks with little knowledge about finances. Seasoned management could take a lot of young athletes to the woodshed if they were to represent themselves.

CalgaryHawk · Jul 20, 2015

So long as Okung is mature enough not to take the negotiating process personally. Agents act as a buffer between the player and the team the player ultimately signs with - the player doesn't directly have to hear from the team's contract negotiator that's he's really not as good a player as he thinks he is. Lots of guys (i.e. Bruce Irvin) wouldn't be able to handle that and would get disgruntled and offended.

hawknation2015 · Jul 20, 2015

I was just going to say, as long as gets a lawyer on retainer to review his contract offers, he should be alright.

There are some risks, however, as Okung has a well-established injury history and the free agent market for OTs next year looks deep with Trent Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Anthony Castonzo, etc.

But good luck to him. If the Seahawks find a way to re-sign him, I will be happy, as I don't see any obvious alternatives at LT.

Seahawk Sailor · Jul 20, 2015

This kind of thing sometimes makes sense if you're talking about real estate. You can get a good deal without the need for an agent buying a house. But as far as any profession where an agent represents you and your talent, this is a big gamble. In the publishing industry, as a standard rule, agents take a 15% cut, and are highly recommended, as they easily make more than that for you in negotiating a better deal. And it's not just the money; they also negotiate a ton of intangibles that are often overlooked or misunderstood by people whose job isn't to understand how those contracts work: rights, publicity, structuring, future considerations, creative control, etc.

If the cut in the sports world is a measly 2.5%, I can't see how this is a good deal for Okung at all. No way he can negotiate anywhere close to a deal that would save him that money on his own. Like any industry, you don't absolutely need an agent, but he's gonna lose money without one, I can almost guarantee it.

Sgt. Largent · Jul 20, 2015

I guess this is cool?

idk, has a player being his own agent ever worked? IMO player's undervalue what goes into highly complicated contract negotiations.

hawknation2015 · Jul 20, 2015

It's probably no worse than paying 3% to a baseball agent who is determined to contravene NFL norms.

AVL · Jul 20, 2015

Realtors and lawyers scoff at 3%. Sales tax hasn't been that low in 50 years.

Hell, the dealer takes out more than that at the flop.....

Hasselbeck · Jul 21, 2015

hawknation2015":3497t3hy said:
I was just going to say, as long as gets a lawyer on retainer to review his contract offers, he should be alright.

There are some risks, however, as Okung has a well-established injury history and the free agent market for OTs next year looks deep with Trent Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Anthony Castonzo, etc.

But good luck to him. If the Seahawks find a way to re-sign him, I will be happy, as I don't see any obvious alternatives at LT.

If he stays healthy he will get PAID. Left tackles always get overpaid on the free agent market. So good for Okung.. just has to survive 16 games (which has been a chore for the guy sad to say)

Just curious who his replacement is going to be, because I don't think we'll be able to afford to keep him.

Hawks46 · Jul 21, 2015

AVL":14firsah said:
Realtors and lawyers scoff at 3%. Sales tax hasn't been that low in 50 years.

Hell, the dealer takes out more than that at the flop.....

That's why getting a Realtor is such a scam. Maybe it used to be a good deal, but with the internet, most Realtors just put your house on the MLS and wait for some other Realtor's client to surf the net or receive an email with the appropriate criteria being met for their requirements, then Realtor B calls Realtor A.

All of that stuff can be done by the prospective buyer. The only thing someone really needs today is someone to walk them through the title process and all the regulations and crap that the government has put in place. I've dealt with it in 2 different states and it can be completely different depending on where you live. But I would totally agree: 4-6% is a joke for what they actually do.

As for Okung, good on him if he wants to do it himself, but like someone above said, it's hard to sit at the negotiating table and try to barter a product that ends up being yourself. I can't see how anyone could stay objective in that situation.

kearly · Jul 21, 2015

There are two reasons I think this is probably a mistake by Okung.

The first is that Agents don't simply take 2.5% of your money. They use their experience and God given talents for haggling to get you the biggest contract possible. If NFL deals were as simple as "here's the max deal you can get, sign the dotted line" then agents wouldn't exist. There is a reason why the biggest free agents typically seek out megastar agents like Drew Rosenhaus or Scott Boras, because a player on his own would never be able to convince a GM to fork over 100+ or 200+ million dollars. Furthermore, a GM would very likely take advantage of the player's total inexperience in negotiations and lowball the shit out of him.

Then there are all the little things an agent does for you, like using his connections to help you get a job if you are not a top tier free agent. It's not always just about money, sometimes it's about finding a team that will take you on. Agents are probably the most important for elite players to max out the money and for fringe players to get them jobs, but even for mid-tier players like Okung they make an important difference, most likely in excess of 2.5%.

The second reason is that being your own agent exposes you to a lot of negativity. The negotiating process is all about the agent talking you up, while the team talks you down. That can get extremely personal if you decide to represent yourself. This is extra true for a player like Okung who has had so much trouble staying healthy. It's always better to have someone else make the case for you than to have to make the case for yourself. The same reason why it's always a good idea to hire a lawyer instead of representing oneself.

The other thing too is that agents do a lot of work for their clients, so by forgoing the agent, Okung is putting a lot of work on his plate that he wouldn't have to deal with if he were represented.

Bigpumpkin · Jul 21, 2015

kearly":1cmi19uv said:
There are two reasons I think this is probably a mistake by Okung.

The first is that Agents don't simply take 2.5% of your money. They use their experience and God given talents for haggling to get you the biggest contract possible. If NFL deals were as simple as "here's the max deal you can get, sign the dotted line" then agents wouldn't exist. There is a reason why the biggest free agents typically seek out megastar agents like Drew Rosenhaus or Scott Boras, because a player on his own would never be able to convince a GM to fork over 100+ or 200+ million dollars. Furthermore, a GM would very likely take advantage of the player's total inexperience in negotiations and lowball the shit out of him.

Then there are all the little things an agent does for you, like using his connections to help you get a job if you are not a top tier free agent. It's not always just about money, sometimes it's about finding a team that will take you on. Agents are probably the most important for elite players to max out the money and for fringe players to get them jobs, but even for mid-tier players like Okung they make an important difference, most likely in excess of 2.5%.

The second reason is that being your own agent exposes you to a lot of negativity. The negotiating process is all about the agent talking you up, while the team talks you down. That can get extremely personal if you decide to represent yourself. This is extra true for a player like Okung who has had so much trouble staying healthy. It's always better to have someone else make the case for you than to have to make the case for yourself. The same reason why it's always a good idea to hire a lawyer instead of representing oneself.

The other thing too is that agents do a lot of work for their clients, so by forgoing the agent, Okung is putting a lot of work on his plate that he wouldn't have to deal with if he were represented.

:13: I think that he is taking a big chance with this move.

hawknation2015 · Jul 21, 2015

Either way, he will end up signing a deal worth million of dollars per year. Sounds like a smart guy, which lends the impression that he is taking care of his money. If he ends up signing a deal worth a little less than he would have if he had an agent, it won't affect him very much at all.

LickMyNuts · Jul 21, 2015

i think there will be more or this in the future

he seems like a slotted player to me in that multiple teams will offer him a similar number

bjornanderson21 · Jul 21, 2015

Okung might find his new part-time gig isnt as easy as he thinks it is.

Not only does the agent have a financial incentive to get the most $ for his client due to the % cut (which is why they dont take just a flat fee...) and act as a buffer, its also his job to know how far a team can be pushed.

Okung is probably smart enough to figure out how much a desperate team might pay him, but I doubt he is smart enough to see all the moving pieces and how a team like the hawks may be better with a more reliable but lower quality and much lower priced LT.

Okung is going to make some nice money no matter what, but im skeptical that he will "win" in the end. Does he know what happens to FAs who overvalue themselves and end up being the last signed? THEY MAKE LESS MONEY.

King Dog · Jul 21, 2015

This doesn't seem like an intelligent move on Okung's part.

He won't be a Seahawk next year anyway though. Too much dough. Gary Gilliam, step right up. Looking forward to seeing what he can do this preseason. Athletic freak.

hawknation2015 · Jul 21, 2015

King Dog":28znzdkw said:
This doesn't seem like an intelligent move on Okung's part.

He won't be a Seahawk next year anyway though. Too much dough. Gary Gilliam, step right up. Looking forward to seeing what he can do this preseason. Athletic freak.

Not necessarily. There have been a couple indications that we might re-sign him. One was Schneider's own statement that re-signing Okung would be a priority. And the second was the team's failure to draft an OT.

Some of the top LTs right now have signed deals worth less than Okung's current contract:
Jared Veldheer - $7 million APY
Eugene Monroe - $7.5 million APY
Joe Staley - $7.4 million APY

All three of these contracts were signed within the last year. If Okung's injury history limits his market (and perhaps the absence of an agent adds to his lack of demand), perhaps the Seahawks will have a chance to re-sign him.

Smellyman · Jul 21, 2015

Sgt. Largent":3jyjm0f8 said:
I guess this is cool?

idk, has a player being his own agent ever worked? IMO player's undervalue what goes into highly complicated contract negotiations.

Reminds me of Ricky defending himselft in court.

Trailer Park Boys (Very Bad Language)
[youtube]8GGL0qGk5lA[/youtube]

Bad idea. The 2.5 he gives the agent won't be close to the amount he will lose doing it himself.

2_0_6 · Jul 21, 2015

I look at this from a different perspective than most I guess.

This is Exactly what the Hawks want. A guy in his final year, already making statements about testing free agency, and wants to bet on himself. Sounds very similar to the Irvin situation.. We as Hawks fans could see monster years by both guys.

erik2690 · Jul 21, 2015

Clayton said on radio that this was written a month+ ago and that many indications are that he will have an agent (via his sources).

Okung - He wants to enter free-agency without an agent

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