Andre Smith fires Rick Smith

[ArmyBengal]

The thing with being the #6 pick is the higher slots in the first round seem to get taken care of quicker due to the team understanding how importantly that player is going to be. It seems once you get down to around the 10 slot, things tend to take a little longer for some reason. I guess the teams understand they need the player, but aren't willing to overpay either...

I'm still ok with this.

[HoosierCat]

That the Bengals would rather deal with Priority and Smith would, apparently, rather have Keels can't bode well.

I'm guessing it's simply a matter of Keel's never having represented a 1st round pick before, and as a result of his own inexperience there's concern he'll be in no position to negotiate proactively. Rather, the scuttlebutt assumes Keels will attempt to avoid a mistake by waiting until Smith's contract has been firmly slotted by other deals.

Frankly, I see no reason to begin wringing my hands over this now.

Yeah, I don't think it's a big issue -- yet.

Edited to add: Here's Florio's latest. Word is that Alexander wants Smith to stick with Priority because the agency did a good job with Jones...

[BengalByTheBay]

For as much as I disagree with him, Bearcat's prediction of a hold out from Smith wouldn't surprise me at all. In fact, it's probably a better than even money bet at this point. It is what it is and will, ultimately, take care of itself. It could screw with the line's stability for the first few weeks, however.

[walzav29]

This is a weird story. I'm not sure I see the GIANT importance of this. Obviously we want him in camp on time. Do the Bengals have a problem with the other agent?

[HoosierCat]

SI's Jom Trotter, who started all this yesterday with his report that Smith was canning Priority Sports, reports today that Smith has changed his mind (or had it changed for him) and will file paperwork today recinding the paperwork he filed Monday. So he's sticking with Priority. Apparently. For now. Tomorrow, who knows?

[HairOnFire]

Our newest manchild needs a hug.

[Kazkal]

Smith says he's also headed to Cincinnati next week and plans to sit down with the wife-husband negotiating team of Bengals vice presidents Katie and Troy Blackburn either May 20 or 21

Don't most teams wait till june? if so I'm glad to see them getting a head start.

[HoosierCat]

Make it stop. Tweets Alvin Keels, less than an hour ago:

How about this Andre Smith story? I'm in a heated battle right now to win his business back. We are in the bottom of the 9th. Root me on!

[COB]

Make it stop. Tweets Alvin Keels, less than an hour ago:

How about this Andre Smith story? I'm in a heated battle right now to win his business back. We are in the bottom of the 9th. Root me on!

I think I'll root for the other guy.

Do people actually root for sports agents?

[walzav29]

I have to admit that with the invention of the internet, NFL Radio, and the NFL Network that I havew went overboard on NFL information. I will be damned if I start follwing agents.

[Kazkal]

Make it stop. Tweets Alvin Keels, less than an hour ago:

How about this Andre Smith story? I'm in a heated battle right now to win his business back. We are in the bottom of the 9th. Root me on!

I think I'll root for the other guy.

Do people actually root for sports agents?

It's the offseason I don't seewhy not,Go go RIck Smith he's our man if he can't do it no one can!

[icehole3]

http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/05/13/bengals-sm...e-second-agent/

News

Bengals rookie Smith opts not to fire agent

Posted: May 13th, 2009 | Steve Wyche | Tags: Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith has decided not to fire agent Rick Smith after a conversation Wednesday morning, Rick Smith said.

“Our relationship is as strong as it ever was,” Smith said. “Andre Smith is a good kid and he’s always been a good kid and now we’re looking forward to moving forward and getting Andre to Cincinnati May 19,” for offseason workouts.

Andre Smith was on the verge of firing Smith Tuesday and appeared set to re-hire Alvin Keels, who was Andre Smith’s original agent. Keels was fired by Andre Smith shortly before the draft and replaced by Rick Smith.

Andre Smith, who was drafted sixth overall by Cincinnati, went through a turbulent “24 to 48” hours early this week, according to Rick Smith, but Andre Smith fully committed to the working relationship.

This is just the latest episode in a strange few months for Smith, the University of Alabama standout who was selected as the Outland Trophy winner for being the nation’s top offensive lineman in 2008. He was suspended for Alabama’s Sugar Bowl game for unspecified reasons, then, after deciding to bypass his senior season for the NFL, he further raised red flags among NFL clubs for leaving the draft combine unannounced before he was set to work out.

Smith hired Keels shortly before the combine and Keels took the blame for the mishap in Indianapolis. Smith began to restore his image after a marginal pro day workout but fired Keels nonetheless just more than a week before the draft.

[ArmyBengal]

Regardless of who was responsible, I'm glad Andre stuck with Priority Sports, as they have had a good relationship with the Bengals organization apparently and after reading up, have had really good success in getting their prior top picks in the draft to camp on time without holdouts.

I think that was the part I liked reading the most from the official site article about it !!!

[blueridge]

Gosh, I'm trying real hard to pretend I care about who Andre Smith's agent is. The fact that Mike Florio or Joe Reedy would jump all over this as proof of "questionable behaviour" is too pathetic.

Well, I hate to break it to ya, but apparently the Bengals viewed his switch to Priority before the draft as a sign that his "questionable behavior" was ending, and are not happy about the proposed change, which may or may not happen. Here's Hobs:

AGENT TALK: Bengals first-round pick Andre Smith still may retain agent Rick Smith even though he fired him on Friday, a league source not connected with the team said Tuesday night.

Andre Smith fired Alvin Keels and hired Rick Smith the week before last month's draft, but Keels said in an e-mail to Bengals.com, "I have not yet been rehired. I would think I'm in consideration, but nothing has been finalized."

The source indicated the Bengals have concerns with the decision to fire Rick Smith, a member of the Priority Sports agency that has represented a variety of former Bengals such as Levi Jones, Bryan Robinson and Tory James. After it drafted Andre Smith, the club indicated that Smith's decision to hire Priority had been part of the decision-making process.

That the Bengals would rather deal with Priority and Smith would, apparently, rather have Keels can't bode well.

I think the concern on the Bengals part was that until Priority was hired Andre Smith was unrepresented and teams in the NFL are very wary of potential draftees who do not have an agent. Personally, I could care less who the agent is.

[HoosierCat]

The agent saga continues. Writes Hobson today, of Smith:

He also revealed he has yet to decide on an agent, but wouldn't elaborate. The agent he had during the draft, Rick Smith, had scheduled a meeting with Bengals negotiators this week. Rick Smith had no comment Tuesday.

[Kazkal]

:| hmmm agent not known for first round holdouts or....a guy who's never handled a first round draft pick....ya............

[Kazkal]

Bottom of the 9th and Grand Slam for Keels!

Priority Sports Slams Andre Smith

Posted by Mike Florio on May 21, 2009, 2:42 p.m.

Some might call it sour grapes. Others might call it just desserts.

Either way, the folks at Priority Sports aren’t messing around when it comes to former client Andre Smith, who officially has re-hired his original agent, Alvin Keels, after firing Keels and hiring Rick Smith of Priority Sports in the days preceding the 2009 draft.

In a statement sent exclusively to PFT (yep, these guys are geniuses), Priority Sports had this to say about the Bengals’ latest first-round pick:

“In regards to Andre Smith, we are moving forward and devoting all of our attention on the high character, hard working and honest clients of Priority Sports.

“We were asked to come in at the last minute to provide credibility to his draft status and we succeeded in that task. Soon after the draft, Andre Smith became a tremendous distraction to our company. What we have subsequently determined is that Andre Smith does not match the culture of Priority Sports and the character of the clients we take so much pride in representing.

“This will be our final statement on this matter.”

W. O. W.

A fair inference to be drawn from a between-the-lines reading of the statement is that those rumors of Andre Smith and Keels deciding that Smith would fire Keels and hire Priority Sports merely to enhance Smith’s draft status, with the intention of firing Priority Sports after the draft and re-hiring Keels, are right on the money. (Keels has denied that Smith fired him with the intention of re-hiring Keels later.)

At a minimum, the folks at Priority Sports seem to be suggesting that Andre Smith doesn’t have high character, isn’t hard working, and isn’t honest.

The Priority Sports statement is certain to spur debate in the agent community. Some agents will criticize Priority Sports for taking a bare-knuckled approach to a man who could have been the first overall pick but for a bare-chested 40-yard dash.

But, frankly, some agents criticize anything any other agent does, because that’s simply the way many agents are wired. We like the approach, and not just because Priority Sports opted to send the statement to us.

Then again, it helped.

[COB]

NFL agent claims client used him and therefore client is of low character?

Something about a kettle.

[whizzo]

let's all just hope that stuff saying "that Andre Smith doesn’t have high character, isn’t hard working, and isn’t honest." isn't true...

[Kazkal]

NFL agent claims client used him and therefore client is of low character?

Something about a kettle.

Indeed because they weren't salivating at the easy money of a top 10 pick...

[Baraka]

i don't like hearing this, but one has to consider the source. i'm just glad there wasn't the obligatory shot at the bengals somewhere in the article.

[COB]

let's all just hope that stuff saying "that Andre Smith doesn’t have high character, isn’t hard working, and isn’t honest." isn't true...

I'm inclined to believe it is not true. He's a churchgoing guy who is very close to his very large family. Never a drug or alcohol issue, never in trouble with the law, never anything.

Every issue that is supposedly a red flag has to do with agents. This latest guy at Priority saying "Andre is of low character", makes me laugh. Only someone as stupid as Florio would fall for that line. That statement can be interpreted as "I can't make the approximately one million dollars I would have made for two weeks work negotiating Andre's first contract." Of course this agent is pissed at Andre. But it's no red flag to me.

The other red flag that supposedly showed his character was his suspension from the team for their bowl game due to his contact with an agent. He broke an NCAA rule. That doesn't show low character. The NCAA has a bunch of stupid rules that exist to basically keep their labor (the players) as unpaid chattel while they (the NCAA) make millions off tv revenue and bowl games.

Screw the NCAA, they are taking advantage of these kids just like the agents are. The rule Andre broke is essentially a rule that says, "You can't start taking advantage of this kid until we are done taking advantage of him. Stay away until we are finished profiting from his free labor." I love college football, but it is a bulls**t system.

The final "red flag" was his performance at, and quick exit from, the combine. That is a huge red flag - a red flag regarding the agent, not the player. That agent should have known how to get a first round candidate ready for the combine. But since he's never represented a first rounder before, he screwed it up.

This kid seems to be a naive, good kid. He'll learn. When he's been in the league a year and become friends with older players, he won't be so naive anymore.

[HairOnFire]

Since being drafted the only thing I've heard about Smith that concerns me is how his weight crept back up to 340 after making a show of getting it down to 327. Quite frankly, that bugs me a little. That said, I keep reminding myself how it didn't concern the Bengals because they admitted they knew about the weight gain before selecting him.

As for the continuing saga about which agent will represent Andre, well.....who cares?

[gregstephens]

Since being drafted the only thing I've heard about Smith that concerns me is how his weight crept back up to 340 after making a show of getting it down to 327. Quite frankly, that bugs me a little. That said, I keep reminding myself how it didn't concern the Bengals because they admitted they knew about the weight gain before selecting him.

As for the continuing saga about which agent will represent Andre, well.....who cares?

Well...I do if it's the difference between him being in Georgetown on day one or taking his first snap in a Bengal uniform on opening day (or later). Other than that, eh.

[blueridge]

I think this latest stunt by Priority Sports is really sleazy. I guess Andre Smith was honest, hardworking and had a good character until he fired them. I understand why they are angry-Andre Smith was their only 2009 1st rounder and a top 10 pick to boot. Rick Smith thinks he got used. Boo Hoo. Boo. Hoo. I have to laugh. Rick Smith is a middle-aged white lawyer/agent from Chicago who worked for, and just got fired by, a 22 year-old black kid from Alabama. This is too rich. I used to think I didn't care who Andre Smith's agent was. Now, I'm glad its not those pricks at Priority Sports.