POLL: Raiders Among The Least Prepared Contract Negotiators, John Elway Not Trustworthy

USA Today released an interesting survey on Thursday morning about NFL teams and their relationships with agents.

Survey questions included best/worst prepared teams during contract negotiations and least/most trusted decision-makers (owner/general manager/coach) in the NFL.

According to the agents surveyed by USA Today’s Jarrett Bell and Lindsay H. Jones, the 49ers were polled to be the most prepared team during contract negotiations. The Eagles, Patriots, Broncos, and Packers finished behind the 49ers in that order.

The worst prepared team in contract negotiations, according to the poll, was the Bengals. In order, the Browns (under previous GM Sashi Brown), Redskins, and Bears round out the list with the Jets and Raiders tied for the fifth worst-prepared teams in contract negotiations.

While the Broncos polled as one of the most prepared teams in contract negotiations, John Elway was given the dubious distinction as one of the least trustworthy general managers in football behind only the Redskins’ Bruce Allen and Dolphins’ Mike Tannenbaum.

Interestingly, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome was polled as the most respected general manager in football, but Baltimore was the team that last month backed out of a deal with wide receiver Ryan Grant (under the designation of a failed physical) within minutes of news breaking that the Raiders were releasing Michael Crabtree.

For what it’s worth, the sample size of the poll was only 25 agents  – some of whom may have only had limited engagements with the aforementioned teams.

For example, if Alan Herman, who represents Rams OL Rodger Saffold, happened to be one of the agents polled, his experiences with the Raiders aren’t all particularly positive.

Saffold lost over $10 million when the Raiders backed out of Saffold’s agreement over a pre-existing shoulder injury.

For what it’s worth, Herman’s relationship with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie may not have not have been affected by the process as the veto was believed to have come down from owner Mark Davis.

“I think it was an ownership decision and not the general manager,” Herman said after the deal fell through in 2014. “That’s my gut feeling. And that’s unfortunate.”

twitter: @raidersbeat