Ben Jaycock caught up with American sports agent Leigh Steinberg to discuss Louis Rees-Zammit and his chances of making it in the NFL.
Rees-Zammit moved from Kansas City Chiefs to Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
BJ: Firstly, tell us about your experiences and knowledge of rugby?
LS: I sit on the board of the new league that’s trying to form here called the National Rugby Football League.
I followed the sport since my early days. I went to University of California, Berkeley which always had an amazing team.
Tell us about the growth of Major League Rugby in the States?
It’s getting much more popular and the truth of the matter is there’s the ability to transfer players from American football into the sport, so you get a supply of really good athletes.
The skills are not perfectly matched but they are similar.
There’s some appealing factors for rugby in America: it has a lower concussion rate than American football and is much more safe because of the way we play American football players get injured every week.
Rugby is gaining popularity, several leagues are playing it. Usually it’s a club sport but it’s growing at college level.
I think the sport will explode before the Rugby World Cup in 2031.
In this country, it’s all about television. If the sport is televised well then it will get popular.
Cut by Chiefs, picked up by Jaguars
So, Leigh tell us about cutdown week in the NFL, the stresses for players and what they and their agents go through?
People start playing football at seven or eight years old, then high school and college before looking to play professionally. Their whole world has been structured into playing football.
Each team’s camp has 85 players but the cut down is to 53.
For years and years, they would cut it to 70 and then 65 then 60, gradually week after week cutting down.
Now they do one cut, so you have 1,000 players going onto waivers at the same time.
That last cut for players is a terrifying day. The players that get cut go on waivers and for 24 hours any other club can pick them and they’ll transfer.
It’s a time of high anxiety and when they get a call from the general manager’s office to bring their playbook it’s a really sad time. Some players get claimed though.
Louis Rees-Zammit has moved from Kansas City Chiefs to Jacksonville Jaguars, tell us about what’s gone on there that’s led to that move happening?
Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, so their 56th player is probably better than another team’s 30th player.
Players coming off Kansas City may be more talented but they were in the deepest roster.
Louis got picked up by Jacksonville after being cut because he’s a waiver and can be signed to a practice squad. The practice squad players don’t play in the games and get lower compensation as that’s structured differently.
When they are on a practice squad any other team during the season can pick and sign them, they aren’t obligated to stay with Jacksonville.
There may be an injury, so practice squad players could get elevated.
Playing chances
So, there’s a chance Rees-Zammit could play some snaps in the NFL next season?
Running back happens to be a position which is fraught with injuries, so the chance Jacksonville’s four running backs will make it through the season unscathed is unfortunately unlikely.
If a running back doesn’t run out of bounds or score a touchdown, they are usually thrown to the turf.
It wouldn’t be a big surprise if some point during the season, Rees-Zammit gets picked up.
But it might not be Jacksonville Rees-Zammit ends up playing for this season?
Week to week other teams can pick him up and sign him.
Is there disappointment in not making the team? Yes, but it was the best team in football [Kansas City Chiefs].
The chances are better elsewhere.
From what you know about Rees-Zammit, do you feel he can make an impact in the NFL?
Absolutely.
One interesting rule that’s been in play since 2017, a team can add one international player to their practice squad. The team gets a free pass by putting him on their practice squad as he’s outside of Jacksonville’s practice squad limit.
The Chiefs saw something in him as have Jacksonville, so you’ve already had two teams validate that at least he’s an intriguing prospect.
Cross-over athletes
Why do you think you’re seeing more and more rugby players move over to the NFL?
They are terrific athletes. Their skill set is running hard and tackling but they do it with less equipment.
What you’re looking for as an American football team is gifted athletes, so you’re looking for size, speed and strength.
The scouting system isn’t perfect.
74 players from the UFL, which was the spring football league, got signed in the NFL.
So, there’s a talent search on. And while the traditional route is players from a collegiate setting, there are many others that have the skill set to be tested.
How high can you jump, how far can you jump, how can you do a lateral drill moving back and forth, how fast are you, how many times can you bench press 245 pounds?
How difficult is it for rugby players entering a new complicated sport competing against people that have played their whole life?
It’s difficult. But having said that what you’re looking for is a certain elite athlete who has the right skill set and football sense.
For a running back there’s not much difference to rugby. You still have to find the hole where other people aren’t. This position is especially adaptable.
Rees-Zammit’s position
Do you see Rees-Zammit as more of a running back than a wide receiver?
Football is a game of schemes, the scheme of one team and what they utilise for different positions.
This is no different from coming out of college with some teams seeing him as a linebacker, others a safety, running back or slot receiver which is a combination of wide receiver and running back.
It depends on how his skills match with what they have.
What advice would you give to Rees-Zammit?
To look for opportunity and sign whatever he needs to sign coming in.
When you don’t have leverage, it’s about making the contract as short as you can. Because then if he proves to be good, they can redo it fairly quickly.
Being an NFL player
Tell us what it would be like to represent a rugby player that was trying to make it in the NFL?
You need a relationship with a player personnel or a general manager to get him the try out.
You’ll need to send some film of rugby to get a sense of what he’s like on the field. It’s not totally parallel but does show something.
The hardest thing is you need to get a try out. You need a team willing to bring that player in.
Every player coming into the NFL goes off in January and February for training. A trainer gives them specific nutrition and works on the five combine drills.
You set up a mini combine to show speed, vertical and horizontal lines, raw strength, ability to lift etc.
There are some gifted athletes that can play multiple sports. And the practice squad is the perfect chance to see him week to week and get a sense.
What about the fragility of contracts in the NFL, it’s often a short career for players?
It’s usually made up of two groups.
One that’s on the fringe with episodic playing lives or get cut. Players that make it initially break through because they can play for a long time.
Running back is played less years traditionally than other positions because of the physicality. So, you don’t see many playing into their late 30’s.
The contracts consist of a signing bonus if the player has some leverage and a certain number of years salary. Some contracts have injury guarantees in them but the level Rees-Zammit has entered in they don’t.
There’s very little security and he could be cut at any time.
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