The pair set an unofficial record with six first-round choices -- tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, linebacker Dan Morgan, offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker, offensive guard Steve Hutchinson, cornerback Will Allen and wide receiver Freddie Mitchell -- and also had a half dozen other clients selected as well. In fact, not a single client went undrafted, and the lowest IMG player chosen was quarterback Chris Weinke in the fourth round.

Eagles draft pick Freddie Mitchell is one of six first rounders to catch on with IMG Football.(AP)

For its efforts, IMG Football was a slam-dunk winner in the second SportsLine.com draft agents derby, totaling 75 points. As was the case last season, and despite some suggestions from agents to alter the scoring system, points were awarded in descending order per round. A choice in the first round, for instance, earned an agent seven points, a pick in the second six points, down to just one for a seventh-rounder.

But while this year's agent derby continued to reflect the influence that some of the larger conglomerates are having on the draft -- groups like IMG, Assante (Leigh Steinberg and Eugene Parker, who are under the same corporate umbrella but operate independently), SFX (Jim Steiner and Ben Dogra) and Octagon (Mike Sullivan and Andre Colona) -- it also demonstrated that there remains a place in the market for the smaller, boutique-type agency.

Some firms that don't have ties to the big-money sports and entertainment giants prospered well in the 2001 draft.

Solid agencies like ProFile Sports Management (Pat Dye Jr. and Bill Johnson), Athletic Resources Management (Jimmy Sexton and Kyle Rote Jr.), Sportstars (Alan Herman, Brian Mackler and associates), ProTect Management (Gary Wichard), Worldwide Entertainment and Sports (Joel Segal and David Caravantes), Rosenhaus Sports Representation (Drew and Jason Rosenhaus), Mark Bartelstein and Associates, All Pro Sports and Entertainment (Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer) and Prestige Sports (Terry Bolar), all did nicely in the heated competition.

Here's a look at the agents or agencies that scored more than 20 points in the SportsLine.com derby: 1. IMG Football (75 points); 2. Sportstars (42); 3. Steinberg, Jeff Moorad and David Dunn (40); 4. Athletic Resources Management (38); 5. SFX (38); 6. ProFile (32); 7. Eugene Parker and Roosevelt Barnes (31); 8. ProTect (29); 9. Bartelstein (27); 10. Prestige (25); 11. Worldwide Sports (24); 12. All Pro Sports (24); and 13. Rosenhaus (21).

"We subscribe to the theory that we are in a personal services business, and I think we exemplify that to the players we recruit," said Dye. "Our reputation is that of an agency that has done well in contract negotiations for players, represents its clients professionally and with class, and services their needs in perhaps a more personal manner than some of the bigger groups. I think clients see those things are positives with us."

Dye and partner Johnson are prime examples of agents who have created a niche in a certain area, recruiting predominantly in the Southeast. For the son of legendary Auburn coach Pat Dye Sr., there is instant name recognition, but that wouldn't help much if he didn't do an excellent job for his clients. Dye noted that most of them come from the SEC and the ACC -- schools like Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina -- and that he rarely strays from that base. This year, he ventured into the Big 10 but only because offensive tackle Jeff Backus of Michigan was an Atlanta-area native and Wisconsin tailback Michael Bennett is the nephew of former client and one-time Pro Bowl linebacker Tony Bennett.

Sexton likewise rarely recruits outside of his own Memphis backyard, All Pro concentrates much of its effort in the Rocky Mountain area and Wichard in California, Arizona and the Big 12.

"You've got to give credit to the big guys like IMG," Sexton said, "but you can't just surrender to them. They did a tremendous job in this draft, but there was still room for the smaller groups."

Notable was that Dye and Rosenhaus each had three choices in the first round and that Segal had two picks among the top 15. Herman and Mackler didn't have a player selected until the third round but had 14 players taken overall. Sexton scored heavily in the second and third rounds, with a total of five clients.

Around the league

• The six-year contract first overall pick Michael Vick will sign this week with Atlanta, likely on Thursday or Friday, might put a bit of a crimp in the Falcons' rookie pool allocation. The deal will include an initial signing bonus of $3 million and a first-year base salary of $2 million, SportsLine.com has confirmed, creating a 2001 cap value of $2.5 million. That's only about $25,000 more in cap value than last year's first choice, defensive end Courtney Brown, had in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. The difference is that Vick's cap value will eat up nearly 48 percent of the Atlanta rookie pool allocation of $5.248 million. Brown's deal represented about 43 percent of the Cleveland pool last year. In a typical rookie pool distribution, the first-round pick is usually allotted about 40-42 percent of the total. The Falcons shouldn't have too much trouble, however, squeezing in the rest of their draft choices. Four of the other nine are seventh-round choices, and general manager Harold Richardson, who is excellent at juggling numbers and getting deals done quickly, is one of the league's most talented capologists.
• The month of May officially arrives Tuesday and, since many scouts' contracts expire May 1, it could signal a period of notable upheaval in the personnel departments of several teams. It has already been mutually decided that Green Bay assistant general manager Ken Herock will follow retiring boss Ron Wolf out the door, allowing Packers coach and grand poobah Mike Sherman to structure his own scouting hierarchy. Look for college director John Dorsey to get more clout. In Philadelphia, it appears coach Andy Reid will get expanded power and that might affect the status of Tom Modrak, the team's director of football operations. The Eagles haven't yet exercised an option on the final two years of Modrak's contract, and there are plenty of rumors the personnel chief could be headed elsewhere. Rumors are that Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher is trying to figure a way to bring Modrak back to the team and, barring that, will recommend him to old buddy and new Washington Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer. There are also rumblings that Modrak is a candidate for a high-profile personnel job in Arizona, where general manager Bob Ferguson has lost some power to coach Dave McGinnis. Despite his protests, it still looks like Chicago vice president of player personnel Mark Hatley is exiting the Bears, likely for the Redskins or the Cowboys. There are indications that Miami director of pro personnel Tom Heckert Jr. is moving north to Cleveland staff.
• Just musing: It was only 16 months ago that the Packers' Sherman was a fairly nondescript tight ends coach and nominal offensive coordinator for Mike Holmgren in Seattle, a guy who wasn't exactly a household name on the short lists of teams seeking head coach candidates. Now, after only one season as a head coach and four years total in the league, Sherman will assume control of the Green Bay football operation upon Wolf's departure. Next time you're seeking a real-life example for the term "meteoric rise," Sherman is a guy to consider.
• There is no denying that the Jacksonville Jaguars' intense field boss, Tom Coughlin, is one of the NFL's best coaches, and also one of its most autocratic. Shortly after the Jags selected defensive tackle Marcus Stroud of Georgia with the 13th choice in the first round, word leaked that they took him over a player they had rated significantly higher on their board, Florida offensive tackle Kenyatta Walker. And ever since, because he knows it's true and that only someone with inside knowledge of the team's draft board could have spread the word, Coughlin has been seeking the source for the leak. Also, in what some consider an attempt to break up a few cliques on the team, Coughlin recently juggled the assignment of dressing stalls in the Jags locker room. Only a few longtime veterans -- quarterback Mark Brunell, offensive tackle Tony Boselli, kicker Mike Hollis and wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell -- were unaffected by the locker stall musical chairs.
• The gap between Detroit Lions management and wide receiver Herman Moore is a large one as the franchise attempts to restructure the contract of the 10-year veteran, and it could ultimately lead to his release in June. Talks continue between the Lions and agent Brad Blank, but the club wants Moore to reduce his scheduled 2001 base salary from $3.295 million to $900,000. Moore is willing to give back some money, but is thinking more in the $1 million range. Moore, 31, is signed through the 2005 season. Were the Lions to release him after June 1, they would get a rebate of $3.295 million and Moore would count $1.718 million against their cap for this season but $4.8 million against the club's 2002 limit.
• While the situation with Moore remains unsettled, the Lions do expect to complete restructured agreements this week with defensive tackle James Jones and linebacker Allen Aldridge. Agent Jack Wirth spoke late last week with team president Matt Millen and cap expert Tom Lewand, and the foundation was laid for deals that will provide the team additional cap room. Jones, in fact, wants to restructure both remaining years of his contract to help the club and assure he doesn't have to go through the same thing in 2002, which likely will be his final NFL season.
• Free-agent quarterback Steve Beuerlein is considering proposals from the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos and St. Louis Rams, but it is still uncertain how close the 14-year veteran is to making a decision on where he will play in 2001. "The offenses are all close enough to what he operated (in Carolina), and all three teams offer what he wants most at this point, a chance to win a Super Bowl ring," said agent Tom Condon. "It's going to be a tough call." An educated guess is that Beuerlein will end up in Indianapolis as the caddy to Peyton Manning, also represented by Condon. In Denver, he probably would be only third on the depth chart, behind Brian Griese and Gus Frerotte. The Rams want two-year veteran Joe Germaine to move into the primary backup spot and also are considering Paul Justin, who was with the team for its 1999 Super Bowl year.
• Atlanta-based agent Ray Anderson, one of the truly high-character guys in the business, might be the latest to go the conglomerate route. Anderson is in discussions with Octagon, the McLean, Va.-based firm that last year purchased the representation business of NFL agents Mike Sullivan and Jeff Sperbeck, and that represents Michael Vick. Anderson has scaled back in recent years on representing players but still maintains a clientele that includes veterans like Bob Whitfield of the Falcons. The more attractive clientele for Octagon, though, might be Anderson's impressive stable of current and soon-to-be head coaches. Anderson represents Dennis Green of Minnesota, Tony Dungy of Tampa Bay, Brian Billick of Baltimore and the New York Jets' Herman Edwards. Among others, he also is the agent for Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis and Stanford coach Tyrone Willingham, both of whom will be NFL head coaches at some point soon. Octagon already counts at least two current coaches, Atlanta's Dan Reeves and Cowher, among its clients.
• There are indications the cap-strapped New York Jets, just $260,000 under the spending limit on Friday morning, will ask several veterans to restructure their contract this week. At the top of the list, it appears, is safety Victor Green, the eight-year veteran carrying a 2001 base salary of $1.75 million and a cap value of $2.576 million. One of the more unheralded but solid safeties in the NFL, it's hard to imagine the Jets releasing Green, but stranger things have happened. If the Jets do decide to cut Green -- and, remember, the club last week signed safety Damien Robinson, who played for Edwards when the Jets' rookie head coach was assistant head coach in Tampa Bay -- AFC East rivals Miami and Indianapolis could be interested. The Robinson deal, by the way, was a strange one, especially for a guy who has made such big strides in recent seasons. The five-year, $10 million contract pays Robinson only $710,000 this year, a signing bonus of just $200,000 and a $510,000 base salary. To keep Robinson, the Jets must pay him a roster bonus of $2.64 million next year. The subsequent base salaries are $550,000 (for 2002), $1.2 million (2003), $1.4 million (2004) and $1.8 million (2005). There are roster bonuses of $500,000 each 2003-2005 and annual offseason workout bonuses of $50,000 for 2002-2005. ...
• There might be a slim chance Deion Sanders has played his last NFL game, but don't bet on it. Sanders, who will be called up by the Cincinnati Reds from their Triple-A Louisville farm club on Tuesday -- and who might move quickly into the lineup as the leadoff hitter -- actually hopes the Washington Redskins release him on June 1. In fact, Sanders hopes the pink slip comes even sooner than that, although for salary cap purposes, that isn't likely. If he's released, Sanders feels he can pocket the entire $8 million signing bonus the Redskins awarded him last spring, play with the Reds through September, then auction himself to some Super Bowl-contending NFL team for the stretch run. Sanders is miffed at Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer for what he perceives as a lack of respect. His latest grievance was the club's release of veteran fullback Larry Centers last week.
• Whether or not you agree with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his choice of Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter in the second round, you've got to give the guy credit for advance planning. Jones and his staff plotted the spot where they should select Carter, moved there to get him and now will have no problem securing his autograph on a contract. In typical Jones fashion, he hammered out the parameters of a five-year deal worth between $3.7 and $4 million with agent Eugene Parker while the Cowboys were on the clock in the second round. In fact, a few sources told us the deal actually was essentially agreed to the day before the draft. As usual, Jones had five-six of his minions scattered around the country, basically babysitting players he had targeted and having them accentuate the need for quick contract agreements.
• Jones, by the way, made a rather interesting pickup last week after the draft. The Cowboys signed Arkansas linebacker J.J. Jones as an undrafted free agent, actually winning a tug-o-war with the New Orleans Saints for a longshot 'backer with good speed. Upon receiving a faxed copy of the contract, and noting his client's first name was typed in "J.J.," clever agent Steve Weinberg phoned the rookie and asked him his real name. Of course, as listed his driver's license, it is "Jerry." So now the question: Will Jerry Jones the owner, who makes the lion's share of personnel decisions for the Cowboys, be able to cut Jerry Jones the linebacker next summer? Beyond sharing a name, the two have the same alma mater, so the plot thickens. ...
• It was only a year ago that Steelers coach Bill Cowher was so desperate to keep then-restricted free agent Richard Huntley from signing an offer sheet with the Miami Dolphins that he awarded the talented but oft-injured tailback a three-year, $4.3 million deal that including a signing bonus of $1 million. But then Huntley, a talented tease, did what he always does. He got hurt, fumbled the ball a few times too many and took his usual spot in the coaching staff's dog house. And now Cowher is so ready to be rid of Huntley, who recorded the last touchdown and final fumble at the now demolished Three Rivers Stadium, that he told him not to report to the team's weekend minicamp. The club matched the Patriots' offer sheet to restricted free agent Chris Fuamatu Ma'afala, then extended the deal by two years. Coaches also want to play the forgotten Amos Zeroue more this fall. So the enigmatic Huntley is a goner, as is safety Scott Shields, a second-round choice in the 1999 draft. Pittsburgh is trying to trade both players, but the more likely scenario is that they will be released around June 1. Don't be surprised if Huntley winds up in Miami after all. Or if Shields, the league's biggest safety, ends up being claimed on waivers by Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe, the man who drafted him for the Steelers.
• OK, so it's not quite the equivalent of having the draft's top-rated tight end, Todd Heap, fall into the laps of the Baltimore Ravens with the final pick of the first round. But here's another example of how, when it comes to the Super Bowl champions, the rich keep getting richer: The Ravens beat out a handful of teams to sign undrafted free-agent defensive tackle Adrian Wilson, a player who was booted off the Miami Hurricanes squad by then-coach Butch Davis after only two games of the 2000 season. So what's the big deal about the Ravens landing an iffy prospect who, in addition to not playing very much lately, clearly had some off-field problems? Wilson is the kind of massive wide-body tackle Baltimore will need in another couple years to replace current starters Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams. So excited is defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis with the addition of Wilson, he's privately suggesting the youngster could become a starter in time.
• A quick poll of nine NFL owners and/or general managers on which coaches are the leading candidates to be fired either during or after the 2001 season produced these results: Dave Campo (Dallas), Dick Jauron (Chicago), Mike Riley (San Diego) and Dick LeBeau (Cincinnati). No stunners there, of course, since all figure to be on the collective hot seat. What was surprising, however, was how many of the people surveyed mentioned that Tony Dungy could be in trouble with Tampa Bay ownership if the Bucs don't deliver big-time this season.
• Nearly a month before the draft, we told you in this space that the Kansas City Chiefs would select Rutgers quarterback Mike McMahon in the middle rounds of the draft. The connection was that the Chiefs new quarterbacks coach, Terry Shea, was also McMahon's head coach in college. Turns out we were halfway right. Kansas City was set to grab McMahon in the fifth round, so much so that public relations director Bob Moore had already begun distributing a press release containing the quarterback's bio information. But the Detroit Lions traded up with New England, leap-frogging one spot ahead of the Chiefs. The Lions snatched McMahon, and the Kansas City public relations staff snatched back the press releases.
• There's a long way to go until the final roster cuts, but an early sensation in the Oakland Raiders minicamp was Eric Metcalf, signed this spring almost as an afterthought. We've noted before the ability of Raiders personnel chiefs Chet Franklin and Michael Lombardi to find a serviceable player or two on the scrap heap every year, and Metcalf could be this year's steal. The 11-year veteran, who shares the league record for most touchdowns on returns, didn't even play in 2000. But his legs look fresh right now, and he has impressed the staff.
• The Falcons apparently are considering adding another veteran wide receiver to a pass-catching corps that even starter Terance Mathis suggested before the draft needed some new blood. This may not be exactly what Mathis, an 11-year veteran, had in mind, but Atlanta officials last week phoned the representatives for free agents Sean Dawkins and Charles Johnson and are expected to chat with them again in the next few days. An eight-year veteran, Dawkins caught led Seattle with 63 receptions in 2000 but was released for a second consecutive season for salary cap reasons. Johnson, a seven-year pro, was cut by Philadelphia last week after leading Eagles wide receivers with 56 catches. Besides Mathis, the Falcons' other starter is 10-year pro Shawn Jefferson. Agent Joel Segal had a handful of calls in the wake of Johnson's release last week, and said the Falcons and Seattle Seahawks seemed most interested.
• Veteran defensive tackle Christian Peter, who left the New York Giants last weekend to sign with the Indianapolis Colts as an unrestricted free agent, can thank the Steelers for the two-year, $2.55 million contract he got. Indianapolis general manager Bill Polian planned to select Casey Hampton with the 22nd overall choice, but the University of Texas star went off the board to the Steelers three picks ahead of the Colts' spot. Disappointed at losing out on a player the staff had targeted, Polian traded back in the first round and subsequently chose wide receiver Reggie Wayne of the Miami Hurricanes. But that still left the Colts in need of defensive tackle help, and Polian got on the phone to agent Ralph Cindrich and quickly struck the Peter deal. The veteran received a $700,000 signing bonus and $450,000 base salary for 2001. In 2002, he is due a roster bonus of $400,000 and a base salary of $1 million.
• With those place-kicking Gramatica brothers, the best might be yet to come. Martin Gramatica, of course, is the incumbent kicker and two-year veteran for the Tampa Bay Bucs. And brother Bill Gramatica of South Florida was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round of this year's draft. But word is that youngest brother Santiago, who has signed to attend South Florida as well, might have the strongest leg of the three. Four years from now, the Gramatica boys might own three of the 32 kicking spots in the league.

SportsLine.com Senior Writer Pete Prisco contributed to this report.