Article: Negotiating Contracts Makes a Mint for Agents Series: THE NFL'S REAL PLAYERS

Besides players, no group has profited more from the NFL's new free-agent system than agents.

Assuming agents are earning an average of 3.5 percent of the more than $1 billion dollars in yearly player salaries, that means agents are taking in $35 million annually from the NFL.

That's probably about as much as all 30 teams spend on their personnel departments.

In the first year of free agency, Ralph Cindrich estimates the salaries of his clients increased 150 percent from the previous year. The year before free agency, the salaries of his clients increased approximately 22 percent.

"Free agency," Cindrich said, "been berry, berry good to Ralph."

Among Cindrich's clients who have ...

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