It’s no secret that executives, agents and handlers control the sports narrative with leaks and commentary behind the scenes. But the animosity toward No. 1 prospect Caleb Williams and his handling of the draft process leading up to the NFL Draft has been particularly questionable. Defending Williams’ approach and the care his family is taking to maximize his influence, sports podcaster and ESPN personality Pablo Torre called out NFL media for allowing agents’ opinions to turn the narrative against Williams.
Torre focused on coverage of Williams’ father Carl, who has managed his son’s career so far. Because Williams has not hired an agent and allowed his family to control the process, it’s logical that many NFL agents are tipping reporters in a negative way.
“Carl Williams has been framed as largely a quack as, of course, anonymous (agents) who leak to (reporters) would like to make him about to be because he’s not hiring an agent, and he’s coming for the status quo that they profit off of,” Torre said.
Williams waited until deadline day to declare for the draft. He avoided television interviews and did not throw at the NFL combine. A recent report from Colin Cowherd indicated Williams did not want to play for the Chicago Bears, before Williams’ circle got in his ear denying it. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested Williams could seek an ownership stake in the team that drafts him.
Torre also mocked how coverage has been so negative toward Williams despite the fact that one could easily see his diligence ahead of his NFL career as a positive.
“It is funny, the idea in scouting that you’re trying psychoanalyze all of these prospects you might pay nine figures to. And the trait that Caleb Williams and his family are exhibiting is an extraordinarily detailed and sophisticated understanding of how they’re trying to attack a defense right now,” Torre noted. “The defense just happens to be the institutional status quo of the sport itself rather than the linebacker lining up across from him.”
Guest Mina Kimes of ESPN said nobody at the combine could fully explain their issue with the Williamses’ approach, backing up Torre’s theory that the criticism is not genuine.
.@minakimes on the way Caleb Williams' father, and his decision not to participate in any of the NFL Combine drills, has been portrayed in the media:
"Every single personnel person at the Combine or agent that I talked to didn't really have a case for why they SHOULDN'T do it… pic.twitter.com/xr0hs5oaYS
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) March 8, 2024
It’s a fascinating dynamic. For years, anyone who shakes up normal business in sports has been ostracized. Setting aside immoral or criminal behavior, it’s easy to look between the lines and imagine that criticism toward these outsiders has been shaped by… insiders… in part through the media.
Williams is set to be the top overall pick, so his reputation is not taking a big hit anytime soon. But don’t expect the questions around him to go away so long as he continues without an agent, maintains privacy around his business, and doesn’t give into what teams expect of prospects.
