As if his involvement in the representation of former Raiders coach Jack Del Rio and current Raiders coach John Gruden wasn’t awkward enough, agent Bob Lamonte has found an even more awkward situation for himself.
Lamonte represents both Colts G.M. Chris Ballard and not-Colts coach Josh McDaniels.
While it’s not an ideal look for McDaniels to agree to terms and then back out before signing a contract, Lamonte is the one who will have the bigger problem going forward. His credibility instantly has been undermined, making it hard for future teams to trust Lamonte during the month of January, when he promises to deliver a client whose team currently is still playing in the postseason.
Complicating matters for Lamonte is the fact that the cold feet of one client has created a potential hot seat for another. Already, there’s talk in league circles that Ballard will fire Lamonte.
Conflicts of interest run rampant when it comes the agents who represent NFL coaches and players. For those who are lawyers, rules of professional conduct create bright lines and/or duties to disclose potentially competing priorities. For non-lawyers who serve as agents, there’s no independent oversight when it comes to problems of this nature.
Lamonte’s recent misadventures suggest that maybe there should be.