ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer believes Colt McCoy will end up the best quarterback from this NFL Draft, and is dismissive of Sam Bradford. When asked about Dilfer’s opinion, Peter King responded that Dilfer was working with the Texas quarterback. Is this a conflict of interest?

Journalism ethics apply to journalists. Dilfer isn’t one. He’s a talking head. He’s a football player paid to give his opinion about football. He’s under no objectivity requirement. Dilfer’s not required to follow journalism ethics, but it’s still disingenuous. Knowing he has worked with McCoy would affect how viewers see Dilfer’s opinion. The opinion doesn’t need to be unbiased, but it should be honest.

I think it depends on the extent of his involvement. If he’s getting paid for working with McCoy, while going on ESPN praising McCoy and trashing his competitors, that’s something his employers, and the ombudsman might want to examine.