Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung has made the personal decision not to use an agent for his next contract negotiation. His first-person article for Derek Jeter’s website at one point seems to suggest that this may not be the right decision for every player, but seems to end with a call to all players to do what Okung has done.
Before any player considering the possibility of “betting on himself” makes the inherently personal decision on whether an agent is needed, the player needs to consider everything an agent does. Otherwise, that bet on himself is nothing more than a blind roll of the dice.