Jason Smith signs, Crabtree nowhere close

St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Jason Smith made good on his pre-draft promise that he wouldn't hold out, as this year's No. 2 overall pick agreed to terms on a six-year contract Thursday afternoon. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Smith's deal has a max value of just under $62 million with $33 million guaranteed, which is slighty above what fellow tackle Jake Long got from the Dolphins as the draft's top selection last year (Long received $57.5 million over 5 years with $30 million guaranteed).

Smith is the second top 10 choice to sign today, joining Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, and the fourth among the first seven picks. As you may recall, the Detroit Lions inked Georgia quarterback Matt Stafford to a landmark six-year, $72 million contract (with over 41 million guaranteed) on the eve of the draft and the Jets locked up USC signal-caller Mark Sanchez with a five-year, $50.5 million pact in June.

Only 10 of the 32 first-round picks have signed so far, with center Alex Mack (No. 21, Cleveland), offensive tackle Michael Oher (No. 23, Baltimore), defensive tackle Peria Jerry (No. 24, Atlanta), linebacker Clay Matthews (No. 26, Green Bay), offensive guard Eric Wood (No. 27, Buffalo) and defensive lineman Ziggy Hood (No. 32, Pittsburgh) all having come to terms in the past week.

One likely explanation for that slow progress is the situation regarding former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, taken 10th overall by San Francisco back in April. A blog entry from the Denver Post's Mike Klis on Monday stated that Crabtree's camp was seeking a contract commensurate with a top-three selection, which clearly would in turn affect the value of those players unsigned from picks 8-20. It's doubtful that the 49ers are going to blink, so an extended holdout could be on the horizon. The Niners hold their first training camp practice on Saturday.

This potentially troublesome scenario certainly won't help dissuade those rumors of a perceived "diva-like" attitude that Crabtree had displayed during his pre-draft visits.

training camp reporting dates

Here's a quick rundown on when teams will officially be opening their training camps -- the dates listed pertain to when veterans are required to report.

Most camps won't be beginning for about a week, but the Buffalo Bills will be getting an early start this coming weekend (I'm sure ESPN won't be paying any attention there, right?). Also keep on eye on Thursday, July 30th. That's the day Josh McDaniels' Denver Broncos will be breaking camp and when we'll find out if the odds-on favorite for a summer holdout -- Brandon Marshall -- will be showing up.

Saturday, July 25th
Buffalo (Pittsford, N.Y.)

Wednesday, July 29th
Arizona (Flagstaff, Ariz.)
Baltimore (Westminster, Md.)
Dallas (San Antonio)
New England (Foxboro, Mass.)
Oakland (Napa Valley, Calif.)
Philadelphia (Bethlehem, Pa.)
Washington (Ashburn, Va.)

Thursday, July 30th
Cincinnati (Georgetown, Ky.)
Denver (Englewood, Colo.)
Minnesota (Mankato, Minn.)
New Orleans (Metairie, La.)
New York Jets (Cortland, N.Y.)
San Francisco (Santa Clara, Calif.)
Tennessee (Nashville)

Friday, July 31st
Atlanta (Flowery Branch, Ga.)
Chicago (Bourbonnais, Ill.)
Cleveland (Berea, Ohio)
Detroit (Allen Park, Mich.)
Green Bay
Houston
Kansas City (River Falls, Wisc.)
Pittsburgh (Latrobe, Pa.)
San Diego
Seattle (Renton, Wash.)
St. Louis (Earth City, Mo.)
Tampa Bay

Saturday, August 1st
Miami (Davie, Fla.)

Sunday, August 2nd
Carolina (Spartanburg, S.C.)
Indianapolis (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Jacksonville

Monday, August 3rd
New York Giants (Albany, N.Y.)

Just like Michael Vick...

...we have returned.

My apologies to those loyal followers of this blog (a very select group, I must admit) who have been waiting with baited breath for us to return from our two-month hibernation. In all honesty, there hasn't been a whole lot to write about since our last entry, but that's surely about to change. With training camps on the verge of starting up, Vick's possible return, Ben Roethlisberger's recent legal issues and the continued flirtation between the Minnesota Vikings and a certain retired quarterback, there won't be a lack of topics to cover in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, those in need of an immediate fix can check out the first wave of Tony Moss' training camp previews on our NFL news page.