A Different Story On A Bengals First Round Draft Pick

by Josh Kirkendall on Jul 28, 2011 9:28 AM EDT

This time last year the Cincinnati Bengals were gearing up for training camp, the team was not close with to an agreement with their 2010 first round draft pick, tight end Jermaine Gresham, who was at one point one of four unsigned first round draft picks on Aug. 2, 2010. It was later on that day reports began surfacing of Cincinnati's five-year agreement with Gresham, who had already missed eight practices and five days worth of training camp. Yet he was the quickest first round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals to sign since Leon Hall in 2007, who missed only one practice during the first day of training camp.

Year	Player	Pick	Length of Hold Out
2010	Jermaine Gresham	21st	Held out 5 days.
2009	Andre Smith	6th	Held out 30 days
2008	Keith Rivers	9th	Held out 10 days
2007	Leon Hall	18th	Missed a practice on the first day of Training Camp
2006	Johnathan Joseph	24th	Signed first day of camp.
2005	David Pollack	17th	Held out 19 days
2004	Chris Perry	26th	Held out 11 days
2003	Carson Palmer	1st	Signed two days before the NFL Draft.
2002	Levi Jones	10th	Signed first day of camp
2001	Justin Smith	4th	Signed one day before first regular season game.

With Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green being the league's fourth-overall draft pick during the 2011 NFL Draft, you can only imagine the trouble the Cincinnati Bengals will have signing him. The team's last fourth-round draft pick, Justin Smith, waited until the regular season and the next closest overall pick to Green, Andre Smith, sat out 30 days.

And customary to the Bengals historical tradition of first round draft picks holding out, along with Cincinnati's propensity to struggle during negotiations that tends to keep players out of the much-needed training camp...

A.J. Green and the Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed to terms.

Alright. Moving on.

Tweet Comment 8 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

He has to be the highest 1st round pick to sign

I know Cam hasn’t signed, and I haven’t heard news on Miller and Dareus.

More importantly, I hope this is a sign of things to come with future Bengals’ first round picks (hopefully picks #32, and not top 10 picks in the first round). Namely, that with the new CBA, the days of “Justin Smith-type” holdouts are long gone. We can only hope.

Glad to have A.J. In the fold already – and it’s only JULY 28. – that’s JULY!!

by The_Black_Stripes on Jul 28, 2011 9:38 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Per Hobson

it appears they’ve landed Sands and Lindsey as well.

http://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin/status/96570499169124352

by BeerRun on Jul 28, 2011 9:40 AM EDT reply actions

Sure would be nice if...

… once again we weren’t all hanging on to see what happens w/ J. Jo. It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Bengals will lose the bidding war, leaving us with holes on defense in a year we can’t afford to have them.

I wish the Bengals could be proactive like many other teams at doing what it takes to retain their own, and also being proactive in signing players before their contracts are up (ie. address Leon Hall, Caldwell, and Simpson now).

by JML MD on Jul 28, 2011 10:10 AM EDT reply actions

Some details on the deal emerge

4 years, $20 million-ish, per Big C.

http://www.middletownjournal.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/big_c_nfl_blitz/entries/2011/07/28/aj_green_agrees_to_terms_with.html

Schefter also tweeted that it is fully guaranteed, which seems to be the new thing for first rounders this year.

by BeerRun on Jul 28, 2011 10:23 AM EDT reply actions

Love it

by Throw the ball on Jul 28, 2011 10:31 AM EDT reply actions

The Ocho Experiment Worked?

You got to believe the news of Ocho coming to camp had to spark something here, and lets face it, Chads NOT gonna start on this team and was Onlyyyyy a bargaining chip to get AJ Green in here on time, now we can just release him or trade him, his work is nowww officially done!

by Primal on Jul 28, 2011 10:43 AM EDT reply actions

I think you give them too much credit.

With the rookie cap and the hold out language in the CBA I don’t think there was the same kind of fear that A.J. wouldn’t be here on time.

by stripesinseattle on Jul 28, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Business Is Mikeys Thinking

Go look at how many rookies have signed so far, why is it that he just happens to sign the day after reports come out saying Chads coming to camp, and he decides hes gonna be the first to sign in the top of all the rookies, yeah right, its obvious, when he heard reports on Chad comin to camp, he knew if he didnt get a deal quick that they would keep Chad, especially when he knows that 6mill wouldnt hurt the cap any…like I said, Mikey is all about the business, make no mistake on that part, because look at what they drafted in WR’s this year and whos coming back from The Young Guns, and this is the part thats the most important, would you want Chad in Daltons ear all the time messing him up from the get go, I think when Big Whit started on him to shut up in that game last year was the straw that broke the camels back on Chads return this year, only reason he didnt cry more last year … can you say Big Brother T O ?

by Primal on Jul 28, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions