Much of the talk in Philadelphia surrounding Eagles training camp has been about the fact that Jeremy Maclin has yet to sign a contract and report to Lehigh. Of course we'll always be more concerned with what the Birds are up to than the rest of the NFL, a quick look around the league shows that this situation is happening all over the NFL.
The Buffalo Bills opened camp this year without their 4 top picks. As of now, neither first round pick is in camp and nothing seems close.
The Denver Broncos, who also had two first round picks, also failed to sign either before the start of camp. Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers have both yet to report to Broncos camp.
The Baltimore Ravens have opened their camp without their first round pick Michael Oher.
The 49ers opened their camp today and guess who wasn't there... first round pick Michael Crabtree.
Exactly what is causing the delay in getting these top picks signed isn't exactly known. Some claim it's an issue with the expiring CBA and the looming possibility of the salary cap dissapearing. One Denver reporter talked to a league source who told him Michael Crabtree was the source of the hold up.
One league source said the hold up with first-round negotiations _ only four of 32 had signed by Monday morning _ was San Francisco’s Michael Crabtree. The receiver from Texas Tech was a No. 10 overall draft pick but he is seeking top 3 money. If Crabtree gets top 3 money at No. 10, then the picks around him _ Moreno was selected at No. 12 overall _ would negotiate their contracts accordingly.
Whatever the issue, this is clearly a league wide problem. With even more NFL camps set to open in the coming week, it's likely that this story will grow and grow. As of now, I count only 4 first round picks currently signed. There's a very real possibility that by next week well over half of this year's first round class will be classified as "holdouts."