As the opening of training camp nears, NFL teams are beginning to sign their No. 1 draft picks. Ben Roethlisberger, though, is not among them.
Nonetheless, the agent for the Steelers No. 1 draft pick said he hopes to have Roethlisberger signed in time to report for the first day of training camp Friday at St. Vincent College.
"That's certainly the aim," said Leigh Steinberg, who represents Roethlisberger, the 11th overall pick and the third quarterback selected in the NFL draft. "Ben has been present for every moment he could be there and he has been working exceptionally hard because he's so enthusiastic about being a part of the Steelers' organization."
Steinberg has had a series of discussions with the Steelers that began over the weekend and continued yesterday. He said he wouldn't characterize the two sides as being "close" to a deal, but indicated he plans to keep talking to the Steelers until a contract accord can be reached, hopefully by Friday.
Steelers veterans have to report to camp by 6 p.m. Friday. They have their annual run test Saturday morning and won't practice in pads until Sunday.
Roethlisberger, who left Miami (Ohio) as a junior, is the Steelers' only unsigned rookie.
"We plan to keep up [discussions] until we get Ben signed," Steinberg said. "We're working diligently at it. We're aware of the critical nature of the training camp experience."
Only eight of the 32 first-round picks in the NFL draft have signed a contract. Three did so yesterday -- safety Sean Taylor, who reached agreement on a seven-year, $18 million deal with the Washington Redskins; linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who signed a five-year, $10 million deal with the New York Jets; and guard Shawn Andrews, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.The player selected immediately before Roethlisberger -- Houston cornerback Dunta Robinson -- signed a six-year deal, which includes an $8 million signing bonus, Saturday with the Houston Texans.
Steinberg, though, indicated Roethlisberger could get a larger deal, perhaps a $9 million signing bonus, because he is considered a franchise quarterback. Only two quarterbacks were selected ahead of Roethlisberger -- Eli Manning, who was made the No. 1 overall pick by the San Diego Chargers; and Phillip Rivers, who was drafted fourth overall by the New York Giants. The two teams then swapped quarterbacks.
"Franchise quarterbacks are a special category and always have been a special category," Steinberg said. "They are treated specially."
John Beale, Post-GazetteSteeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger practices with the team at the Steelers facility.
Click photo for larger image.
First Published: July 28, 2004, 4:00 a.m.