Going Down a Winding River

With training camps now under way, there remains only two 1st round picks yet to sign deals: Jacksonville's Derrick Harvey who went eighth, and Cincinnati's Keith Rivers who went ninth. The Jaguars' displeasure with the Harvey holdout has been made pretty apparent. Harvey's representatives want money similar to what the 7th pick, Sedrick Ellis received. The Jaguars are reluctant to come close to such an offer. Not only are the Harvey negotiations affecting the Jaguars, but it is seemingly affecting the Cincinnati Bengals as well. The Rivers' camp is having a difficult time getting a deal done, for they are trying to gauge what type of numbers Derrick Harvey will receive. As an agent, you never want to get your client what may turn out to be a low ball deal. But at the same time, you can't sit on your thumbs waiting for another player to get signed. I believe that in this situation, his representatives have to put a value on how important it is for Keith Rivers to start. The more camp he misses, the greater chance there is for Rivers to lose out on a starting position. Talent wise, there is no question that he can start for the Bengals, but he sorely needs to get his repetitions in. Getting into camp on time and winning that starting position is worth a lot more than some may think. A perfect example of what can result from getting into camp on time is the season Patrick Willis had last year. Not only did he earn a trip to the Pro Bowl, but he was also named Defensive Rookie of the Year.