Last year, the Saints signed the first of their 2008 draft picks, DeMario Pressley, on July 12th; twelve days before the opening of training camp at Millsaps. Yet here we are now, only nine days removed from the start of this years camp, and not one word has been uttered about any of the Saints four 2009 draft picks being signed. If you're like me you've been wondering what gives and want to know when we can expect to start seeing them sign.
Any day now, my friend. Any day now.
Remember, it's not really up to the players themselves. I've been following two of the Saints rookies via Twitter - Malcolm Jenkins and Chip Vaughn to be precise - and it appears as though their time now is spent just working out, preparing for training camp...
Cardio! Let's Gooooooo!!!!!!!!
-Chip Vaughn
getting settled into their new homes here in the Big Easy...
Loving the NO already.... gotta get this apt right then chill out and relax
-Malcolm Jenkins
Getting my place set up now-Chip Vaughn
more working out...
Got in a good workout wit brother Malcolm.
-Chip Vaughn
spending time with family...
Taking mom to Emeril's for dinner
-Chip Vaughn
and just relaxing...after working out.
just got done working out... im sittin in the house watching CSI
-Malcolm Jenkins
But while they're busy settling into their new lives and focusing on other things, their agents and lawyers - or attorney's as they like to call themselves - are the ones playing the waiting game, making sure their clients sign the largest contract possible. You know, the one that guarantees money to players for performances that are anything but guaranteed.
All we can really do is sneak a peek at last years signings and use them as a barometer. Take a look at how things went down last July.
| Player | Date Signed | Terms |
| DeMario Pressley | July 12th | 3 years |
| Adrian Arrington | July 18th | 3 years |
| Taylor Mehlhaff | July 18th | 3 years |
| Carl Nicks | July 23rd | 3 years |
| Tracy Porter | July 25th (2 days into TC) | 4 years |
| Sedrick Ellis | July 29th (6 days into TC) | 5 years |
*training camp started July 24th.
Pressley got the party started early, about two weeks before the open of training camp, but many of last years draft choices were not under contract until less than a week prior to the start of camp. Worse still, two players got late starts while waiting to finalize contract details. The ink on Tracy Porter's signature wasn't even dry when he signed his first deal before taking the field for the afternoon practice on the second day and Sedrick Ellis missed six days of Ed Orgeron screaming in his face while waitng to sign his contract.
So if the past can be used as any sort of indicator - and I think that it can - then what do we know? Not a damn thing, that's what. Saints fans should start reading about rookie signings very shortly. It might even be as early as today. But it also wouldn't be unusual if it takes another few days before we see any of them ink a deal, Malcolm Jenkins in particular. It may even be after training camp is already underway and could mean lost time.
And that, my friend, would be unfortunate.