Less than two weeks from training camp, the Bengals signed one of their 2001 draft picks. Now they hope the deal with their fifth-round selection, offensive lineman Victor Leyva, will open a hole to the bargaining table for the others.

        The team doesn't have much time to do so; training camp begins July 20 at Georgetown, Ky.

        “I think as camp approaches, a lot of people are getting antsy and wanting to sign,” said Bengals scout Duke Tobin, who negotiated the Leyva deal. “I look for a lot of our late-round picks to start coming in soon.”

        Signing the early-round picks, specifically defensive end Justin Smith, the No.4 overall pick, figures to be tougher.

        “Being a high first-rounder, there are always a lot of details to work out,” Tobin said. “Late-round draft choices are not a complex situation.

        “I know (Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn) and Justin's agent are working hard to get him in here.”

        The Bengals signed the 6-foot-4, 310-pound Leyva to a deal worth more than $1 million over three years, said Leyva's agent, Ken Zuckerman.

        Leyva was the strongest prospect on the bench press at the NFL combine, Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander said.

        Leyva was the only offensive lineman taken by the Bengals in the draft. He has practiced at right guard only in summer workouts but can play any of the line positions, Alexander said.

        Matt O'Dwyer (left) and Mike Goff (right) are the starting guards on the Bengals' preseason depth chart.

Bengals sign fifth-round pick

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