Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals' seventh-round draft pick and one of the team's five draft picks who remain unsigned, can understand why there might be problems signing a first-round choice like Justin Smith. But he figures a seventh-rounder, who will earn about $200,000 as a rookie, should be signed.

        “It's a lot of money to me because I've never had money, but in the NFL, it's not a lot of money,” Houshmandzadeh said Monday from his California home. “I will be at camp. I don't want to call Cincinnati myself because I don't know how professional that would be.”

        His agent, Lee Kolligian, has been in contact with Bengals officials, as have agents for the other four unsigned draft choices.

        The mood in the Bengals offices is not one of panic, even though the team has its top four draft picks unsigned four days before players are supposed to report to training camp at Georgetown College. The first workouts will be Saturday.

        “I feel pretty positive about where they all stand,” Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said Monday. “But it's impossible to say whether all of them will be there when camp starts.”

        The Bengals have signed only their fifth- and sixth-round picks — guard Victor Leyva and linebacker Riall Johnson.

        Jim Steiner, Smith's agent, said Friday he would not comment on negotiations until the first-round pick is signed. Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is the only one of 31 first-round picks to have signed.

        Agents for the Bengals' next three draft picks — wide receiver Chad Johnson, tight end Sean Brewer and running back Rudi Johnson — did not return phone messages left Monday.

        The Bengals reportedly made progress toward deals with Smith and Chad Johnson late last week.

        “We continue to work on it,” Blackburn said. “That's about all there is to report.”

Bengals play waiting game with draft picks

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