The NFL Signings

Roundup: Kansas City's Dorsey among rookie signings

Story Highlights
The Jets' Gholston was the No. 6 pick of the draft
Mendenhall will compete with Willie Parker for playing time
The Cowboys signed RB Felix Jones late Friday
RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Glenn Dorsey walked up and shook hands with the man who'd just made him rich.

"I promise I'll work hard," said the big defensive tackle, towering over Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt.

"I know you will," Hunt said. "It's great to have you with us."

After a brief contract holdout that essentially cost him only one practice, Dorsey signed a five-year, $51 million deal Saturday morning that includes an option year and more than $22 million in guaranteed money. The 300-pound All-American from LSU, the fifth player taken overall last April, will be the cornerstone of a line that's being rebuilt to make up for the loss of Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen.

After getting word about 4:30 a.m. that a deal was agreed upon, Dorsey hopped a flight out of Baton Rouge, La., and arrived at the Chiefs' offices on the University of Wisconsin-River Falls campus just in time for meetings. Greeting him were a throng of media and Hunt, who stood in the back smiling as Dorsey and general manager Carl Peterson conducted a short news conference.

"He is going to be a very good player for us," Hunt said. "He's got all the tools."

The rebuilding Chiefs, who will be one of the youngest teams in the NFL this season, have agreed to terms with all but one of their 12 draft picks. They've opted to delay signing tight end Michael Merritt, a seventh-round selection out of Central Florida, until he recovers from injury.

"I'm just excited to be here, to stand before you all and get to work with my teammates and my coaches," Dorsey told the media. "My agent did a great job. The Chiefs did a great job. It was a great agreement."

Joel Segal, Dorsey's agent, said he was glad to get his client in camp almost on time. Since Friday's opening workouts were both forced indoors by rain, he really missed only one workout, on Saturday morning. He was expected to be on the field for Saturday's afternoon practice.

"Glenn is a very disciplined guy who loves football," Segal said. "He was anxious to get to camp. He indicated to me that he's excited now to help the Chiefs win."

Dorsey will be handed a starting job on the inside while Tamba Hali moves from left defensive end to right, replacing Allen. After leading the NFL with 151/2 sacks, Allen became disgruntled and was traded to Minnesota.

The Chiefs, coming off a 4-12 year, will need an immediate impact from Dorsey to ease the loss of Allen.

The newcomer declined to make any predictions on what might happen his rookie season in the NFL.

"It's a totally different world now, playing against everybody who's one of the best at what they do," he said. "I can't really tell you right now. I have to go through camp and see how it goes.

"I'm just going to have fun. I like to have fun when I play."

The money, he said, wasn't anything he'd thought much about yet.

"That's down the line," he said. "That's going to be way down the line. It's time to get down to business. I look forward to taking care of my family. But now it's time to get down to business."

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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Vernon Gholston's holdout lasted one day and two practices.

The New York Jets signed the No. 6 overall pick to a multiyear deal Friday, in time for the defensive end to be on the field with his teammates for the start of practice on the second day of training camp.

"Vernon is in the building," coach Eric Mangini said. "He signed, he'll practice, so that process -- which was long -- is through and now he can move forward and we can get him on the field and really start the intense teaching."

The hulking Gholston, who set an Ohio State record with 14 sacks last season, is expected to immediately improve the Jets' pass rush.

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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Rookie cornerback Leodis McKelvin agreed to a five-year contract with the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, the first-round draft pick's agent told The Associated Press.

"He's agreed to terms and now we're working out the final details," agent Hadley Engelhard said. The deal was agreed to two days into Bills training camp, and after McKelvin missed four practices, including two on Saturday.

Travel arrangements weren't finalized, but it's expected McKelvin will report to camp in suburban Rochester by Sunday, when the Bills are scheduled to have team meetings and an afternoon walk-through. Selected 11th overall out of Troy University, McKelvin was the first defensive back selected in the draft, and is expected to compete with Jabari Greer for a starting job opposite Terrence McGee this season.

Monetary terms were not immediately available, but McKelvin is expected to get a contract that falls in-between the deals signed Friday by the two players drafted immediately before and after he was selected.

Linebacker Jerod Mayo, the No. 10 pick, signed a five-year, $18.9 million ($13.8 million guaranteed) contract with New England. Offensive lineman Ryan Clady, the No. 12 pick, signed a five-year $17.5 million ($11.5 million guaranteed) with Denver.

McKelvin had been only one of four first-round draft picks yet to sign with their respective teams.

The Bills could not immediately confirm that a deal has been agreed to.

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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers signed running back Rashard Mendenhall on Friday, agreeing to a five-year contract with their first-round draft pick two days before training camp opens.

The Steelers announced Mendenhall's signing in a news release. Neither the team nor Mendenhall was immediately available for comment.

The 5-foot-10, 225-pound Mendenhall, the 23rd overall pick out of Illinois, is expected to discuss his contract when he arrives for training camp this weekend.

Limas Sweed, a wide receiver out of Texas and the Steelers' second-round pick, is the team's only unsigned draft pick, but coach Mike Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert have said they expect him to be signed in time for the start of training camp Sunday at St. Vincent College, near Latrobe.

Mendenhall's contract is reportedly worth nearly $12.6 million, with $7.125 million guaranteed.

"Both Rashard and I are thrilled," said Mendenhall's agent, Mike McCartney of Priority Sports in Chicago. "It's always an anxious time before training camp for players. He can now put the business side behind him. ... and work on helping the team win. That's what he wants to focus on."

Mendenhall is expected to return kicks and spell Willie Parker, whose 2007 season was cut short by a broken leg.

Parker, an undrafted free agent, has rushed for more than 1,202 yards in all three NFL seasons he has started, and carried the ball more than 650 times the last two seasons. Parker had 337 carries in 2006 and 321 last season, despite missing most of the final two games.

Mendenhall is the first running back drafted in the first round by the Steelers since Georgia's Tim Worley in 1989.

Mendenhall was last season's Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, setting school records for rushing yards (1,681) and touchdowns (17) as a senior.

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OXNARD, Calif. (AP) -- First-round draft picks Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins signed deals late Friday night, putting all of the Dallas Cowboys' selections under contract.

Jones, a running back from Arkansas, and Jenkins, a cornerback from South Florida, have the same agent and each missed the first day of practice. Terms of their deals were not released.

The Cowboys selected Jones with the 22nd overall pick, impressed by his 1,162 yards and 11 touchdowns backing up Darren McFadden last season for the Razorbacks. The last time the team used a first-round pick on a running back was for Emmitt Smith in 1990.

Jenkins, the 25th overall pick, intercepted three passes last season for South Florida and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati.

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) -- The Denver Broncos on Friday signed first-round draft pick Ryan Clady, who is projected to start at left tackle.

The deal is believed to be worth $20 million over six years and was completed in time for the Boise State star to join the team's first workout.

Clady, selected 12th overall, was the last of the Broncos' nine draft picks to sign.

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HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Texans signed first-round draft pick Duane Brown, an offensive lineman from Virginia Tech who is expected to start this season.

Brown took the practice field Friday nearly an hour after the rest of the team on the first day of camp. The left tackle was selected 26th in the April draft.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Kansas City Chiefs have signed tackle Branden Albert, the second of the team's two first-round draft picks, the team announced Thursday.

Financial details of the five-year agreement were not released.

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Albert -- the Chiefs' 15th overall pick -- started all 37 games he appeared in at Virginia.

Also unsigned is tight end Michael Merritt, a seventh-round pick out of Central Florida.

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SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Chargers first-round draft pick Antoine Cason signed a five-year contract worth slightly more than $12 million Thursday night, assuring he will be in camp when the team holds its first full-squad practice.

Cason was the team's final draft pick to agree to terms. He missed three days of rookie camp while the two sides finalized a deal that includes a signing bonus of roughly $6 million.

"It's time to play football. I'm just getting ready to go play," Cason said after signing the deal.

"The Chargers were great to work with and Antoine is excited to get going," said his agent, Ron Slavin.

"It's a big relief," said Cason, who will be on the field Friday morning when the Chargers hold their first full-squad practice. "Of course I was concerned but I had faith that it would get done. All I could do was work out and control the things I was able to control and that was that. I didn't worry about it too much because I knew it would get done, so I did the things I could control."

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

Cason will compete for the nickel back spot.

"I definitely think I did have a good offseason and worked hard to put myself in a position to be here," Cason said. "I just want to get out there and play well and do the things I know I am capable of doing and also learn this game a little bit more. I'm new and just want to get in and learn."

As a senior at Arizona, Cason won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. He intercepted five passes and returned two punts for touchdowns last season.

Cason spoke with his father, Wendell, soon after the contract was finalized. The elder Cason spent three years with the Atlanta Falcons.

"He told me congratulations and we talked a little bit," the younger Cason said. "But we've been talking about football all summer. It doesn't matter what I call about, it always comes back to football."

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers have signed defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, getting their first-round draft pick into training camp a few hours before the team's first meeting.

Balmer, a late-blooming star at North Carolina, was the 29th overall pick in April. He is the last of the 49ers' six draft picks to sign, agreeing to a five-year contract Thursday.

Balmer will be among the prospective replacements for Bryant Young, who retired last winter after 14 seasons with San Francisco. Young was at the 49ers' training complex Thursday as the players assembled for an evening team meeting, but Young has no plans to renounce his retirement.

The 49ers will hold their first practice Friday in Santa Clara.

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MEQUON, Wis. (AP) -- Second-round pick Donnie Avery signed with the St. Louis Rams on Saturday. The wide receiver was expected on the field for the day's second practice.

Avery, from Houston, was the first wide receiver taken in the draft, and the Rams believed that fact contributed to the brief holdout. He was the last of the Rams' draft picks to sign, with first-rounder Chris Long agreeing to terms a week ago.

Coach Scott Linehan said the contract was completed during the morning workout. Avery was nearby during negotiations, allowing him to make it to camp quickly.

"He'll be here this afternoon, catching up," Linehan said. "Maybe get him a few extra reps, so it's good to get that one out of the way."

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KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- John Carlson and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms of a multiyear contract Saturday, putting the rookie tight on the practice field for the second day of training camp.

Seattle traded up in April to take Carlson in the second round out of Notre Dame. The Seahawks expect him to start this season.

Coach Mike Holmgren said during the first day of camp on Friday that it was important for Carlson get in immediately to learn the offense.

He was the final Seahawk to report. The team is expected to make a corresponding roster move Saturday to get to the training camp limit of 80 players.

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OXNARD, Calif. (AP) -- Three more draft picks signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, leaving only veteran receiver Terry Glenn and the team's two first-round picks unsigned as they reported to California for training camp.

Glenn has refused to sign an injury waiver that would reduce his salary from $1.74 million to $500,000 if he hurt his right knee again and was unable to play. The 34-year-old receiver wasn't scheduled to be on the team's charter flight from Texas on Thursday.

The Cowboys also haven't come to terms with running back Felix Jones from Arkansas or cornerback Mike Jenkins from South Florida.

Second-round pick Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M was among those who signed Thursday. Also signing were fourth-round pick Tashard Choice, a running back from Georgia Tech, and sixth-round pick Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee State.

Cornerback Orlando Scandrick signed a four-year contract Wednesday, making the fifth-round pick from Boise State the first of the Cowboys' draft selections to sign.

Glenn didn't play until the regular season finale last season, when he got a $5 million roster bonus, after having two operations on this right knee.

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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) -- Buffalo Bills second-round pick James Hardy became the third and most significant rookie to sign with the team Thursday, the day before training camp opens in suburban Rochester.

Besides Hardy, a receiver who was selected 41st overall out of Indiana, the Bills also signed third-round pick, defensive end Chris Ellis, and sixth-round pick, running back Xavier Omon, both to four-year contracts. That leaves Buffalo first-round pick Leodis McKelvin, a cornerback, as the one unsigned player before the team's first practice Friday morning.

The Bills were negotiating with McKelvin late Thursday evening. Earlier in the day, Bills chief operating officer Russ Brandon expressed confidence that the first-round pick would be signed in time for the start of camp.

Hardy has the chance to make an immediate impact on what had been a popgun offense. The Bills are counting on the 6-foot-5 receiver to compete for the No. 2 spot to take the pressure off starter Lee Evans this season. Hardy is the tallest receiver ever drafted by the Bills, and provides their offense a tall and speedy target it has lacked since trading Eric Moulds to Houston prior to the 2006 season.

Hardy finished his college career with 191 catches for 2,740 yards and 36 touchdowns in 36 games, including 26 starts. As a senior he had a school record 79 receptions for 1,125 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Ellis, selected 72nd overall out of Virginia Tech, was an all-Atlantic Coast Conference defensive end last season. He had 8 1/2 sacks as a senior and 22 for his career.

His contract includes $800,000 that's guaranteed and is potentially worth $3.2 million if he meets all incentive clauses.

Ellis is expected to compete for a backup spot behind starters Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay and on a revamped defensive line that will be anchored by newly acquired tackle Marcus Stroud.

Omon, selected 179th out of Division II Northwest Missouri, became only the second college player to have 1,500 yards rushing in each of his four seasons. He finished with 7,073 yards rushing and scored 98 touchdowns.

Omon is expected to compete with Dwayne Wright for the third-string job behind starter Marshawn Lynch and backup Fred Jackson.

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a six-year contract with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, their top draft pick.

Terms were not disclosed.

Rodgers-Cromartie, the 16th overall pick in last spring's draft, is expected to join the club at its Northern Arizona University training camp on Saturday.

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SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) -- The Carolina Panthers signed tackle Jeff Otah on Friday, leaving only fellow first-round pick Jonathan Stewart without a deal as training camp gets underway.

Otah was the 19th overall pick. He was en route to Wofford College on Friday night and was expected be on the field for the first practice Saturday. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

General manager Marty Hurney was negotiating with Stewart's agent Friday night. Coach John Fox said earlier in the day they were "fairly close" with both players.

Otah is expected to start at right tackle for Carolina, while Stewart will compete with DeAngelo Williams for the starting running back job.