Not only is Graham not here, as the Eagles' rookies begin their second day of workouts, there seems to be little hope he will show up soon. We're still holding at one first-round pick signed for the entire league, Dallas' Dez Bryant, though there apparently is hope that St. Louis will soon reach agreement with No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford, and that other high picks will fall in line like dominoes once Bradford is done.
It had no direct impact on the Graham situation, but a significant hurdle was cleared yesterday evening for the Eagles when they announced the long-awaited signing of second-round free safety Nate Allen to a 4-year contract. Allen's presence might be even more crucial than Graham's, given that Allen is a projected starter at a complex position.
The Birds' front office, which has a good relationship with Graham's agent, Joel Segal, is not sounding off warning klaxons yet.
"The agents don't view themselves as holding out until the vets report," a source close to the Graham situation said yesterday. Eagles vets report tomorrow evening. Fitness testing ensues Friday, with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Saturday. So Saturday might be when the clock starts to tick a little louder.
Apparently, there was no huge issue holding up the Allen signing, sources close to the situation said last night. The timing just had to be right, a source said, which presumably means agent Todd France waited until crunch time to talk, and wanted to see other second-round deals in Allen's area get done. France did not respond to requests for comment.
Allen is expected to take part in workouts today and to speak to reporters.
