Thursday Reads: Draft Picks Watch

The Bengals, Ravens and Chiefs are the three teams with with the most unsigned 2008 draft picks. Just under half the league’s teams — 15 — have signed at least one pick, including three of the top ten selections.

The Bengals are usually slow to sign draft picks, and this year appears to be no exception. In fact, after reaching a deal on a five-year extension for DT Domata Peko just a few days ago, the club has turned its attention toward offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, currently scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2010. Couple these talks with the fact that the team has not approached WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, whose contract is up after this season, and it looks very much like the Bengals are preparing to move on at wideout.

However, that only brings us back to the subject of this year’s draft. If this is Houshmandzadeh’s final year in Cincinnati, and if Chad Johnson can’t be placated, the Bengals will need 2008’s bumper crop of receivers — including second-round pick Jerome Simpson and third-rounder Andre Caldwell — to grow up fast. That means getting them into camp on time and happy. It would be good to see the Bengals front office get off its collective duff a bit earlier this year and get the youngsters inked.

Speaking of the front office, WDR passes along word that even the sad-sack Cardinals have decided to build an NFL-caliber scouting department. Damn. Never thought I’d be jealous of Cards fans.

In other news, Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson runs through the options on the defensive line.

Ocho Scopeo’s ankle procedure went smoothly.

New Era Scouting declares that Marvin is on the hot seat. Knowing the fiercely loyal-to-a-fault Mike Brown, I tend to doubt it. Absent a total, 2002-style collapse, Lewis isn’t going anywhere.

Yeah. What he said.

AFC North Watch: Don Banks says that new Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is winning over the locker room.