The Cincinnati Bengals will finally get to see their No. 1 draft pick in action.
Akili Smith, a rookie quarterback from Oregon, agreed to a seven-year contract on Monday, ending an impasse that caused him to miss most of training camp and two exhibition games.Smith, chosen third overall behind quarterbacks Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb, was the last unsigned member of the celebrated quarterback class of '99.
The seven-year deal includes a $10.8 million signing bonus and will pay Smith, expected to be Jeff Blake's backup, as much as $56 million if he reaches various performance goals.
The deal contains one voidable year, meaning it will automatically shorten to six years if he's in for 35 percent of the plays in his first year or 45 percent any following year.
"Contracts are so statistical, especially for quarterbacks, and have a level of complexity that it simply takes time to work through," agent Leigh Steinberg said.
The agreement ends the longest impasse between the Bengals and a quarterback since David Klingler signed one week before the season opener in 1992.
"It would have been nicer if it had been sooner," general manager Mike Brown said. "It's behind us now. We've just got to catch up as best we can."
BUCCANEERS : Defensive tackle Warren Sapp, sidelined the past week by a sore back, had an MRI examination to determine the extent of his injury.
The Buccaneers said the result would not be known until Tuesday after the test is read by the team's orthopedic specialist, Dr. John Zvijac, in Miami.
The two-time Pro Bowler last practiced on Aug. 17. The Bucs also held him out of last Saturday night's exhibition against Kansas City as a precaution.
TITANS: Quarterback Steve McNair will be on the sidelines Friday night when Tennessee plays its first game in its new home stadium.
McNair has not played or practiced since the Titans' first exhibition game Aug. 15 at Kansas City because of spasms and stiffness in his lower back.
Backup Neil O'Donnell, 21-of-34 for 166 yards in two games, will make his second start of the preseason.
CARDINALS: Quarterback Jake Plummer's sprained right thumb will keep him out of Arizona's preseason game Saturday at Seattle.
Plummer was injured on the third play of Friday night's game against Tennessee when he was sacked by Mike Jones. Plummer was to be examined by a hand specialist to make sure the injury isn't more serious.
Plummer expects to be ready for the season opener at Philadelphia on Sept. 12.
COWBOYS: Running back Chris Warren, who left training camp early last week after asking permission to visit a groin specialist he's been working with in Colorado, was supposed to back a few days later. A schedule change allowed him to be out until Monday.
But a morning meeting and afternoon practice passed without Warren arriving. He was expected back late Monday.
Coach Chan Gailey's face and the tone of his voice when discussing the matter made it obvious this wasn't an excused absence. He answered four straight questions by saying, "I'll talk to him tonight when he gets here."
Warren's agent, Rick Schaeffer, said the whole thing is a simple misunderstanding.
DOLPHINS: Rookie defensive end Dimitrius Underwood, wavering between his faith and an NFL career, planned to meet today with coach Jimmy Johnson to discuss his future.
It's unlikely Underwood will play this season, said his agent, Craig Domann.
Minnesota made Underwood a first-round draft choice, but he left their training camp after one practice, saying he was struggling to balance football and his religious beliefs. The Vikings released Underwood, and he was claimed off waivers last week by the Dolphins.
STEELERS: All-Pro center Dermontti Dawson returned from a three-week injury layoff and running back Jerome Bettis may not be far behind.
Bettis, who said last week he wasn't 100 percent certain if he would be ready to start the Sept. 12 opener in Cleveland, discarded his left knee brace to take part in running drills.
Dawson and Bettis injured their left knees only two days apart shortly after the Steelers opened camp July 29, and neither practiced until Monday.
Coach Bill Cowher said Bettis might resume full-scale practicing later this week.
PANTHERS: For the second time in as many days, Tshimanga Biakabutuka was unable to get through a practice because of a knee injury.
The injury kept Biakabutuka from finishing the morning's nearly two-hour practice, but he said it was nothing more than a bruise.
The latest problems involve the same knee Biakabutuka injured shortly after the Panthers made the running back their top draft choice in 1996. A torn left anterior cruciate ligament four games into his rookie year required season-ending surgery.
GIANTS: Halfback Gary Brown, who led New York in rushing with 1,063 yards last season, practiced for the first time since training camp opened.
Brown was sidelined with a buttocks injury suffered in a motorcycle accident in late June. Coach Jim Fassel hopes to play Brown in Saturday night's exhibition against the New York Jets.
First-round draft pick Luke Petitgout is being moved into the starting lineup and right tackle Scott Gragg might be the odd man.
With Petitgout moving to tackle, Fassel moved Mike Rosenthal, the fifth-round draft choice, to guard.
COLTS: Kick returner Vaughn Hebron was placed on the reserved-retired list by Indianapolis.
Hebron, a member of Denver's Super Bowl championship teams the past two years, was signed by the Colts a week ago. He returned two kickoffs for 45 yards in Saturday's 37-7 exhibition victory at New Orleans.
LIONS: Center Mike Compton injured his knee in practice on Monday when a teammate fell on the back of his leg.
The extent of the injury was not immediately known. Compton, 28, a seventh-year player, was taken to Henry Ford Hospital for tests.