Source: Bills/Maybin closing in on deal

Sal Capaccio
www.SalSports.com

Only three NFL first-round draft picks remain unsigned.  However, barring an unforeseen late collapse in negotiations, that number should be reduced to two soon, as the Buffalo Bills appear to be on the verge of signing their top-overall 2009 draft pick, defensive end Aaron Maybin.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Bills and Maybin have made "significant progress" towards a contract agreement within the past several days.  I'm told that if the deal is finalized for five years, expect it to be "in the ballpark" of $26 million, including between $14-15 million in guaranteed money.  However, there is a chance the contract becomes a six-year deal when it is finalized.

Of the 29 first-rounders who've already inked their first pro contract, only two of them, top pick Matthew Stafford (QB, Detroit) and #4 overall selection Aaron Curry (LB, Seattle) did not sign five year deals.  Both players locked in for 6-years with their new clubs.

Bills 1st-round pick Aaron Maybin

Maybin has been unsigned and thus a no-show through the first 19 days of Bills training camp.  He's also missed the team's first two preseason games.

Maybin's holdout is due, in part, to the fact that the three players drafted ahead of him (#8 Eugene Monroe, Jacksonville; #9 B.J. Raji, Green Bay; #10 Michael Crabtree, San Francisco) had also been holdouts.  However, Monroe and Raji both signed on the dotted line this past weekend.  Crabtree, #6-overall pick Andre Smith (Cincinnati), and Maybin remain the only unsigned first rounders.  

According to the source, when #12-overall pick RB Knowshon Moreno signed his deal late last week with Denver, the Bills and Maybin's representatives were able to bridge some gaps and come closer together.

I'm told the Bills anticipated and planned on Maybin's contractual numbers being in this neighborhood early on because they also had the 11th-overall pick last year (CB Leodis McKelvin), and the 12th-overall pick in 2007 (RB Marshawn Lynch), but that Maybin's side wanted to wait a little while longer to see where the market settled for players selected around him.

McKelvin signed for 5 years, $19.4 million with $12.6 million guaranteed.
Lynch signed for 5 years, $18.9 million with $10.3 million guaranteed.  

Both players have a voidable 6th year in their deals.

The Bills are hoping Maybin can improve their 28th-ranked pass rush from last year.  The team totaled just 24 sacks throughout the regular season.

Maybin, out of Penn State, missed the Bills first preseason game due to the holdout, a 21-18 loss to Tennessee in the Hall of Fame game.  However, the team still has four preseason games remaining, including Saturday night when they host the Chicago Bears.

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