First round pick Alex Mack signs 5 year deal, others not close

The Browns talked deep into Thursday night to try to close a deal with No. 1 pick Alex Mack. An agreement with the center from the University of California is expected to be completed Friday.

Mack was scheduled to fly to Cleveland from California Friday morning. By the end of the day, he should sign his first contract with the Browns.

But the team fell far short of getting in all rookie draft picks by today's team-mandated reporting date.

Negotiations with second-round picks Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi and David Veikune are going nowhere, sources said.

Robiskie is said to be the furthest from agreeing to terms. There has been little dialogue between Browns chief negotiator Dawn Aponte and Joel Segal, Robiskie's agent, sources said.

A sticking point with some of the agents has been the Browns' rookie report date of today. It's the earliest in the NFL and was set, they believe, to force negotiations. Browns veterans are not scheduled to report until July 31, and that is being treated as the truer deadline to cut a deal. The first team practice is the next day.

Nevertheless, Mack expressed the desire to his representatives to be signed by the rookie report date.

"Alex just wanted to have that week to prepare himself for when the full squad of veterans gets in," said a source close to Mack. "He didn't want to start off his career three steps backward."

It appeared a week ago that Veikune would be signed by today, but negotiations have since cooled.

So, attendance at coach Eric Mangini's rookie camp will be limited to signed draft picks Kaluka Maiava, Don Carey, Coye Francies and James Davis, and nine undrafted free agents who survived Mangini's off-season program and stayed on the training camp roster.