Bonus money delays contract for top pick

Ben Roethlisberger wants a larger signing incentive.
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- Ben Roethlisberger's agent negotiated in person Monday as he tried to speed up a deal for the Pittsburgh Steelers' first-round draft pick, whose holdout reached its fourth day.
Leigh Steinberg flew from California to Pittsburgh on Sunday night following a weekend of phone discussions with Steelers negotiator Omar Khan that did little to finalize a contract for Roethlisberger, the No. 11 overall pick.
Roethlisberger is the first quarterback drafted by the Steelers in the first round since Mark Malone in 1980. He is not expected to push Tommy Maddox for the starting job this season, but the Steelers do not want him missing significant time early in camp when the offense is being reviewed and expanded.
Bonus money
Part of the hang-up is how much bonus money Roethlisberger will get. The Steelers want to pay him slightly less than the $8 million Houston gave No. 10 pick Dunta Robinson, who was picked directly ahead of Roethlisberger. The quarterback's agents think he should be paid a premium because he is a quarterback, and are seeking a bonus in the $9 million range.
"We're making some progress," Steinberg said between meetings Monday with Khan and Steelers president Art Rooney II. "But we've still got more work to do."
Steinberg said he planned to remain in Pittsburgh today.
"I've always felt you can get more done in person," he said.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger is missing valuable camp time that cannot be made up after he signs.
"I think obviously the one thing you can never replace are these practices," Cowher said. "You come in now 15 days before the first [exhibition] game, and we're installing [the offense] with that in mind. That's why every one of these practices is important, especially for young players to feel comfortable and express their ability."
Market set
Last week, Steinberg suggested that any holdout would be brief, but he apparently didn't count on the Steelers' reluctance to give Roethlisberger a bigger bonus because he is a quarterback. The Steelers' position is that since the No. 10 and 12 draft choices have signed, the market for the No. 11 pick -- Roethlisberger -- has been established.
For now, the Steelers don't plan to bring in a fourth quarterback to take some of the practice load off Maddox, Charlie Batch and Brian St. Pierre.
"We're going to monitor that from day to day, but at some point we're going to have to look at that," Cowher said. "It's going to be looked at on a daily basis, to see where we are in the negotiations."
Meanwhile, backup defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy injured his right calf during the second of the team's two practices Monday and may be sidelined for several weeks.
"It could be significant, but we'll know more tomorrow," Cowher said. "The initial diagnosis could be two weeks because he popped it."