What Newest Seahawks Signing Means for Bengals’ Negotiations With 2nd-Round Pick Demetrius Knight Jr.

CINCINNATI – Forty-eight hours ago, 30 of the 32 rookie second-round picks still were unsigned, but there has been a lot of movement since then.

Cincinnati Bengals second-round pick, linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., isn’t among those who have signed in the last few days, but the way things are playing out, he should be close.

That’s because among the dozen or so recent signings is tight end Elijah Arroyo, whom the Seahawks selected with the No. 50 pick, one after the Bengals took Knight.

Per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Arroyo received $6.872 million of his $8.813 million contract in guaranteed money.

That’s 78 percent guaranteed, which sets a baseline for Knight.

The whole holdup for the second-round picks began when the first two picks in the second round – Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger and Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins – signed fully guaranteed contracts.

That left everyone else waiting to see which pick would be the first to agree to one that wasn’t fully guaranteed, and 49ers linebacker Alfred Collins was the one, with the No. 43 pick agreeing to have 88 percent of his deal guaranteed.

Both Knight and first-round pick Shemar Stewart remain unsigned for the Bengals, but the Stewart situation is far more contentious and likely to drag on longer.

Bengals rookies are scheduled to report to camp tomorrow, with the first practice scheduled for Wednesday.

It’s much more important for the Bengals to have Knight ready to go from the start.

Unlike Stewart, who never participated in the offseason program, Knight signed the injury waiver and took part in everything, with new defensive coordinator Al Golden inserting him in the starting lineup next to Logan Wilson.

We don’t know exactly how Golden plays to deploy Stewart because we haven’t seen it. But it’s clear the Bengals are going to be relying heavily on Knight, and any time he misses in camp would be significant.

And unless he signs by Wednesday, he will miss time.

Unlike the offseason, there is no waiver for training camp. Unsigned rookies are prohibited from practicing.

And the teams are prohibited from fining them.

Even though Knight is more important, the importance of getting both Knight and Stewart signed and on the field for the start of training camp can’t be overstated, especially with the Trey Hendrickson standoff continuing as the NFL sack leader looks for a new deal that goes well beyond his current contract in value and years.

But an argument can be made Knight should be higher even than Hendrickson in the pecking order because the veteran pass rusher can step in at any point and not feel way behind, even with a new scheme.

The Bengals need Knight to take every single rep they can give him.