Bengals sign Keith Rivers

The Bengals last night signed first-round draft pick Keith Rivers to a rookie contract, and shortly thereafter Rivers blogged about it in the Yard. Rivers started training camp today. A few months back, I met with Keith and his then teammate Thomas Williams, who is now a linebacker in Jacksonville. It was the day after Pro Day at USC, and I told 'em both that I was looking forward to watching them play at the next level, unless one of 'em goes to an AFC North rival. Well, here we are.

I think Keith has all of the tools to be successful in the NFL, but that's really no surprise. He was the first linebacker off the board. Keep an eye on Thomas, though. A fifth-round draft pick, some suggested he wouldn't even make Jacksonville's squad; however, my opinion is that Thomas will have a long career in the NFL. Trust me, the guy has what it takes. I've seen him workout, and I've also had glimpses into the guy's mentality. He may never make the Pro Bowl, but I don't suspect he'll be without work for quite some time. He works hard, takes care of himself, and is a sponge when it comes to studying the game. High-character guy also. Both of 'em.

Anyway, back to Keith: Some gave him a hard time for holding out, but so much goes on behind the scenes, and although I see the POV that there are teammates to consider, first and foremost these guys need to look out for themselves. Nothing is guaranteed beyond the signing bonus of that first contract, and you can't fault guys for doing what is best for them. Am I surprised that DE Derrick Harvey is not yet in camp? Yes. But I give him the benefit of the doubt.

It will be great to see Keith play against the Steelers. Hopefully he can wreak some havoc on Big Ben and Fast Willie Parker. He'll be a positive influence in a shaky locker room, and although I wish him all the best in 87.5% of his games, I hope he's a non-factor week one against Baltimore, and then again when Baltimore and Cincy meet for a rematch.

Congratulations, Keith.