PITTSFORD — Buffalo Bills top draft pick Aaron Maybin set a training

camp record this summer, but it's not one the team can celebrate.

Maybin became the first Bills draft pick of the salary cap era — since 1993 — to miss the

entire camp due to a contract stalemate. Maybin, in fact, now is staging the longest holdout

for the Bills in 18 years, since Henry Jones held out until Aug. 28 in 1991.

Contract talks between Maybin and the Bills continued to show no signs of

progress Wednesday as the holdout of the defensive end from Penn State stretched to its 26th

day.

Both sides have declined to comment on the state of negotiations.

"Well, I coach the guys that are here," coach Dick Jauron said Wednesday

after the Bills broke camp at St. John Fisher College. "I can't do anything about him not

being here. We'd love to have him."

Only three of the 32 first-round picks remain unsigned. The others are No. 6 Andre Smith of

Cincinnati and No. 10 Michael Crabtree of San Francisco. Maybin was taken 11th overall.

It's not uncommon for the last two or three first-round picks to take this long to sign.

The final pick to sign last summer was Jacksonville defensive end Derrick Harvey, who held out

for 33 days, until Aug. 27.

In 2007, Oakland's JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick, held out until

Sept. 11. The lengthiest rookie holdout this decade was by Minnesota's Bryant McKinnie, who

did not sign until Nov. 1 in 2002.

Negotiations appear to be bogged down over the gap in the contract numbers for the players

signed just before and after Maybin.

No. 12 overall pick Knowshon Moreno of Denver signed for $23 million over five years and $13

million guaranteed. The ninth pick, Green Bay's B.J. Raji, signed for $28.5 million over five

years and $18 million guaranteed.

How much higher than $23 million and $13 million must the Bills go? There's no way Maybin or

his agent, Joel Segal, will settle for any less.

The Bills had not too much trouble signing No. 11 overall pick Leodis McKel

vin last year. But that signing came a day after the No. 10 pick, Jerod Mayo, signed with New

England.

Segal generally is known for waiting for the first-round pecking order to sort

out before signing picks. But the Bills also are known for that. Both of Segal's

first-round picks last year signed by the start of camp. Segal's other first-

round pick this year, Minnesota's Percy Harvin (No. 19), signed on Aug. 2.

Most of the Bills players are respectful of Maybin's need to get the best deal he can

negotiate.

"We texted each other after this past game," linebacker Paul Posluszny said.

"When he sees us playing, he's dying because he wants to be out there with us

and he wants to be competing. But he obviously has to handle the whole contract situation

first.

"I definitely feel for him because of the type of kid he is, the competitor he is,

he wants to be here in camp," Posluszny said. "He wants to be out here with

his teammates. Obviously the situation is going to take a little more time

than he would like. That's part of the deal. That's part of being the 11th overall pick."

The Bills drafted Maybin with an eye to improving a pass rush that ranked 26th in the NFL in

sacks last season.

It stands to reason a lengthy holdout will hurt Maybin's productivity as a rookie.

As a pass rusher, he might have a bit of an easier transition to the NFL in

some situations. Presuming he signs, the Bills probably will ask him early in

the season simply to pin his ears back and go after the quarterback in passing situations.

However, the Bills were hoping to use him on occasion as a rush linebacker,

like Baltimore uses Terrell Suggs. That may be more difficult now. Asked how

the holdout would affect the chances of using Maybin in a variety of ways, Jauron said:

"I don't know the answer to that. We only had him a brief time in the OTAs.

We'll just see what we can do when he gets here. We drafted him high for a reason and

hopefully they'll get that thing worked out soon."

Last year Harvey had decent production for a rookie despite his holdout. He

started nine games with Jacksonville and had 3.5 sacks.