The main order of business left for the Cards prior to training camp will be signing their top two draft choices. Second-rounder Cody Brown shouldn't be an issue; while the Cards' second-rounders of late have often not signed until right before reporting day (Calais Campbell was done two days before and so was Alan Branch the year before that, although Deuce Lutui was done 20 days early because he had diapers to buy at the time) they have always been done.

Getting the first-rounder done isn't the same story, although you'd think out of any year, having a first-round pick 31st overall – almost into the second round, for goodness sake – would help the process. We'll see. As of right now, only four players drafted in the top two rounds (64 rookies) have signed: Matt Stafford (No. 1 overall) and Mark Sanchez (No. 5) in the first round and Darius Butler (No. 41) and LeSean McCoy (No. 53) in the second round. So much of signing rookies, especially as you climb higher in the rounds, is about what the guy in front and behind you got. For the Cards, Brown is surrounded by Denver tight end Richard Quinn from behind and Tennessee defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks. In Beanie's case, the pick before him is Tennessee wideout Kenny Britt and behind him is Pittsburgh defensive tackle Evander Hood. Names to keep in mind as you track the probability of a sign.

Then again, when it comes to first-rounders, I have said it many times after watching such things play out – unless a guy misses significant time in camp (think Wendell Bryant in 2002 or even Matt Leinart in 2006) I don't think not being there from the first day means much. The handful of practices missed by DRC last year, or Levi Brown, or even Antrel Rolle I don't think hampered them much at all heading into the season.

But it would be nice to have the full roster under contract by July 29.