Spent all day Thursday in an educational conference at the Gaston Gazette, but apparently didn't miss much in the way of tracking the progress of the Carolina Panthers three unsigned draft picks.

   As of 6:55 p.m., Carolina's top three picks -- first rounder pick Jon Beason and second rounders Dwayne Jarrett and Ryan Kalil -- have not agreed to contracts. This is the most unsigned draft picks the team has had on the eve of training camp that I can remember in my 13 years covering the Panthers.

   So, the question beckons -- are holdouts looming?

   I believe when push comes to shove the Panthers will get these deals done - even if it takes until Friday night. Even if there is a holdout, I don't foresee it lasting very long. General manager Marty Hurney and his very competent right-hand man Rob Roberts are easy to work with and have a reputation for getting guys to camp on time. And it's not like the Panthers are dealing with a high first-round pick in Beason. He was the 25th player selected overall, so his deal should not be all that difficult to reach unless this agent is completely unrealistic.

   Stay tuned and check back later as something could break tonight...