Quarterback Jimmy Clausen, the team’s top pick (second round, 48th overall), is the last of their 10 draft picks without a signed contract. His will be the most complicated of the lot, and remains stalled like most top picks.

By Thursday afternoon, only one first-rounder and two seconds had signed league-wide, and the expectation is that Clausen’s deal will take the Panthers all the way into next week.

The Panthers report to Wofford College in Spartanburg, Wednesday and begin practice the following day.

Clausen’s agent, Gary Wichard, said Thursday that he’s exchanged proposals with the Panthers, but didn’t want to comment on the particulars or speculate on when a deal might get done. Likewise, Panthers general manager Marty Hurney won’t comment on negotiations.

Other than linebacker Jon Beason, who missed the first eight days of training camp in 2007, the Panthers have been generally successful getting everyone on the field in time. That doesn’t mean there’s no drama, as they traditionally have to burn midnight oil to finish some.

In 2008, running back Jonathan Stewart was actually turned away from the players dorm when some last-minute issues delayed his deal, forcing him to stay in a nearby Motel 6. Others, such as tackles Jeff Otah and Jordan Gross, were reporting-day deals as well.

Getting into camp on time will be crucial for Clausen if he wants to push for a starting job, as any delay could kill his chances to surpass Matt Moore in the short term. Of course, the moment he signs a four-year deal, he’ll have three more years of security than Moore (whose contract expires this year).

But a number of issues complicate Clausen’s negotiation, not the least of which is the league’s labor uncertainty. A number of agents have said recently that the league’s impasse with the players’ union toward a new collective bargaining agreement was a factor in the slow pace of rookie signings. The CBA expires after this season, setting the stage for a possible lockout next year.

This year will be played without a salary cap, and rather than create a free-agent rush this offseason, deals have been smaller and fewer than most expected.

When Clausen signs, his deal figures to have incentives – based on his potential as a future starter – which could make it more difficult to negotiate than some of the boilerplate deals late-round picks get.