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The Dallas Cowboys on Thursday signed first round pick Dez Bryant to an $11.8 million five-year contract.
The wide receiver is to earn a base salary of $320,000 this year.
Bryant, the 24th pick of the draft, is expected to report on time for Cowboys training camp on Saturday in San Antonio.
"This was very important to me to be able to get this done in time for the first practice," Bryant said in a statement released by the team. "I want to help this team. I want to compete. I can't wait to start playing football again."
The Bryant deal is a relief for the Cowboys because there was speculation he would not make it into camp on time.
Bryant had a reputation for skipping out on meetings at Oklahoma and only played three games there last season. Gambling911.com readers might recall that the Miami Dolphins passed on Bryant after questioning the player about his mother being a prostitute.
But the Cowboys did their homework and wanted Bryant so badly that when they saw him slipping in the draft, they moved up three spots to No. 24 and nabbed him.
Whether he has an immediate impact on the team remains to be seen.
Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
