DENVER -- The Denver Broncos were making progress in signing draft picks Ashley Lelie and Clinton Portis but were having problems negotiating with free-agent kicker Jason Elam.

The Broncos and Elam's agent Jack Reale have had no discussions about a long-term contract extension since February, when the team designated Elam its franchise player with a $1.465 million contract tender offer.

The sides are prohibited from discussing a long-term extension until the one-year franchise tender is signed. Otherwise, the Broncos would risk a fine and loss of draft picks.

It was unclear whether Elam, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, would sign the franchise tender before players reported to training camp Thursday.

"I'd rather not talk about it until I speak further with the Broncos,'' Reale said Tuesday. "I'm cautiously optimistic that Jason's numbers do speak for themselves. The Broncos will have some perspective, and it'll probably all wind up getting done.''

If Elam signs the one-year tender and reports to training camp, he will have to hope the team will bargain in good faith. If he signs the tender and then walks out of camp if there is not sufficient progress in talks for a long-term deal, he would subject himself to a $5,000 per day fine. Or he can decide not to report to camp at all.

Elam was already irked after the Broncos slapped him with the franchise tag, restricting his ability to field offers on the open market.

The team has promised Elam they will not place the franchise tag on him again next offseason, but it would not promise not to fine him for missing days at training camp, as Elam had requested.

"I cannot assure that he won't be fined. I can't do that,'' Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist said. "Because if he signs the tender, he's subject to the same rules and regulations that all the veterans are. The thing that we can do is say that we will negotiate in good faith a long-term (contract) upon the signing of the franchise tender.''

Elam, currently in Hawaii, attended both of the Broncos' off-season mini-camps. The Broncos have no other placekickers on their roster.

The Broncos have offered Elam a seven-year package averaging $1.75 million, including $1.75 million up front. But that signing bonus was well below the $2 million or more secured by other NFL kickers, such as Miami's Olindo Mare, Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski and Green Bay's Ryan Longwell.