NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Baltimore Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed says he expects to miss the start of the regular season while he recovers from offseason hip surgery.

Reed told 105.7 The Fan he expects to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which requires a player to miss the first six games of the season.

He said Tuesday his rehab is a slow process. "I'm going to get out there when I feel good. I can't give you a date. I don't know."

The 31-year-old Reed missed four games last December because of a variety of injuries, including problems with his neck, hip and groin.

"I had to reconstruct my whole hip. It's not something where I can say, 'I'm going to be back.' I'm not coming back until I'm well and ready."

Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins front office and the teams top two draft picks, Jared Odrick and Koa Misi are in talks to come to an agreement on a contract.

Salguero goes on to say "the Dolphins have made contract offers to both, according to a source. The same source tells me the club is not waiting for the typical slotting method, waiting on a player ahead and behind to sign, to get their deals done, particularly with Odrick."

The Fins head into training camp on July 30th, and there are reportedly no obstacles that should keep the Fins from signing the remaining cogs in their draft class.

Odrick and Misi are the teams last remaining picks left unsigned, and are both expected to contribute heavily to the team this year.

Last season the AFC South produced the rep from the AFC for the Super Bowl, and heading into training camps the Colts again appear on a lot of lists to be the favorite to go back to the dance and this time to try to get the job done. Three other teams will try to reach the top of the AFC South, and here is the preview for the AFC South:

Indianapolis (11-5) – It was a bitter Super Bowl setback for Indy, but Peyton Manning is determined to run his team right back to the Super Bowl, and he is tough to bet against. Jim Caldwell did a great job in his first season, and did the right amount of button pushing to get his team to Miami. Reggie Wayne wants a new deal, which could be a distraction.

The defense is good, and a very underrated bunch. Look for this team to once again make a run though the AFC South, and for them to go well into January and maybe once again into February.

Houston (9-7) - The Texans are looking to get to the playoffs for the first time, and this year they will truely contend for a playoff birth. Matt Schaub is as good as they get in the NFL at QB, and they have the best wide out in the game in Andre Johnson. The run game is a big question mark, which is why they went out to get Ben Tate in the draft.

The start of the season for the Texans is key, as slow starts have killed this team in the past, and they are hoping 2010 will show them start fast and challenge the Colts in the division. Look for them to be the 2nd best team in the AFC, and by December they will be mentioned as a dangerous team as they make their first ever postseason trip.

Tennessee (7-9) – Last season this team got off to an awful start at 0-6, but then they made a move they should have made 2-3 weeks before they reached 0-6, giving the ball to Vince Young once and for all. Chris Johnson is a game-breaker, and getting him happy with a restructured deal was a smart move.

The defense is young, and will need to come together to make any noise in the conference. The secondary is better than the front four, but teams will try their best to run on the young D-line. Look for the Titans to have a tough season under Jeff Fisher.

Jacksonville (5-11) – How Jack Del Rio keeps his job is beyond me. He is on thin ice, and this teams non-playoff year with a fan base that clearly does not care is going to be the end for him as the top man in JVille. David Garrard had a tough season, and Maurice Jones-Drew is very good, but he will be keyed on all season.

The defense got Aaron Kampman, but his injury history is a key issue, and he could be wasted dollars if he does not play well and dominate on that D-Line. The rest of the team and their units are average to below average, and they don’t have the firepower to hang with the better teams in the conference.

Despite his agent stating he has no intention of holding out, it appears unlikely that Browns first-round pick Joe Haden will be at camp on time. Rookies are scheduled to report to camp on Friday, but the Browns don’t even have second-round pick Montario Hardesty or third-rounder Colt McCoy signed yet and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculates that Hardesty and McCoy could get their deals done before rookies report.

However, Haden’s inexperienced agent may slow the negotiating process. Further, his deal could depend on what type of contract the Oakland Raiders give first-round pick linebacker Rolando McClain who might be seeking a better deal than what Darrius Heyward-Bey received last year (five-year deal with $23.5 million guaranteed). As Florio points out, it would be foolish for Haden not to wait for McClain to first striking his deal before finalizing his own and with Haden failing to impress coaches in offseason workouts it might impedes his contract value.