The Washington Redskins agreed to terms with No. 6 overall draft pick LaRon Landry early yesterday, and the safety from LSU was to arrive at training camp in the afternoon to end his three-day holdout.

Landry was expected to sign a five-year deal worth about $41.5 million, pending a final review of the contract by the Redskins.

Landry is projected as a starter at strong safety, joining a secondary that would consist of four players taken in the top 10 of the NFL draft. Cornerback Shawn Springs was the No. 3 overall selection in 1997, free safety Sean Taylor was taken at No. 5 in 2004, and cornerback Carlos Rogers went at No. 9 in 2005.

Landry is known as a hard-hitter who plays constantly at full throttle. He started 48 games over four years at LSU and was first-team All-America as a senior. His brother, Dawan, plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

GIANTS

CHANCES OF STRAHAN RETIRING ARE '50-50'

The chances that seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan will play for the New York Giants this season are a lot better than Osi Umenyiora moving from right end to left end to replace him.

After chatting a couple of times with Strahan over the past few days, Umenyiora said yesterday that his 35-year-old friend's holdout wasn't a joke and that he was seriously considering retirement after 14 NFL season.

"I know what he is telling me, and it's still 50-50 whether he is going to come back," Umenyiora said yesterday.

With the holdout now in its fourth day, the Giants yesterday informed Strahan through his agent, Tony Agnone, that he would be fined $14,288 for every day of camp he misses retroactive to Friday, the day the team reported to the University at Albany.

Agnone did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

The team confirmed that if Strahan does retire, the fines will not be assessed.

Umenyiora refused to discuss the reasons Strahan gave for contemplating retirement, but he advised him to return for another season.

The Giants might sign Simeon Rice, whose 121 career sacks rank second to Strahan (132 1/2) among active players.

Umenyiora was adamant he was not going to move to the left side so Rice could play the right end.

"I'm a right end," Umenyiora said. "I have been successful at right end. I don't feel the need to move to a different position, that's kind of crazy if you ask me."

RAMS

BROWN: SUSPENSION FROM MISSED DRUG TEST

St. Louis cornerback Fakhir Brown said yesterday he was suspended for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy because he accidentally missed a drug test and is appealing the penalty.

Brown, who started 14 games last season, was suspended earlier this month for the first four games of the season. He said a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has not been scheduled.

"I really don't know what's going to happen," Brown said. "Right now I'm just waiting to talk to the commissioner. You never know how things are going right now."

Brown was placed in the program after a positive drug test earlier in his career and thus is subject to random testing. He must contact the NFL whenever he leaves what he designates as his testing site, and said he was at his football camp in Mansfield, La., instead of his hometown in Shreveport, La., about 15 minutes away, when he missed a test earlier this month.

The NFL considers a missed test a failure.

COLTS

SAFETY, LINEBACKER ON UNABLE TO PERFORM LIST

Indianapolis placed former Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders and linebacker Keith O'Neil, a key special teams performer, on the physically unable to perform list.

Neither was expected to practice at the start of training camp after having offseason medical procedures. Sanders had shoulder surgery, while O'Neil underwent sports hernia surgery.

Also, Tarik Glenn, who announced his retirement last week with one year left on his contract, was placed on the reserve/retired list.

ELSEWHERE

49ers: Frank Gore, San Francisco's Pro Bowl running back, broke a bone in his right hand yesterday during the first padded practice of training camp and might not play in the preseason. Gore was injured during a non-contact ball-handling drill, and coach Mike Nolan said he would not practice with the team for the remainder of the week.

Seahawks: Seattle safety Jordan Babineaux will miss the next three to four weeks of training camp after injuring his right knee on the first day of practice. Babineaux got tangled with wide receiver Ben Obomanu while leaping for a pass in the morning practice Sunday and then banged his right knee while skidding across the wet grass.

Bengals: Tight end Sean Mulcahy hurt his neck during Cincinnati's practice yesterday and was taken off the field in an ambulance as a precaution. A team spokesman said Mulcahy had full movement in his arms and legs and was joking with medical personnel at the Kentucky Trauma Center in nearby Lexington.

Lions: Detroit rookie quarterback Drew Stanton will have arthroscopic surgery to clean cartilage from his right knee, and could be out as long as a month. Stanton, a second-round draft pick out of Michigan State, tweaked the knee during training camp workouts Sunday and has not taken part in drills since.

Patriots: New England defensive back Chad Scott will miss the upcoming season because of a knee injury, the team announced. Scott, 32, was placed on the reserve/injured list. Last season, Scott played in 14 regular-season games with nine starts. He made 44 tackles and had two interceptions.