Although there seems to be some optimism about the direction of the NFL labor talks, I’m guessing it will be at least a few weeks before we see any start to free agency or organized team workouts.

With that in mind, I’m going to roll out a fun project to help pass the time. I’m going to take a look at which current NFC South players might be headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I’ll kick it off Thursday with a column on Drew Brees. I think the New Orleans quarterback is well on his way to becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but there still is some work to be done to make that a certainty.

After Brees, we’ll jump around the division and look at some other candidates. I think I’ll do a combination piece on Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber and New Orleans safety Darren Sharper, two guys who have put up numbers that at least land them in the argument for the Hall of Fame.

We’ll also take a look at Atlanta’s Tony Gonzalez, who just might be the best tight end ever. Then, we’ll stretch things a little bit and take a look at Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith and maybe even include Atlanta’s Roddy White. Smith and White are receivers who have put up some big numbers in recent years, but still need some big seasons to have a shot at the Hall of Fame.

With that in mind, take a look at our Call It poll to the right and tell us which current NFC South player is the strongest choice to make the Hall of Fame.