Brooks Reed's hustle is one reason why he was a second-round pick. Photo by Mark Evans, TucsonCitizen.com

Former Arizona Wildcat defensive end Brooks Reed has some financial security.

Reed, a Sabino High graduate and a second-round pick of the Houston Texas, signed a four-year contract Sunday worth $4.701 million — $2.779 of which is guaranteed. Reed, 24, earned All-Pac-10 honors last season, when he had 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Scouts liked his hustle, variety of pass-rush moves and his versatility, as he will move to strongside linebacker with the Texans.

Reed can still go back to end and contribute there in passing situations.

Ex-Cat Ricky Elmore, a sixth-round pick, has signed and is camp with the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. He, too, is being converted to linebacker.

D’Aundre Reed, the third of Arizona’s defensive ends to be drafted this year, signed the Minnesota as a seventh-round pick.

Ricky Elmore (57) is all smiles as he pushes Ethan Olson, from Coal City, Ill., on his tiny bike on the way to training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field on Saturday. Photo by Evan Siegle/Green Bay Press-Gazette

The Arizona Wildcats have picked up their second lineman from the Phoenix area in the past week, receiving a commitment Thursday from defensive tackle Dwight Melvin.

Several media outlets reported the news, including the Arizona Republic.

Melvin (6-1, 245) is from Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen, which is the same high school that produced incoming Arizona freshman defensive end Reggie Gilbert, who is expected to report with the other UA newcomers Tuesday.

Melvin, a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, also held scholarship offers from UCLA and Arizona State.

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Alex Zendejas will have to be show more consistency in fall camp. Photo by David Kadlubowski, The Arizona Republic

Here is the 10th part of our Arizona Wildcats football preview in collaboration with our Gannett partner, The Arizona Republic.

We write the words, and they have taken the cool photographs and put it all together in a slick presentation at azcentral.com.

Check back here and at azcentral.com every Friday as we roll out more of our preview every week, all the way into August.

This week: Special teams.

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Nick Foles is interviewed by KVOA Channel 4's George Savaricas at Pac-12 Media Day.

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles wore a black band on his left wrist at Pac-12 Media Day earlier this week. Coach Mike Stoops wore the same black band on his right wrist.

There are two messages on it: “No looking back” and “All in.” The university’s “A” logs separates the sayings.

This is the band the Wildcats will be wearing this season, the mottos they want to carry into the season as they try to erase the memories of a five-game losing streak to end last year.

“You can learn from the past, but no looking back, no regrets,” Foles said.

“And everybody has to be all in. So, bands go to the equipment guys, the video crew, the training staff … because football is a family. If we’re going to win all the games I want to win, we have to be all together.”

I asked Stoops if everyone is wearing the bands.

“They are if they’re all in,” he replied.

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Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced Wednesday afternoon the creation of a national Pac-12 television network and six regional networks, using four different cable operators.

The network will debut in August 2012.

Scott, in a news conference in Los Angeles, said that the regional networks “will cater to the unique tastes and interests of our fans in those markets” and that they will “super-serve our fans by tailoring to them what they care most about.”

The six regions break down along traditional lines — Washington, Oregon, northern California, southern California, Arizona and the league’s new “Mountain” region with the addition of Colorado and Utah.

Scott said the national network would televise at least 350 events, with at least another 500 on the regional networks. Every football and men’s basketball game that isn’t carried by one of the league’s other television partners will be shown on the national Pac-12 network.

This will also mean a significant increase in the coverage of women’s sports and Olympic sports.

Upon first glance, this looks like another win for the innovative Scott and the formerly stodgy Pac-10.

Here is the release from the Pac-12:

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Juron Criner has 21 career touchdown receptions, nine off the school record held by T Bell. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

LOS ANGELES — The official explanation for the summer absence of Arizona Wildcats star receiver Juron Criner appears to be this: “personal and family issues.”

Those are the words coach Mike Stoops used Tuesday, further clarifying that Criner has been spending time in Killeen, Texas, to be his ailing mother.

“His mom has been really sick,” Stoops said. “It really bothered him, so we just gave him time to go home and spend time with her.”

Whatever else there is to the story will be up to Criner to tell.

Maybe he will say at some point in fall camp. Maybe he won’t. Maybe it won’t matter. Maybe the only important thing is that it looks as if he will be catching, running and scoring in 2011 just as much as Arizona fans had hoped.

Criner returned to informal 7-on-7 workouts about a week ago, giving Arizona the centerpiece to what could be one of the best passing games in school history.

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LOS ANGELES — Arizona unveiled its new media guide at Pac-12 Media Day, and the preseason depth chart contains several tweaks from the spring version.

Perhaps most notable is the inclusion of David Lopez as the first-stringer at strong-side linebacker. Lopez, a junior college transfer from Cerritos College, was a June addition to the roster. He had originally committed to play at Portland State.

The strong-side position is often removed for a nickel-back in the Wildcats’ scheme, but Arizona needs helps as it has no experience at the position. Lopez (6-3, 230) is trying to take over for Jake Fischer, who suffered an ACL injury in the spring game. His return, if at all for this season, is uncertain.

Arizona also lost two backup linebackers to transfer in the spring, and other to academic problems.

“We lost four linebackers, so we kind of looked around and saw three or four guys we really liked,” coach Mike Stoops said. “We liked him, and brought him in, and he’s done a really good job this summer. He looks good. He’s a big kid. We hope we stole one there.”

Lopez made 107 tackles, including 10.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks, last season at Cerritos, earning JC Grid-Wire All-America honors. Previously, he attended Los Angeles Garfield High School.

Arizona is also expecting to take a long look in fall camp at a trio of freshmen at the position — Rob Hankins, Hank Hobson and Domonique Petties.

Here it is … enjoy.

(So far at Media Day in Los Angeles, Oregon coach Chip Kelly deferred questions about potential NCAA recruiting violations involving the “scouting services” of Willie Lyles … Cal coach Jeff Tedford, whose program also has used Lyles’ services, said he is “not concerned one bit” about the Bears’ business relationship with Lyles … Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is rocking a new beard. “When I get annoyed with it, I’ll shave it,” he said. … Oregon State coach Mike Riley says star WR James Rodgers, who tore his ACL against Arizona last season, is still rehabbing and has a “major” doctor’s appointment coming up. “You can’t count him out,” Riley said, “but I’m not going to force him in.”)

LOS ANGELES — The Arizona Wildcats football team has been selected fourth in the Pac-12 South in a media poll announced this morning at the league’s media day.

Not much of a surprise.

(I predicted Arizona to finish fourth in the Pac-12 South).

USC, with 24 of 42 first-place votes was picked to finish first in the South. Arizona did pick up one first-place vote. Here is the voting for the South, with first-place votes and total points in parentheses:

1. USC (24, 230 points)
2. Arizona State (13, 207 points)
3. Utah (4, 170)
4. Arizona (1, 140)
5. UCLA
6. Colorado

And the voting for the North:

1. Oregon (29, 239)
2. Stanford (13, 220)
3. Washington
4. Oregon State
5. California
6. Washington State

Oregon was picked as the overall champ, appearing as the choice on 28 ballots. Stanford received 11 votes as champion. ASU picked up three votes. USC is ineligible for the postseason.

Later today, Arizona coach Mike Stoops and senior quarterback Nick Foles will be put through waves of interviews for TV, radio, print and internet outlets, likely repeatedly answering questions about these three main topics.

1. The five-game losing streak to end last season.

2. The tough schedule to begin this season, including three likely preseason top-10 teams in September (Oklahoma State, Oregon, Stanford).

3. Juron Criner’s status.

Arizona's Nic Grigsby makes a move against Cal last season. Photo by Chris Morrison, US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona running back Nic Grigsby was set to sign as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins, according to various reports Monday night.

Grigsby, who was not drafted in April, couldn’t talk to teams until the NFL lockout ended — which happened Monday — and now he will have to try to make up for lost time.

He should be one of the more intriguing signings among the undrafted free agents because, after battling injuries in his final two seasons at Arizona, he wowed NFL scouts at the Wildcats’ Pro Day in March. He posted a vertical jump of 45 inches and ran a sub 4.4-second 40-yard dash.

After a big sophomore season, Grigsby was on pace to become the school’s career leading rusher, but the nagging injuries left him well short. He still finished with 2,957 career yards and 28 rushing touchdowns.

Grigsby recently talked to KOLD Channel 13 about the lockout, his offseason workouts and his injuries (you can see the interview on KOLD.com.)