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NFL Free Agency Preview 2010 [03-05-10 - 10:00pm EST]

With NFL free agency starting in a few short hours, it's time to look and see what major changes will happen. Or at least, that's what we'd normally be looking forward to. However, thanks to the labor dispute, there is no salary cap, and with that, fewer free agents.

There are still some big players to be had. Julius Peppers is the cream of the crop, but there are some other players that can make an impact. Kevin Mawae, though he is getting up there in age, can help a team like the Buffalo Bills, who have a young nucleus along the offensive line and could use some leadership. Thomas Jones has been one of the best running backs in the league, and even though he is past that 30 year-old wall that running backs supposedly have, he seems like he'll have at least one or two more productive years left in him for a team like the Chargers, who are looking for a stop-gap with the release of LaDanian Tomlinson.

The problem is the lack of young impact players. By the rules of the uncapped season, players with under five years of experience are restricted free agents (usually, it's players with three years expierience). Because of this, a player like Miles Austin who had a huge year for the Dallas Cowboys will miss out on a huge paycheck, because he has to sign the tender, and hope another team offers him a lucrative deal. However, he was placed under the highest tender, so any team seriously interested in him would be risking losing their first and third round picks.

Also missing out is a player like Jason Campbell, who is not going to fit into the Washington Redskins' future plans, but due to his experience, he, too, is restricted, and unless a team is willing to give up a first-rounder for him, he will be a lame duck next season.

So is there any good news in all this? Yes. Unlike the MLB, there are still restrictions to free agency. The final eight teams (Saints, Colts, Jets, Vikings, Ravens, Chargers, Cardinals, and Cowboys) can only sign as many players as they lose, and only at around the same amount of money. Unfortunately, a team like the Saints who would like to bolster their linebacking corps a bit can't really do that, as they will have to sign cheaper players and in limited quantities. These teams, however, can sign as many players as they want who were released before their contract expired, so if Drew Brees gets his wish for the Saints to bring Tomlinson over, it won't count against their limit.

The most important thing is teams who have made mistakes can now clean house. For instance, if the Oakland Raiders weren't run by monkeys, they would be able to get rid of JaMarcus Russell and not have to worry about a cap penalty. The New England Patriots can part ways with Adalius Thomas, and yes, the Philadelphia Eagles could trade Donovan McNabb (those rumors are always around).

Major players will still be major players, there will be some surprises, but it still doesn't feel right. An uncapped season isn't the worst thing that could happen, however. Here's to hoping there's a 2011 season.

Be sure to check out ESPN.com's free agent tracker to see where your favorite players wind up, and who your favorite team has picked up, no matter how small a player they may seem.