THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS.(NFL free agency)(Industry Overview)

A shopping list for NFL G.M.s looking to stock their cupboards in free agency

NFL general managers and personnel men have had eight years to get a handle on free agency. They don't have it down to a science, but gone are the days when many true impact players such as Reggie White are left free to shop the market. They simply are kept off the market, sometimes at the 11th hour.

Such was the case this year, with the usual flurry of late signings, or the use of the restrictive franchise or transition tags. Nonetheless, there is some talent available for teams that do their homework and shop wisely, particularly at guard, linebacker and kicker. Those positions are about six-deep in terms of quality. Overall, the pool this year is tilted slightly toward defense. Most skill players don't make it to the open market, although Charlie Garner, Tiki Barber, Jerome Bettis and even Derrick Mason can help a lot of teams.

The arrow is pointing up for young veterans such as Marcellus Wiley, Jamie Sharper and Derrick Rodgers. Timing is everything in free agency, and these players have come free early in their careers from teams that might not be able to retain them.

Some positions are remarkably thin, such as offensive tackle, center, quarterback and receiver. And this year, the market has been swollen by more cap casualties than ever at the start of free agency. Most of those cuts are players well into the backside of their careers. More teams than ever seem to have cap problems. But rest assured, if a team sees a player it must have on this list, it will find a way to sign him when the free-agency season begins on Friday. So shop wisely, and shop well.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks