Free agency is a handy tool when used by a craftsman.(Brief Article)

The best way to think of free agency is not as a system, but as a tool. When free agency began in 1993, personnel men did one thing: They spent money. General managers went nuts with their new tool. Holes were patched and fixtures were added, all with the ease of signing a check.

Since those spending sprees during the early days of free agency, high-priced busts have spoiled many quick-fix rebuilding plans. This has forced general managers to become better craftsmen with the tool of free agency. With an improved knowledge of the complexities of this tool, decision-makers have learned when to make an addition and when to make do with what they have.

The way I see it, every team falls into one of these four free-agent categories:

Bargain shoppers. In what could become known as the "Mueller Plan," the Saints have popularized a more fiscally sensible way of operating in the off-season. Last year, instead of signing top talent that either didn't fit the team's system or might have disrupted locker room chemistry, general manager Randy Mueller targeted cost-efficient, secondtier players--quarterback Jeff Blake, wide receiver Joe Horn and safety Darren Perry--to upgrade an already solid nucleus. The low-risk approach helped the Saints finish on top of the NFC West and win the first playoff game in franchise history.

The Eagles could be this year's version of last year's Saints. Philadelphia has added wide receiver James Thrash and defensive end Ndukwe Kalu, both coming from the Redskins. Subtle moves like these will pay off for coach Andy Reid next fall.

Desperate dealers. It's possible to win a game or two each season on luck and maybe a couple more games with superior coaching. But it is impossible to reach the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, without superior talent. Last year, the Chargers and Seahawks were seriously deficient in that area. Both teams realized it, which explains why these AFC West clubs with long losing traditions, are throwing around free-agent bucks like Monopoly money.

Bob Vila, television's ...