Clearly the absence of free agency has dampened the buzz around the NFL Draft. Most teams use free agency to address needs and the draft to create depth and find future starters by picking the best player available.

However without free agency it will be interesting to see how much need influences war room draft boards around the league.

Equally interesting will be how teams eventually treat free agents. If the lockout extends beyond the time normally set aside for voluntary and/or mandatory OTA’s and into training camp or beyond, there will be few free agent signings because players won’t have the requisite time to grow comfortable within the system of an acquiring team. This will cost veterans a lot of money and it could become a big influencer to DeMaurice Smith’s cooperative spirit.

The limited time will also impact the effectiveness of rookies in the 2011 season. The position of wide receiver, always a challenging leap for even the best collegiate players, will become even more challenging. The invaluable time in the classroom and on the practice field developing a rapport with the quarterback is lost – the pre-snap reads that require both QB and WR to be in synch will lack connectivity.

Even for a veteran, dialing in with your QB is a tall task without the proper prep time.