NFL Lockout Impact: How No Free Agency Can Change Teams' Draft Selection Process

Tomorrow, which is March 4th for those without a calendar, is a big day in the National Football League. Unfortunately, it is not for the reason that we had hoped.

Yes, there are talks that the current collective bargaining could be extended, therefore giving the owners and players a chance to continue their talks. There is still hope that a lockout can be avoided.

But that is not why tomorrow was supposed to be a big day in the league.

March 4th was to be the start of the free agency period. If you recall last season's start of free agency, players and teams were striking deals in a frenzied fashion.

You can forget about anything like that tomorrow. Who knows when that will take place, if at all, before a potential 2011 season.

Regardless of whether a new CBA is reached by the end of April or not, the NFL Draft will still take place as scheduled. Although, no player will be able to negotiate with the team who selected them.

The NFL Draft is always an important building tool for all 32 teams. This year's could be bigger than normal.

You may be asking why that is the case. Is it because there are so many more awful teams who need more help than usual?

Not necessarily. Although fans in Carolina and Denver may want a minute or two for rebuttal.

Is it because there is so much deeper talent in this year's draft class than there has been in recent history?

Not really. Sure, there are quite a few names out there labeled as "can't miss" prospects.

Spoiler alert: There is no such thing as a prospect who simply cannot miss. They do not exist.

The 2011 NFL Draft is more important than ever because it may be the only chance for teams to improve their franchise entering next season, whenever that starts.

If it does not turn out to be the only chance, it may be the initial opportunity.

Even if a new agreement is reached, the free agent signing period may still not begin before the draft takes place. That means that teams will have to make sure that they fill certain holes through the draft, since they will not know what a salary cap and free agent start period will mean for their team and the league.

Take some of the top free agents available (eventually), for example. Now, I am not going to include the players who have been franchised, even though those tags may be a moot point with a new agreement.

I am also not going to talk about players who are definitely expected to remain with their current team. But even without discussing them, there are quite a few marquee players out there who could make an immediate impact with a team next season.

The first name that comes to mind is current Carolina Panthers running back, DeAngelo Williams.

He will be one of the most desirable free agents on the open market. Williams will have countless suitors, and could still be retained by the Panthers, although with Jonathan Stewart in the mix, it seems unlikely.

Take a look at the Miami Dolphins. Both Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are free agents, and were not all that impressive last season in South Beach. DeAngelo Williams could be a decent fit with the Dolphins.

But if the free agency period does not begin before the draft, teams who need a running back, such as the Dolphins, may be more inclined to draft one since they do not know if they will be able to sign the one they want. Something like that may cause them to draft someone such as Mark Ingram from Alabama instead of hoping they can sign a big free agent.

What about wide receiver Sidney Rice, of the Minnesota Vikings? He will be free to negotiate with any team once free agency begins.

But if it starts after the draft, teams may not want to risk coming up empty and draft a wide receiver earlier than they would like otherwise.

The Washington Redskins love to throw around money. Daniel Snyder has made a living at it, even though things rarely seem to work out for him. With the number 10 selection, they could be forced to take a gamble on someone such as Julio Jones from Alabama if they are unsure as to whether or not they could sign someone such as Rice, or James Jones or Malcolm Floyd.

The bottom line is that there are plenty of free agents who will be very attractive to numerous teams. But if they are not allowed to offer any of them a contract, will they be forced to draft a player who they may not fancy as much as another, simply on need or fear?

Chalk this up as one more factor that will hurt many teams if a lockout does indeed take place.