Where have all the good times gone?

Nnmadi Asomugha. Jordon Gross. Julius Peppers. Dunta Robinson. Matt Cassel.

These players were set to be the cream of free agency’s class of 2009. But they have all been re-signed or had the franchise tag slapped on them the past two weeks, weakening an already weak free agent field.

Since free agency started in 1993, this time of year has always been fun (unless your team was about to be gutted because it couldn't afford to keep its top free agents). The fun is in the rock star treatment the free agents get visiting potential suitors, the speculation over what free agents might be coming to town next, then the thrill fans get when their team signs a top-flight player and excitement and expectations soar.

But as the salary cap has grown and most team’s have gotten more capable managing the cap, clubs have the cash to sign their top young players to extensions before they ever hit free agency. As websites like the National Football Post have recently detailed the potential free agents at each position, what’s been striking is that just about everywhere, there’s only one, maybe two, very good players on the list at each position. Four of five years ago that number would have been much, much higher.

So 2009 is the year we lost that great diversion that is free agency. I’m sad about it. I'm going through football withdrawal right now and I need the Vikings to bring some excitement to my life. And I can’t wait until the college draft in April to get it.

But I’m not going to get it. Free agency 2009 looks like it’s going to be deadly dull and depending on how the dispute between the NFL owners and players over the collective bargaining agreement turns out, it could be very dull for the foreseeable future.

Why not Vernon Carey?
Access Vikings Judd Zulgad had some interesting stuff today on his blog while talking to the Vikings director of player personnel, Rick Spielman. Zulgad thinks the Vikings might be very interested in Miami offensive tackle Vernon Carey, who would slide into the starting right tackle spot.

With so few good free agents available, if the Vikings could sign Carey and Jeff Garcia and keep all their draft picks, I’d consider that a successful offseason thus far.

But the coaching staff doesn’t seem to be very interested in Garcia and Carey’s going to draw a lot of interest from other teams. And those teams might have a bit more cash to throw around than the Vikings, so you never know.

Update on Carey
Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post thinks Vernon Carey will not hit the market and that Bill Parcells and the Dolphins are working hard right now to sign him to a deal.

Lombardi's pretty connected, so there's probably a lot to this. It is hard to believe the Dolphins would let Carey test the market after their offensive line improved so much in 2008 and Carey played a big role in that improvement. Oh well.