Examining the New Era of NFL Roster Building

Professional football's version of musical chairs is officially under way. NFL free agency began on Friday and also opened the door for the potential of a bevy of trades. Due to the large number of restricted free agents - a result of collective bargaining squabbles between the players union and the league - the offseason environment has never been as conducive for wheeling and dealing as it is right now.

Numerous restricted free agents and their respective teams are in a bit of an awkward situation. Until this year, many of these players anticipated becoming unrestricted free agents - which gives an athlete the ability to sign with any team he'd like without interference from his most current employer. However, with a labor agreement no where in sight, these players' futures are still controlled by their current franchises.

Here's a quick overview of restricted free agency for those who don't delve into the business side of the NFL:

* Until now, a player who had five years of experience under their belt was eligible for unrestricted free agency, but that has now been pushed back to six seasons. Therefore, four-year veterans who were selected by their current team in the 2005 draft - i.e. Shawne Merriman, Braylon Edwars and Cadillac Williams - are still property of that franchise.

* Teams have the option to extend one of four particular one-year tenders to a restricted free agent. The club then has the ability to either block the player from signing elsewhere by matching the offer, trade the player, or work on a long-term contract with the player.

* Depending on the one-year salary offered to a player, there is correlating compensation that the team would receive if its restricted free agent joined another franchise. The scale is broken down like this:

1) Signing a player holding a $2.562 million tender from their current club requires first-and third-round draft pick compensation, which is rewarded to the player's former team.

Example: Dallas wide receiver Miles Austin

2) Signing a player holding a $2.017 million tender requires a first-round pick as compensation.

Example: Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall

3) Signing a player holding a $1.417 million tender requires a second-round pick as compensation.

Example: New York Jets running back Leon Washington

4) Signing a player holding a $927,000 tender requires the player's original draft status. (A former fifth-round pick would cost his team its current fifth-round pick)

Example: Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano, a former second-round choice

Remember, teams can still work out deal and negotiate a player's trade value as they see fit. Expect to see a lot of this in the coming weeks. Not every restricted free agent will be welcomed back to their 2009 team with open arms because they may no longer fit in the long-term plans of their franchise, which may have been counting on them hitting the market after their fifth season.

Okay, enough about the technicalities of free agency - this is more business and math than I'd care to include in a sports column and frankly, it's giving me a headache.

Let's move on to the important stuff and take a look at which players have changed teams so far and how recent roster moves will affect the NFL landscape...