Not only did the New England Patriots show the NFL how to slow down the St. Louis Rams' high-speed offense earlier this month, they showed the rest of the league how to build a Super Bowl team quickly, easily and -- most important -- cheaply.

Prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, Antowain Smith, Marc Edwards, David Patten, Mike Compton, Marc Edwards, Roman Phifer, Mike Vrabel, Bryan Cox, Terrell Buckley, Terrance Shaw and Larry Izzo were barely recognizable names to even die-hard fans, but all 11 played vital roles in the Patriots' surprising run to the NFL championship.

Now, those players are denounced by fortune-seeking free agents everywhere.

That's because the Patriots used free agency to rebuild their team as effectively as anyone has since the current free-agency rules came into existence in 1993. If you check that list of Patriots newcomers, you'll see there's not one marquee name, not one player who received mega-dollars to sign with New England.

With a combination of shrewd judgment and old-fashioned luck, the Patriots spent little in free agency and got a lot in return. They shopped the sale rack at Kmart and ended up looking like regulars at Neiman-Marcus. They took veterans that other teams couldn't -- or wouldn't -- re-sign and went from 5-11 to 11-5.

That is unfortunate timing for unrestricted free agents who are hoping to break the bank when this year's free-agency period opens March 1. NFL people are known copycats and, given the success of the Patriots, it is unlikely they'll throw around their money lavishly when they can do just as good or better by spending frugally.

That is particularly true in the wake of the Redskins' disaster two years ago, when owner Daniel Snyder paid top dollar for aging stars such as Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, Mark Carrier and Jeff George, only to end up with an 8-8 record in 2000 and some $20 million in dead salary-cap money in 2001.

The ripple effect of the last two seasons means teams will be reluctant to spend big in free agency. Not that such reticence will be a noticeable this offseason, when the free-agent class is the weakest on record.

Of course, that class could change dramatically in the months ahead. Sensing that no big payday is forthcoming, some unrestricted free agents could renegotiate contracts with their current teams before March 1 and take themselves off the market. A few others, including Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, will be given franchise tags that will bind them to their teams for at least another year.

On the other hand, more players will be added to the free-agent list after March 1, the first day teams must be in compliance with next year's salary cap. Finally, the June 1 cutdown date could add a bunch of names to the pool (for a sneak preview, check out the list of name players offered in the expansion draft).

Some NFC teams -- the Cardinals, Bears, Cowboys, Eagles, Rams and Redskins among them -- have enough salary-cap room to become players in free agency if they choose. However, any team entering the market will place a premium on finding the right free agents at the right price to fill its needs. Teams will be doing some serious comparison shopping.

Keeping in mind that restricted free agents change teams about as often as franchise quarterbacks, here is a buyer's guide to unrestricted free agency in the NFC.

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