The top free agent prospect a center?

	Olin Kreutz, left, was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2001 season.

Yeah, in a year when the unrestricted pool is more shallow than a desert oasis, Olin Kreutz of the Chicago Bears just might be the best veteran available. Tough and durable, although occasionally beaten through the gap by some quicker tackles, the four-year veteran will be among the very few players who merit strong interest when the signing period commences Friday at 12:01 a.m.

More than ever before, past excesses will mean that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as teams attempt to fit one or two veterans into their systems. Fiscal responsibility is likely to be a factor, too, as owners point out to coaches and general managers that the New England Patriots won a Super Bowl with a bunch of bargain basement free agents.

Players are going to learn quickly that their expectations will be lowered. And personnel chiefs are going to have to dig deeper for viable additions, and exercise significantly more prudence than in past springs.

Assembling a list of the top 25 players available was even harder than in past years. Here is a look, though, at what ESPN.com views as the top unrestricted free agents, followed by the team they played for last season, the number of years they've been in the NFL and short comment. The list does not include "franchise" or "transition" players and counts only those veterans who were either pending free agents as of Wednesday morning or who had been released by then:

ESPN.com's Top 25
Player	Teams	Years	Comment
C Olin Kreutz	Chicago	4	Three-year starter who won't turn 25 until June, tough-minded and smart anchor who works hard, and has gotten better every year. Has played at a Pro Bowl level over the past two seasons.
LB Kevin Hardy	Jacksonville	6	Coming off knee injury that limited him to nine game in 2001, but still had 98 tackles and 5 ½ sacks. Has played both the strongside and weakside and could be real playmaker in right system.
DT La'Roi Glover	New Orleans	6	Sacks dropped from league-high 17 in 2000 to just eight last season and took too many downs off. Some team will reward him, though, but better have an inside mauler to complement his skills.
CB Duane Starks	Baltimore	4	There were times in 2001 when he looked lost and didn't do a good job of locating the ball. But he's young (27) and can run and, let's face it, every team in the league is looking for a corner.
DE Joe Johnson	New Orleans	8	Age is starting to be a legitimate concern, but the guy is a terrific two-way player. A model of consistency, he has averaged 60-plus tackles and nine sacks over the past five seasons and still has something left.
LB London Fletcher	St. Louis	4	High-energy defender who missed a ton of tackles in 2000 but really improved last season. Every-down player who stays on the field for passing snaps and is occasionally effective as inside blitzer.
FS Shaun Williams	N.Y. Giants	4	Had a miserable 2001 season and, truth be told, doesn't make as many big plays as you'd expect he would. But he's a physical specimen with range, can move up into the box and play the run well.
DE Leonard Little	St. Louis	4	Hasn't proved yet he is capable of anchoring versus the run, even after bulking up, so still might be just a situational defender. Hard to ignore the 14 ½ sacks he posted, though, in breakout '01 campaign.
C Jeremy Newberry	San Francisco	4	Versatile blocker who might be better at guard, some teams feel he can even move outside and play well at tackle, and has had some exposure there. Solid technician and a savvy young player.
DT Grady Jackson	Oakland	5	Sign him and you'd better employ a personal dietician, since his weight tends to balloon, particularly deep in the season. Plays tackle-to-tackle in terms of range, but can collapse people inside.
FS Lance Schulters	San Francisco	4	Can play both safety spots and is a tough hitter whose numbers aren't yet as good as they should be. Had six interceptions in 1999 but has three total in his other three seasons and needs to improve range.
DE Kenny Mixon	Miami	4	Ranking might be a bit high, since he's got just 6 ½ sacks in his four seasons, and doesn't really explode upfield. He'll have a good market, however, since teams are always looking for solid linemen.
OT Victor Riley	Kansas City	4	Stock is dramatically enhanced by fact three tackles were designated "franchise" players last week and another potential free agent re-signed. Might be able to play left side in some systems.
LB Earl Holmes	Pittsburgh	6	Personnel men around league are notably split on how good he is anymore and Steelers, hoping to get him back, are whispering that he slipped in '01. At least two teams, though, desperately want him.
OG Mike Wahle	Green Bay	4	Played at left guard for Packers and some teams feel his feet are marginally good enough to move to tackle. Not dominant in-line but has a big frame and his best football is still ahead of him.
CB Jeff Burris	Indianapolis	8	For years, might have been miscast as a corner, yet played a physical style that allowed him to survive. Tough and durable and there are some teams looking at him as a potential starter at safety.
RB Michael Pittman	Arizona	4	Well-documented problem with anger management will be a red flag most teams will need to check out. Only shaky offense, rushed for 1,565 yards, caught 115 passes over past two seasons.
DE Kennard Lang	Washington	5	Not quite as good as he thinks he is and better lower his expectations of a $10 million signing bonus, because that won't happen. Can play end or tackle and, let's face it, linemen are hard to find.
DT John Parella	San Diego	9	Consummate interior plugger who has never gotten the kind of respect he deserved. Now that he's a free agent, his age (32) will blunt the market somewhat, yet he should garner some decent action.
SS Tony Parrish	Chicago	4	Solid starter made expendable by emergence of Mike Green as viable replacement. Not a great athlete and limited range but averaged 82 tackles in four years and had eight interceptions.
LB James Farrior	N.Y. Jets	5	Former first-round pick never seemed to fit into system until 2001, when he led team in tackles, enjoyed a breakthrough year. The big money might not be there for him, but he'll create a market.
RB Garrison Hearst	San Francisco	9	Despite his remarkable comeback after two seasons of inactivity, he's still not the player he was in 1998. Some teams love his character and he probably has a couple 1,000-yard years left.
DT Lionel Dalton	Baltimore	4	One of the true "sleepers" in the unrestricted pool, he should have been starting ahead of Tony Siragusa last season. Good, live body, can play the run yet has enough quickness to squeeze through gaps.
LB Sam Cowart	Buffalo	4	Played just one game in 2001 and coming off Achilles surgery, yet asking for a $10.5 million signing bonus. If he regains his sanity, will have a market, since a few more teams are switching to 3-4 front.
WR Donald Hayes	Carolina	4	Physical receivers who has overcome injuries to blossom as a starter. Combined for 118 receptions and 1,523 in 2000-01, the kind of big wideout teams wants, will go downfield and block.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.