When NFL free agency kicks off March 5, the shelves will look a lot less stocked than in years past.

With it all but certain that 2010 will be an uncapped year, more than 200 players -- fourth- and fifth-year pros -- who would've been unrestricted free agents are now restricted.

The difference is significant since restricted free agents change teams a lot less frequently due to the fact their original team is entitled to compensation in the form of draft picks, sometimes first-round picks depending on the tender they receive.

For the Bills, the good news is that four of their key players who would've been unrestricted free agents are now restricted and very likely to return to the team: linebacker Keith Ellison, strong safety George Wilson and guard Richie Incognito, each a starter, and cornerback Ashton Youboty, a key backup.

The bad news for Buffalo is that some very good players on other teams that could help them fall under the same category and are now a lot less likely to join them.

They include Washington quarterback Jason Campbell, guards Logan Mankins of New England and Marcus McNeil of San Diego, nose tackle Barry Cofield of the New York Giants, sack-happy linebackers Elvis Dumervil of Denver and Shawne Merriman of the Chargers, and tight end Owen Daniels of Houston.

New Bills general manager Buddy Nix said he has prepared two plans -- one for a capped year and one for no cap -- and like a good coordinator will adjust to whatever he's presented with.

As a general rule, the former San Diego personnel guru has never believed in the quick-fix mentality of free agency, preferring that teams build through the draft.

"I don't want to downplay the importance of free agency but high-dollar free agents that are quick fixes usually don't work out," Nix said in a radio interview.

"To me, you bring in people to fill in spots, guys that can fill a need. I use San Diego because I draw from my experiences, but Chris Dielman, we needed a guard. Chris was a defensive player but he worked his way into the Pro Bowl. Those are the guys you want to find."

Indeed, what the rebuilding Bills don't need is a repeat of 2007 when they made a big splash on Day One of free agency with the multi-million dollar signings of offensive linemen Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery. Each lasted two seasons before being cut.

On offense, the Bills are in the market for linemen, particularly after the sudden retirement of tackle Brad Butler, and wide receivers if they elect to part ways with unrestricted free agents Terrell Owens and Josh Reed.

Defensively, they are evaluating their roster and determining what parts they need to switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme. One obvious hole is a space-eating nose tackle.

With assistant GM Doug Whaley, formerly of the Steelers, on board, the Bills were watching closely for what Pittsburgh decides to do with five-time Pro Bowler Casey Hampton. The franchise tag for nose tackles comes with a one-year salary of $7.003 million. The Steelers were attempting to sign Hampton to a long-term deal.

Vince Wilfork of New England and Aubrayo Franklin of San Francisco were deemed all but off limits with franchise tags.

One thing is for certain: Nix is under no pressure to impress owner Ralph Wilson with his free agency wizardry.

"You build a football team through the draft," Wilson said. "You can go out in free agency and sign a few that fit your team, but you can't just sign free agents and do it overnight. It's going to take time to turn things around but we're not far away. We have some good young players."

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