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Edgerrin James rushed for 3.4 yards per carry last season with the Cardinals.

Snyder, who has no real general manager, has run the Redskins like a fantasy franchise and has managed to divest himself of the likes of Champ Bailey in a trade for Clinton Portis and Antonio Pierce, while last season spending $30 million on Adam Archuleta, who didn’t fit the defense and wound up as a third-string safety playing only on special teams.

Snyder could be interested in Fletcher, who would fill the void at middle linebacker left when he let Pierce go to the Giants two years ago by declining to match a relatively moderate bid by New York.

Fletcher is a locker-room leader who played for St. Louis’ Super Bowl teams in 1999 and 2001 and for Gregg Williams, the Redskins’ assistant head coach for defense, who was the head coach in Buffalo. But he also is 32 and closer to a coaching career than to a Super Bowl.

One player Snyder might jump at is Strahan, although he’s not available at the moment.

At 35, he has two years left on his contract with the Giants at $4 million per season and wants to renegotiate — in part to pay for an expensive divorce. Would he be released? Maybe, because New York has three good young defensive ends: Osi Umenyiora, Matthias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck, and could use the cap money for help elsewhere.

Strahan fits the Snyder profile: a star from a division opponent. But while he has played well when healthy, he missed half the 2004 and 2006 seasons with injuries, a very common problem for aging players at that position.

The best way to approach free agency is to look at teams that win consistently.

New England, which won Super Bowls in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and almost got there last season, has rarely signed big-name free agents. It got Corey Dillon in a trade; Rodney Harrison after he was cut by San Diego late in training camp; and its biggest signing, Rosevelt Colvin, took two years to become a starter, in part because of injury.

Nor have the Patriots been afraid to let big-name players go, from Lawyer Milloy through Willie McGinest to Deion Branch, who brought them a first-round draft pick in a trade to Seattle last season. But recognizing their secondary problems, they protected cornerback Asante Samuel with the franchise tag this year.

Indianapolis allowed James to leave and has hemorrhaged defenders to ensure it can pay Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. The defectors include linebackers who have thrived elsewhere in Marcus Washington, Mike Peterson and David Thornton. The Colts might lose another in June, although June is likely to be less successful in a defense that doesn’t emphasize speed over size.

Don’t feel for Indianapolis or New England. Feel more, if you’re so inclined, for teams that think they can use free agency to jump from bottom to top.

They just don’t get it.

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