ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -If Joe Gibbs said it once, he said it a dozen times last season: ``I don't know where we'd be without our free agents.''

It was easy enough to see where the Washington Redskins were with their free agents: 5-11, in last place in the NFC East.

For most of this decade, the Redskins have pursued a high-risk offseason strategy that has yielded little reward: spend big in free agency while minimizing the importance of the draft. Owner Dan Snyder has championed the practice since buying the team in 1999, and coach Gibbs enthusiastically bought into the concept when he emerged from retirement in 2004.

The strategy has its pitfalls. Free agents are expensive and demand long-term contracts that limit a team's maneuverability under the salary cap. They also age in a hurry. The talented group the Redskins signed in 2004 is now mostly a thirty-something bridge, complete with the injuries expected from players whose bodies have passed their peak.

The plan can work if the new faces don't go soft with their new contracts and can form a quick chemistry with the returning players. The Redskins pulled together to win their last five regular-season games in 2005 to make the playoffs for the first time in six years, but that so far has been the exception to the rule, at least in Washington.

So, as they prepared for the NFL's annual spending spree, which began at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Gibbs and his staff decided they needed to do a better job on their homework.

``I think we'll be limited in what we do,'' Gibbs said this week. ``But it will be well-researched.''

Well-researched? One would hope so. Last year's haul of offseason acquisitions was particularly disappointing. The Redskins traded for Brandon Lloyd and then seemed surprised when he turned out to be the same disruptive locker room presence that he'd been in San Francisco. They gave Adam Archuleta the richest contract for a safety in NFL history - then discovered his talents didn't jibe with the role he was asked to play on defense.

``With Arch, it hasn't gone well - up to this point,'' Gibbs said. ``And we think Brandon is going to be an impact player for us. He has to be. We've got to make sure that that works.''

Last year's experiences haven't sapped Gibbs of his fervor for free agency. He still prefers veterans over younger players - a good thing, too, because the Redskins have already traded three of their top four picks in this year's draft. He wishes the salary cap didn't place a restriction on the untold millions Snyder would spend if allowed.

``Everybody knows our cap situation,'' Gibbs said. ``Our game plan is take care of our team and then look at free agency and say, 'What can we do to help us at key spots?'''

One way to avoid another Achuleta or Lloyd surprise is to target players the coaching staff already knows. Among the names on Gibbs' shopping list this week were two Buffalo Bills, linebacker London Fletcher and cornerback Nate Clements, who both have played for Redskins defensive assistant Gregg Williams.

The extra bit of caution and the salary cap limitations mean the Redskins this year might not live up to their reputation as the NFL's champion of the offseason. The legacy is a tough one to sustain. From Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith to Laveranues Coles, Mark Brunell and Clinton Portis, Snyder has learned how to make a splash in the months from January to June, even if there's little payoff from September to December.

Yes, the Redskins have their share of unqualified successes, such as Marcus Washington and Randy Thomas, from their big-spending free agency ways. But, in the years the strategy doesn't work, it looks really bad.

``I think you always try and learn,'' Gibbs said. ``Last year's team, it seems like nothing went right for us.''

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