The strangest of free agent periods in NFL history is almost over. A few unsigned players remain, none of them stars — unless you believe Randy Moss won’t stay retired.

So what was the feeding frenzy like and what impact on the NFL will it have?

Consider that the lockout forced the league to conduct business backward in 2011. Usually, free agency is just about done by the time the draft occurs in late April. As soon as the three-day grab bag of college talent ends at Radio City Music Hall, teams scurry to sign undrafted players.

Then come minicamps and offseason workouts, all designed to get newcomers up to speed with incumbents, and to create team chemistry.

None of that happened as normally scheduled, of course, with the free agency dynamics the most affected.

“There was none of the typical courting of free agents,” said agent Eugene Parker, who with partner Roosevelt Barnes has represented dozens of NFL players and who had six veteran free agents this year. “Coaches were busy preparing training camps and couldn’t get involved much, which is very unusual.

“We were calling teams right away when we were allowed to, and some were calling me right away. We’d have lots of teams on the phone at once. I don’t think anyone got much sleep at that point.

“Everyone had done their homework and we were aware of who the teams were that might have interest. But players took visits only to take their physicals and sign. And then they couldn’t practice, just watch, until the (CBA) was completed. The players were getting antsy because they were waiting around a long time.”

Parker believes many free agents took short-term deals, even one-year contracts, figuring that in seven more months, they would be free again.

“It’s really just a five-month season if you don’t make the playoffs,” he said. “And then you are free again, with all the opportunities in free agency of a normal year.”

Parker noted that the new rookie wage scale was not the only way players’ salaries were being slotted. He believes every team had a half-dozen or more players ranked at positions of need. If a player was fifth on a team’s list, he wouldn’t be approached until most of the free agents ahead of him were gone or deemed too costly. He cited cornerback Johnathan Joseph, who signed with Houston once the Texans decided Nnamdi Asomugha, the top overall free agent, was more expensive than they could afford.