While Emmitt Smith began pondering his options, the Buffalo Bills got off to a quick start on the first day of free agency.

The Bills made two moves Friday, signing linebacker Jeff Posey to bolster their defense and acquiring tight end Mark Campbell in a trade with Cleveland. The Browns received a 2004 draft choice in return.

There were no real blockbuster deals Friday and certainly no surprises, although the St. Louis Rams traded running back Trung Canidate, a former first-round draft pick, to Washington.

Most teams were still working on priority lists, fitting in the numerous veterans released this week as teams got down to the $74.8 million salary cap.

“It sounds good to say you called someone at 12:01, but it doesn’t mean anything when you get down to talking money,” said New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi.

Accorsi made what he considered a priority move, re-signing offensive left tackle Luke Petitgout two hours before he could have become a free agent. Petitgout said he had no real desire to leave New York, although as a 26-year-old player in a key position, he would have attracted considerable attention on the open market.

For Smith, who passed Walter Payton last October to become the NFL’s career rushing leader, the search for a new team began after his release Thursday by Dallas. He played 13 seasons for the Cowboys and won three Super Bowl rings.

“Let’s just say there’s been some confirmed interest from teams,” Werner Scott, Smith’s business manager, said Friday. “I think he has a good feeling of the things he’d like to look at in terms of where his next place of employment will be.”

As a free agent, Smith probably will set two conditions for his next team, particularly since he’s coming off three straight 5-11 seasons in Dallas: He would like to go to a winner and he would like to play a lot. Even at 34, Smith says he believes he can gain 1,300 yards in a season for a good team.

Among the possibilities are the Super Bowl contestants: Tampa Bay and Oakland. But Smith would have to compete for playing time with the Bucs’ Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott, and the Raiders’ Charlie Garner.

In Posey, the Bills are getting a linebacker who had eight sacks last year with Houston, his fourth team in five NFL seasons. The Bills finished 8-8 last season, despite a defense that ranked 29th against the run and allowed the sixth-most points in the league.

Campbell will replace Jay Riemersma, who was released by Buffalo in a salary-cap move.

In addition to trading Canidate to the Redskins for guard David Loverne and a fourth-round pick, the Rams signed veteran center Dave Wohlabaugh, who was released earlier this week by Cleveland.

Canidate was the Rams’ first-round pick in 2000 but was demoted to third-string last season by coach Mike Martz.