Patriots OL Marcus Cannon Restructures Deal to Create Cap Space

The New England Patriots are well-known for their smart, unselfish team play on the field. Underrated, though, is the team's ability to breed guys who are selfless team players in the negotiating room as well.

The most recent example of that is offensive tackle Marcus Cannon, who agreed on Wednesday to restructure his contract with the team to defer some of his cap hit into the future.

This fancy financial maneuvering may be the precursor to a big move for the Patriots, as they've been rumored to have interest in Redskins left tackle Trent Williams. Their tight cap restrictions mean the team needs to work some salary cap magic if they wish to deal for the Pro Bowl tackle, and re-working Cannon's contract would be one step toward realizing that.

Bill Belichick and his staff are absolute masterminds when it comes to the salary cap, roster-building, and just about everything it takes to create a Super Bowl-caliber football team year in and year out, so this restructure comes as no surprise.

As long as Belichick and company are in charge at Patriot Place, you can be sure that a winning culture based on sacrifice for the team's greater goals will remain in place in New England.