Quarles Takes Paycut, Agent Denies It

St. Pete Times: Bucs' Quarles Takes One For The Team
Tampa Tribune: Quarles Helps Bucs Gain Cap Space

The St. Pete Times article makes it pretty clear that Shelton took a $1.5 million paycut to clear some much needed cap space, and Shelton is even quoted as saying:

"It was definitely a tough decision, but I'm a team guy and when you're a team guy, you think differently," Quarles said. "I had opportunities to go to other teams (in the past) and make more money, but I chose to stay here and be with the team that gave me that chance ... It's a big pay cut, but I guess I'm a team guy to a fault."

But then the Tampa Tribune article takes a completely different take on the deal:

``I didn't take a pay cut,'' Quarles told News Channel 8's JP Peterson. ``I just restructured my contract.'' The agreement ``does not reduce Shelton's [actual total payout for 2005 of $2.5 million] in any way,'' Steiner said. It only reduces the salary cap number from $3.575 million to approximately $2.5 million, the agent said.

Looks like a little backtracking and coaching from Shelton's agent to try to make this look a little nicer. But what's the bottom line