Flashy free-agent pickups tend to dominate headlines at the start of the league year. That will almost certainly be the case again March 15 when free agency begins, but the work clubs must do to position themselves to make those signings has already begun.
Contract restructures are a key tool in any front office's arsenal, allowing teams to lower a player's cap hit by converting base salary into bonuses that are spread out across the remaining years on a deal. These moves can free eye-popping amounts of cap room quickly, allowing teams that are paying big bucks to their stars to acquire even more talent.