"The Jets had lofty goals in free agency: bring back Santonio Holmes, sign an elite cornerback opposite Darrelle Revis and get a No. 2 receiver, preferably one with good size.

As they attacked their list, they needed some help from the players already on their roster to make the finances work with the return of the salary cap. Among them, running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a future Hall of Famer, agreed to take a pay cut.

"The thinking was, I really like this team, and I felt like we had a great opportunity to win," Tomlinson said. "That was the No. 1 thing in my mind, to be somewhere where you have a chance to win a Super Bowl. I've said that all along, now I guess I have to prove the words that I had always said. I want the opportunity to win a championship."

ESPN reported that Tomlinson agreed to reduce his $2.625 million salary down to $1.1 million this year.

Per the post-lockout rules, players who rework their contracts are not permitted to practice until the start of the new league year on Thursday. At this morning's walk-through, linebackers Bart Scott and Calvin Pace also sat out. Neither has known injuries, so it's a good indication both reworked their contracts as well."