Terms of the deal were not released, but Falcons chief administrative officer Ray Anderson said Whitfield's new deal creates substantial room under the NFL salary cap for the 2002-05 seasons. Anderson, a former agent, represented Whitfield for the first nine years of the offensive tackle's career.
Anderson negotiated the six-year, $30 million contract Whitfield signed after the 2000 season. The deal Whitfield agreed to Thursday calls for a reduction in annual salary and lowers the prorated cap charge Atlanta faces on the eight million dollar signing bonus he received 18 months ago.
Whitfield said, ``You've got the young guys like Keith Brooking you want to keep around for a long time and keep that nucleus here. I know more than anybody, having been around here a long time, is that turnover kills you. You want to keep your core players because that's the heart and soul of your team.''
http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/191013