Old reliables are salary-cap casualties

The handshake between Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith wasn't even three hours old before the cold, harsh reality of life in the NFL began to set in.

As about 1,900 players around the league -- and millions of fans around the country -- celebrated the end of a 4 1/2-month lockout, many of those players were greeted unceremoniously by their teams.

They were told to get lost.

The first trickle of news came from Baltimore, where the Ravens' Todd Heap, Willis McGahee, Derrick Mason and Kelly Gregg were told they would be released at 4 p.m. Thursday.

By Tuesday afternoon, that trickle turned into a torrent, as dozens more established players were told their services no longer were wanted. Two prominent Giants, guard/center Rich Seubert and center Shaun O'Hara, got the grim news. So did Cowboys receiver Roy Williams and running back Marion Barber. And Packers linebacker Nick Barnett. And Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain. And Vikings defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy.

The list undoubtedly will continue to grow, as teams deal with the return of the salary cap for the first time since the 2009 season. Players with bloated salaries or injuries -- or in the case of Seubert and O'Hara, both -- now are confronted with the often unwelcome financial reality of pro football. The dizzying transaction list over the next five days, during which the NFL will try to play catch-up for nearly five months of inactivity, will only highlight the business side of the sport.

Consider Banta-Cain: He suffered an abdominal injury last season, then rehabbed it during the offseason after doctors determined no surgery was required. ESPNBoston.com reported that Banta-Cain was reinjured in a recent workout and had to have surgery that would keep him out up to five weeks.

How about Seubert and O'Hara? They were part of an offensive line that once was one of the most durable units in the game. O'Hara was rehabbing from foot injuries and appeared ready to return, and Seubert suffered a serious knee injury in the regular-season finale last season. He, too, had hoped to come back this season.

The unit of Seubert, O'Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl once had a streak of 38 starts, which included the Giants' 2007 Super Bowl season. But unless Seubert and/or O'Hara come back at a reduced salary, the Giants' offensive line will have a major makeover.

General manager Jerry Reese didn't comment Tuesday about the pending releases, but he surely has thought things through for an extended period. There wasn't much else to do for GMs and other team executives during the lockout besides think about what was coming if and when the league resumed operations.

Reese did offer a cryptic comment Friday in Atlanta, where he and other GMs were briefed on the finer points of the new labor agreement and how it would affect personnel decisions.

When asked if he was frustrated by the inability to work on his roster, Reese said: "It's not frustrating. This is what the league is. It's about making adjustments. Sometimes you have to make adjustments on the fly . . . It's what we do, make adjustments, make tough decisions and move on."

There are no tougher decisions for any GM than telling players it's time to move on. Especially players who have shown the kind of heart and effort Seubert and O'Hara have.

Yes, football is back. And all the painful reality that goes with it.