Restructuring Deals: Self preservation or Team Player?

With the Giants that have recently and very unselfishly restructured deals to make cap space available for the resigning of thier teammates, one would wonder what motivates a player more to do this? I say that asking any player that has done this will give us the patent team player, good feeling answer that coaches and owners love to see in quotations on the sports page.
In this crazy uncertain era of waning salaries, tighter budgets, and family / self preservation it might be refreshing to hear a professional athlete succumbing to inherent human fears and fight rather flight that defines character.