Patriots offensive guard Logan Mankins is one of more than 200 players cursed with unlucky timing thanks to the CBA situation which makes him a restricted free agent as opposed to a unrestricted free agent. That means the Patriots can tender Mankins a one-year contract at the highest tender level (last year, it was $2.562 million) and force another team to surrender a first- and third-round draft choice in order to sign him which might be too steep of a price for teams to make a move. “It’s one of those things, I wish it didn’t happen,†Mankins said today. “We were never planning for this. It’s just kind of comes on you. I guess it is bad timing on a lot of the guys that would be free agents right now.†The Patriots could show appreciation for Mankins’s play and discuss a lengthy extension but given the control they can exert over Mankins, that seems unlikely so he is taking a wait-and-see stance to what his reaction will be. I’m not sure what I would do,†Mankins said. “We’re just taking it day by day right now. When something happens, that’s when we’re going to come up with a plan.†Source: Boston Globe
