New England Patriots Announce Restricted Free Agent Tenders

Approximately 20 minutes ago via their twitter account , the Patriots announced RFA tenders on G Logan Mankins, LB Pierre Woods, and K Stephen Gostkowski.

Logan Mankins receives the highest possible tender with a first and a third designation.

This means that other teams will have the opportunity to offer him a contract if they want to.  If the Patriots don't match the offered contract, that other team would have to give the Patriots a first and a third-round draft pick in this year's draft to compensate the loss.  

This wasn't surprising as Mankins is widely considered one of the best guards in the league.  I expect he'll remain in New England, and actually he's one of the guys I think is a Patriot for life. 

Then again, I felt that way about Vrabel, Vinatieri, and McGinest as well.

This tender also means Mankins will earn just north of $3 million this season. The only way the Patriots wouldn't have put a first and third on him would have been to save some money.  

If they'd have put an original round tender on him, that still would have been a first-round pick, without the third rounder.  

However, since his salary was higher than the original round pick compensation outlines, the Patriots would have had to pay him 110 percent of what they paid him last season, or about $1.4 million.

Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was given a second round tender.  

This means that he'll make $1.759 million next season. It also means that other teams have the opportunity to offer him a contract worth more than that, and then the Patriots have the right to top that offer.  

If they choose not to match that offer, then the team attempting to sign Gostkowski would be required to give the Patriots a second-round pick in this year's draft as compensation.  

This is interesting.

Gostkowski is a great kicker and another team just might be interested. That being said, a second rounder is a lot to give up for a kicker, on top of what would be a $2-2.5 million contract (annually).

Linebacker Pierre Woods was given the lowest possible tender, meaning that he is essentially a free agent scheduled to make $1.176 million next season.  

It also means, like the other two RFA's I've mentioned above, Woods can be pursued by other teams but the Patriots have the right to match any offer Woods receives.  

If they choose not to however, they won't be given any draft picks as compensation. Basically this is an original round designation, and since Woods went undrafted they would receive no picks in return for him leaving.