New England Patriots: Logan Mankins Contract Standstill Worsens

All offseason long, the Patriots and Mankins have been at a heavily-publicized stand-still in contract negotiations.

Just when it looked like the New England Patriots and Logan Mankins were on their way to reaching an agreement on a new contract for the Pro Bowl guard, it appears Mankins may now be on his way out of New England.

It appeared as though the two sides might work something out two weeks ago, when the two sides met for the first time in awhile. The Patriots wanted Mankins to apologize to Robert Kraft, which wasn't a problem, but according to ESPN, the talks were driven further into the abyss when Mankins was forced to apologize publicly.

Now what?

It appears as though the Patriots and Mankins are back to square one, which had Mankins requesting a trade out of the disrespect shown for him by the organization.

There are two problems with that solution. The first is that the Patriots will have to find a team willing to give them appropriate compensation, while also willing to pay Mankins what he feels he deserves.

The second problem is that now, with the heavily-publicized stand-still reaching a breaking point, Mankins' value may not be as high as what the Patriots would like to get for him.

The Patriots put a premium on value, and with the value at an all-time low for the disgruntled guard, there's no telling when, or if, the Patriots will finally trade him.

Ultimately, one has to question whether a guard, even one of Mankins' level of talent, is worth the aggravation, especially when considering the potential locker-room backlash of the distractions.

The Patriots have prepared all offseason without Mankins, and they'll move forward with the players that are suited up and ready to go. Hopefully, the absence of their Pro Bowl guard won't prove detrimental, but guard tends to be one of those positions that you don't necessarily need a top-tier guy to get by.

Above all, the Patriots will do what they always do, and what Wes Welker said they would do in training camp, by taking things "one game at a time."