New England Patriots Likely to Tag Logan Mankins

The New England Patriots will likely place their franchise tag on free agent left guard Logan Mankins Thursday, Feb. 10.  

Mankins, who held out most of the season, was named to the NFL Pro Bowl and was part of a solid offensive line this season in New England.

Earlier last week, prior to the Super Bowl, Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed his feelings on Mankins and potentially tagging the free agent: 

“Logan Mankins is one of the best players on the team,” Kraft mentioned. “I think there has been a little misunderstanding about some things that have been written. I just personally want to say, I hope he’s with us for a long term and we’re going to try to do whatever we have to do to make sure that happens."

If New England does place the tag on Mankins, then expect there to be much more negotiation between Mankins' agent and the Patriots front office to get a long-term deal done.

If all else fails, then New England will likely trade Mankins away in a "sign-and-trade" deal. 

However, I can see Mankins being locked up long-term once the lingering CBA concerns are resolved, much like what happened last year with Vince Wilfork. 

NOTE: This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net.

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