Here we go again
I kinda wanna be more than friends
So take it easy on me
I'm afraid you're never satisfied.
Here we go again
We're sick like animals
We play pretend
You're just a cannibal
And I'm afraid I wont get out alive
No I won't sleep tonight
– Neon Trees, "Animal"
I don't know why, but that song just popped into my head this morning as I read reports of Logan Mankins' latest take on his impending free-agency. To sum things up, Mankins feels that the team has no intentions of signing him to a long-term deal and that he won't be playing for the Patriots next season unless they put the franchise tag on him.
Mankins' feelings on the tag: "I wouldn't be happy."
Before we all do our collective face palm, let's rewind a little bit. I fully believe that the Patriots are interested in signing Mankins to a long-term deal and that he is thier top free-agent priority once the new collective bargaining agreement is worked out. He's obviously closer to the situation than I am, but I highly doubt the Patriots have no intentions of locking him up. Whether or not the team intends to sign Mankins to the type of super-expensive long-term deal that he's looking for is another story.
Adding to the tension is Mankins' latest barb at Robert Kraft. Supposedly the team had an extension worked out towards the end of summer that broke down when Kraft wanted a public apology for Mankins' comments in the press during the contract dispute. Mankins had previously apologized to Kraft privately. Here is Logan's take on that situation:
"Well, everyone knows I apologized to Mr. Kraft. He told everyone."
Ouch.
I think at the end of the day Mankins will receive his next contract from the Patriots. If the two sides can't come eye to eye, then Bill Belichick will likely go cut-throat and slap him with the franchise tag. New England simply can't afford to let Mankins just walk away without compensation. In that case, they would either need to trade him for a draft pick, or at least use him for one more year as a stop-gap at the wide open guard position.
The whole situation continues to be ridiculous as I'm not even sure that there's any team out there who will pay Mankins the type of money that he's looking for. The comments in the press need to stop, and the two sides just need to sit down and come up with a fair, equitable agreement. The Patriots need Mankins, and Mankins has the opportunity to cash in on a generous long-term deal with a perrenial winner. It's time for the bearded one to stop saying "Oh oh, I want some more" and take a bite of reality.
