Mankins wanted a long term contract extension, the Patriots were not willing to give him one before the lockout, and Mankins was just beginning a long holdout that would last well into the 2010 NFL season.
There were
But then Mankins showed up for camp on time and told the media he was open to signing a long term extension with the Patriots.
He then backtracked on the whole lying thing. Or, more specifically, he said he never called Robert Kraft a liar. Kraft, meanwhile, told the world that he expected Mankins to be a Patriot for life.
So, it seemed, it was just a matter of time before the Patriots and Mankins would work out a long term deal.
On Wednesday, they worked out that deal.
According to ESPN, the Patriots and Logan Mankins have agreed to a six-year contract extension. Terms of the agreement are not known at this time, but odds are it will make him one of the highest paid guards in the NFL.
And Mankins, who is universally regarded as one of the best and most underpaid guards in the NFL, definitely deserves the pay raise.
Mankins was due to receive $10.1 million in 2011 while playing on the one-year franchise tender. The extension will likely lower Mankins’ 2011 cap hit to a more palatable number while giving him significantly more than $10.1 million in guaranteed money.
The added cap space for the Patriots and long-term security for Mankins makes the extension, regardless of the terms, a win-win.
Between the Mankins extension and the Chad Ochocinco/Albert Haynesworth restructuring, the Patriots now have some cap space to play with.
Maybe they can use some of that cap space to extend Wes Welker…
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