Pro Bowl offensive lineman Logan Mankins will become a free agent, whenever free agency commences. He said in Hawaii that he won’t necessarily be leaving New England.
“There are 32 teams in play,” Mankins told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “Whatever one I feel is the best situation for me.”
And the Patriots could be the one.
“There’s always a possibility,” Mankins said. “But to tell you the truth, I haven’t given it much thought right now. If there was a CBA, I’m sure I’d be thinking about it a lot more.’’
One potential impediment arises from any potentially lingering animosity arising from Mankins’ holdout, which lingered into the 2010 regular season. Mankins said some things about Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and a long-term deal between player and team reportedly was prevented when Mankins refused to make public a private apology to the man who signs the checks.
“Well, everyone knows I apologized to Mr. Kraft,” Mankins said. “He told everyone.”
Hey, at least there are 31 other teams in play.