Earlier this week, Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins seemed to be willing to consider re-signing with the Patriots.
Now? Not.
Elaborating on comments that left the door open to stay in New England, Mankins has strongly hinted that it’s not. Well, almost not.
“I would never say the door is totally shut,’’ Mankins told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “But the way it’s looking right now, I don’t see it happening. I don’t see them trying to keep me, unless it’s with the franchise tag.’’
And what if the Patriots use the franchise tag?
“I wouldn’t be happy about that, if that’s what they chose to do, to be dealt that kind of hand,’’ Mankins said. “But we’ll see what happens.’’
On Thursday, the league said it expects the franchise tag to be available for 2011, despite language in the labor agreement that would support an argument against viability of the tag upon expiration of the agreement.