The Patriots applied the franchise tag to Logan Mankins before the work stoppage, but the Pro Bowl guard is still hoping that he’ll get a hail mary and somehow be free to choose his next team.
“I’ve heard there’s this thing in football called free agency,” Mankins joked at Matt Light’s charity Lockout breakfast, via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. “It’s been two years now [since my contract expired], and I haven’t seen it. Maybe one of these days I could actually experience that.”
There’s no reason to think it will be this year. Whether the NFL reverts to 2010 rules or comes up with new rules for free agency, the league figures to maintain the franchise tag. Mankins isn’t sure whether he would sign a long-term deal in New England, if he got the right offer.
“I’ve thought about that,” Mankins said. “I don’t know. I’m not going to put any answers out there on that right now. I’ll wait until there is a season in progress before I decide.”
Despite all the drama, we suspect Mankins may be in New England for a long time. And in the starting lineup.
“I don’t care who they draft. They could draft three guards, for all I care, they still have to beat me out,” Mankins said.