It's still unclear whether or not Logan Mankins will be in New England in 2011. But after that? Well, John Hannah has a better chance of being the Patriots' starting left guard in 2012 than the disgruntled Mankins.
Frank Bauer, Mankins' agent, told The Boston Globe a deal "cannot be worked out. We disagree." Bauer said he has met with Pats owner Robert Kraft, but the negotiations haven't amounted to anything.
The Patriots placed the franchise tag on Mankins, but Bauer told CSNNE.com that they "don't know yet" if Mankins will sign the tender, which is expected to be worth about $10.1 million. If the franchise tag disappears under the new collective-bargaining agreement, Mankins will be an unrestricted free agent who can open up a bidding war with 31 other teams, and that should yield at least double that amount in guaranteed money.
Bauer also told CSNNE, "right now, [Mankins' camp and the Patriots] aren't talking" and haven't spoken "in awhile."
Bauer told multiple outlets it's a "travesty" that the two sides have grown so far apart in their negotiations for a long-term deal. "Negotiations started low [in 2010], and they stayed low," Bauer said. "And it's been pretty bad ever since."
With every public comment from Mankins' camp — all of which have been extremely negative — the chances appear slimmer and slimmer that the two sides will reach a resolution. Mankins might not have a say in the matter over his immediate future with the Patriots, but he won't be retiring in New England. That's for sure.
