Patriots: Two Prominent Pats Speak Up
Saturday, August 06, 2011
Two mini-columns from Patriots Training Camp for the price of one…
Logan Mankins’ good behavior
Logan Mankins’ return to the Patriots offensive line might be the best move no one has really talked about. Overshadowed by the arrivals of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth, Mankins signed his franchise tender and reported to work as soon as he could – which was after the CBA had been finalized between owners and players. He did get a hefty pay raise, from about $1.5 million to more than $10 million, but as one of the premier offensive lineman in the game today, he’s probably worth that much.
The bigger problem now may be whether or not the Patriots can (or even want to) sign him to a long term extension. The two sides have until September 20th to come to an agreement under the current rules, and apparently there are some discussions taking place. File that in the “upset” category, considering the rancor between the sides a year ago as Mankins reported half way through the season after holding out. But he said this week that he holds no ill will at all toward Robert Kraft, or the team, for last year’s contentious relationship.
“Let's get things straight. Me and Mr. Kraft never had a problem. I never said he lied,” Mankins told reporters Thursday. “When I said the organization, I never said he did. So let's get that straight right now. Me and Mr. Kraft never had a problem. We've talked last offseason, we've talked last season, we've talked this offseason, we've talked in training camp, so everything is good between me and him.”
While his comments could be considered an encouraging sign, Mankins also offered this bit of reasoning behind his signing this years’ deal. “I figured I'm getting paid a lot of money this year, I should put in a full year.” Fair enough. But what about an extension? “There's always a chance. I've talked to the coaches, ownership, everyone. We're all on the same page. We'll just see what happens.”
Tom Brady’s Lament
The quarterback isn’t happy.
Tom Brady told reporters after Friday’s practice that it’s obvious to him – the team is well off the pace they normally set during a training camp, most likely because of all the time missed during the spring and early summer. “It's been quite a bit different,” Brady said. “There's a lot of work to be done, in all honesty. We've missed a lot of practices this spring, we missed a lot of practices this summer. The time we have on the field is so valuable. We can't afford to make mistakes and get behind because we're already behind. There's a lot of ground to make up.”
The only real positive here, is that every other team in the NFL is likely in a similar situation. "The learning curve has to be so fast," Brady said. “You can't come out here and have a bad practice, because look, you don't have many of them. We're on the field for two-and-a-half, three hours, but it goes fast out here. Today, we did a little more. Finally we're getting into goal-line. In the spring time, in a normal next year, our whole goal-line package will be installed. Just now guys are doing it for the first time. It takes a lot. Guys are going to have to do a lot of extra work.”
Training Camp Notes
Albert Haynesworth missed Friday’s practice, as did fellow defensive lineman Mike Wright and linebacker Brandon Spikes. Haynesworth has had some great early battles in the trenches with the offensive line, specifically with Logan Mankins, and his absence may indicate a willingness by the Patriots to bring him along slowly, to protect his health…the team announced the signing of defensive end Mark Anderson (6-4, 255), who played last season for the Houston Texans. Anderson had 12 sacks in his rookie season of 2006 with the Chicago Bears…the Patriots also announced the release of defensive lineman Marlon Favorite…rookie offensive lineman and #1 draft pick Nate Solder has been thrown right into the fire, running with the first-team offense as Matt Light continues to watch practices from the sidelines. At 6-8, he does make it tough for defensive linemen and linebackers to see over him, or around him…according to documents filed with the NFL Players Association, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has a one-year deal with the team that will pay him $1.83 million. This now means that Green-Ellis is apparently set to become an unrestricted free agent for 2012…among the free agents getting workouts at Gillette Stadium, you can apparently add the name Channing Crowder to the mix. ESPN senior writer John Clayton reports it’s too early to know if the Patriots will actually make an offer to the former Miami Dolphin linebacker…
Training Camp Schedule for Saturday
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM Practice open to the public
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