Wednesday 27 August 2014 08:53, UK
The New England Patriots traded six-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday in exchange for tight end Timothy Wright and a 2015 fourth-round draft pick.
Mankins originally joined the Patriots as a first-round draft pick (32nd overall) in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Fresno State and has been a stalwart on the Patriots offensive line ever since.
The 6-foot-4, 308-pounder was a three-time captain for the Patriots and started all 130 regular-season games and all 17 postseason games in which he has appeared in since joining the Patriots.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said the decision to trade the 32-year-old was one of the most difficult he has ever had to make, calling him the best guard he has ever coached.
"Logan Mankins is everything we would ever want in a football player,” Belichick said.
“It is hard to imagine a better player at his position, a tougher competitor or a person to represent our program.
“He is one of the all-time great Patriots and the best guard I ever coached. Logan brought a quiet but unmistakable presence and leadership that will be impossible to duplicate.
“Unfortunately, this is the time of year when difficult decisions have to be made - and this is one of the most difficult we will ever make - but like every other decision it was made for what we feel is in the best interests of the team."
Wright, 24, is in his second NFL season after originally signing with Tampa Bay as a rookie free agent out of Rutgers and played in 16 games with eight starts last season.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder, played wide receiver in college but was moved to tight end by the Buccaneers and finished with 54 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns.
The Patriots have been looking to add depth at tight end since Aaron Hernandez was arrested on murder charges prior to last season.
The Buccaneers were delighted to secure Mankins services and he will now shore up an offensive line that has struggled since the departures of guards Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht worked alongside Mankins from 2009-11 when he was the Patriots' director of pro personnel and he jumped at the chance to bring the veteran to Tampa.
"We feel very fortunate just to have Logan," said Licht. “He's a very good player. I'm a first-hand witness of what he means to the locker room as well.
“His play on the field … that speaks for itself for Lovie Smith and our coaches, but I've known him over the years.
“Any time you have five consecutive Pro Bowls, All-Pro player - I mean, that's a lot of accolades – but he's a great person. He's going to be great for that room, he's going to be great for this locker room."
