Wow! It took me a few days to get through all of this thread, but by gosh I did it.
Some thoughts:
I'm sure that BB has a plan to replace Mankins, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it. And it doesn't matter how much justification comes from Belichick's Elves.
Logan Mankins was as tough as they get in a business filled with toughness. He was a great teammate and by all accounts a fine gentleman to all the fans who came in contact with him.
Big Vince would have been in Logan's shoes but his injury took away his leverage.
Since Mankins' strength was run-blocking, it's too bad we went pass-happy in the last two SB losses. Things might have been different if we ran the damn ball more.
We all hear about players taking one for the team, but why don't we ever hear about management taking one for the team too?
The NFL might be the only place where living up to a signed agreement is looked down upon. If you do it for the Pats you're asking to be traded unless it's a signed agreement that they like.
It's funny how Kraft manages to stay clear of any responsibility for losing good team players like Mankins, and for keeping scum like Hernandez.
Is it some sort of crime to go over the salary cap?
Moves like this one make it harder to be a fan of this team.