 The Patriots made a surprising move Tuesday, trading Logan Mankins to the Buccaneers. (USA TODAY Images) |
The New England Patriots traded Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tuesday afternoon in exchange for Tim Wright and a fourth-round draft pick in 2015.
The trade was not the only transaction New England made Tuesday. The Patriots placed two players on Injured-Reserve and released six players to get down to the NFL mandatory 75 roster limit by the 4 p.m deadline.
WR Wilson Van Hooser, DL Ben Bass, DB Travis Hawkins, WR Derrick Johnson, LB Deontae Skinner and DB Jemea Thomas were released. RB Tyler Gaffney and LB Cameron Gordon were both placed on Injured-Reserve.
Bill Belichick released this statement on Logan Mankins:
"Logan Mankins is everything we would ever want in a football player. 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."
Analysis:
Mankins, a first-round pick in 2005, spent his entire career with the Patriots. The six-time Pro Bowl guard was a leader in the locker room and a fixture on the offensive line.
Pats players were told of the Mankins trade before practice. Cornerback Darrelle Revis said, "the atmosphere was a little down."
Mankins was set to count $10.5 million against the cap in 2014. With this move, the trade saves about $5.775 million this season. There will also be another $4 million cap charge for 2015.
Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon and Steve Beauharnais all said that Tim Wright is an excellent barber and cut their hair at Rutgers.— Mark Daniels (@MarkDanielsPJ) August 26, 2014
Wright is coming into his second season in the NFL. The 24-year-old --listed at 6'4, 220 -- is a converted wide receiver and played at Rutgers before signing with the Buccaneers last year.
Wright caught 54 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in 2013. He appears to fit in a similar role to former player Aaron Hernandez.
The Patriots selected defensive back Jemea Thomas in the sixth-round only a few months ago, so it was a little surprising seeing them move on this quickly. He could find himself on the practice squad, but not making it past the first round of cuts says a lot. He never stood out in training camp practices I attended or in preseason contests.
The Patriots must trim their roster from 75 to 53 in four days, Aug. 30 at 4 p.m. Stay tuned.
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