If you were Pats management, and Mankins were a free agent, what would you do?

[dalero]

Or they should put our best G on the field and give us a better chance to win.
I guarantee you that no one in the Patriots organization considers Mankins a traitor who has turned his back on them like fans think. Its a business, Mankins is exercising he only options he has to get leverage to get a deal he is happy with. Right or wrong, its a business. There has never to my knowledge been a single player who got a hard time from teammates over a contract dispute.
I don't know how you feel the team will be better by 'getting back at him' by putting a lesser player on the field if he is available so he learns his lesson.

Very well said