No Audience for Mankins' Moans

I thought Logan Mankins was going to be different. I believed he could conduct his contract negotiations privately. Because he kept a low profile after the season and through the draft, I figured Mankins would continue to keep his distance from the Patriots and let his agent and New England hammer out a new deal.

Boy, was I wrong. On Monday, loose-lipped Logan demanded a trade and took a few swipes at the organization at the same time.

"At this point, I'm pretty frustrated, from everything that's happened and the way negotiations have gone. I want to be traded. I don't need to be here any more."

A player crying foul over contract negotiations is nothing new. But this year there seems to be a spike in angst as franchises face an uncertain future with an uncapped year and labor negotiations coming up. With teams being very reluctant to hand over big deals without the legislation for how contracts will be structured for the next labor deal, the players are being left without the financial security of a long term contract.

Mankins is in limbo with several other restricted free agents in search of new deals, including Dallas’ Miles Austin, Indianapolis’ Raheem Brock, and San Diego’s Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill. Like the pair from the Chargers, Mankins opted not to sign his tender and will continue to hold out.

For a while, Mankins went the Richard Seymour route of staying mum and keeping his distance from the Pats. If he continued to do so, fans would understand. We believe in one’s right to get paid their fair value. But we don’t care to hear millionaires whine about becoming even richer beyond the average guy’s wildest fantasy.

Mankins’ town crier act gets even more embarrassing when reports surface that he was offered deals that averaged at least $7 million per year. At least he resisted the urge to say he has to feed his family.

Like I said last month, the price was set when New Orleans agreed to make Jahri Evans, regarded as the best guard in the NFL today, the highest paid at his position with a seven-year $56.7 million contract. Mankins’s agent, Frank Bauer, wants a deal as close to equal value as Evans deal, if not more.

Bauer does have a case for Mankins getting Jahri Evans-type money. Both have two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection in their careers. It makes sense for Mankins to be Evans’ equal at the bank. But when Mankins is complaining over figures many people will never see in their lifetimes, it really bothers the people who work hard for every cent they make.

Mankins is frustrated over a gap that may be no more than $1.1 million. $7 million can still buy a lot of violins and Kleenex for himself. The fans have no sympathy for Mankins.