There remains the possibility of Logan Mankins returning to the New England Patriots next season. But the Pro Bowl guard doesn't see that happening.
Mankins told the *Boston Herald* on Friday that he doesn't believe New England has any long-term plans for him, and he made it clear he would be unhappy if the team used its franchise tag to bring him back.
"No, I wouldn't be happy about that, if that's what they chose to do, to be dealt that kind of hand," Mankins said at the Pro Bowl hotel complex in Honolulu. "But we'll see what happens."
Mankins sat out the first seven games of the 2010 season in a contentious holdout. Despite the bad blood between team and player, Mankins said Wednesday that he is open to a return to the Patriots, who were on even-footing with other teams in the market for the free agent-to-be.
On Friday, Mankins made it clear he didn't expect the Patriots to get involved in any bidding wars.
"I would never say the door is totally shut," he said. "But the way it's looking right now, I don't see it happening. I don't see them trying to keep me, unless it's with the franchise tag."
Mankins was a restricted free agent after the 2009 season, and he and the team couldn't agree on a contract. The sixth-year pro eventually signed a reduced tender offer and returned for the final nine regular-season games in order to accrue another season to qualify for unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Mankins, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has never missed a start in games in which he was eligible to play.
