Logan Mankins has already signed his one-year franchise tender worth $10 million for the 2011 season, and according to Pats owner Robert Kraft, the team is close to signing Mankins to a long-term deal.
"I hope that after locking up our core veterans and bringing in these seasons veterans as I call them, and probably you'll see our good friend Logan Mankins will be signed up soon hopefully to be a Patriot for life," Kraft said. (via WEEI)
Kraft, who also spoke about his late wife Myra Kraft, expressed his strong desire to bring Mankins back.
"If I have a vote it will get done," Kraft said. "The other side's got to want it too, but it's our desire -- it's always been our desire -- but... you can't sign everyone you want, so you need to plan, and I think we did our planning knowing the kind of environment we were coming into, and we tried to position ourselves so we had our core veterans and we could continue to sign the people we want to sign. We very much -- we think that Logan is among the best there is at his position. We drafted him and we want him. "
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