How long will it take Logan Mankins to get himself into game-shape and begin playing for the New England Patriots is yet to be determined. Fans of the Patriots are mostly just relieved for the time being that the All Pro guard has ended his holdout and joined the team as of Tuesday. The good news for the Pats is that they shouldn’t feel any pressure to rush Mankins back to action just for the sake of not squandering a precious roster spot in the upcoming weeks.
As per league rules, the Patriots will receive a two-game roster exemption for Makins. Though I’m not familiar with the ins and outs of the policy, the bottom line is the Patriots will be allowed to carry 54 men on the roster for the next two weeks, rather than the standard 53, provided Mankins is not active the next two weeks. Patriots director of player personnel had this to say about the situation:
"We’ll take it as it comes and just make sure that we’re in compliance with everything from the league’s perspective and from a logistical perspective on our end. We’ll do our due diligence and do what we feel is best."