According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, the New England Patriots have traded Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In exchange for Mankins the Patriots will receive tight end Tim Wright and an undisclosed draft pick.
Mankins was drafted by the Patriots in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was a somewhat surprising pick, but ended up being a very valuable member of the offensive line. Mankins has been named to the Pro Bowl six times in his career, including each of the last five seasons. He has also been named to the All-Pro team five times, including each of the last four seasons.
At 32-years-old, Mankins may be slightly past his prime years, but he is still one the marquee interior offensive lineman in the NFL.
Wright burst on to the scene as an undrafted rookie for the Bucs last season. Without a consistent option at tight end, Tampa Bay relied on Wright as their number one option, and he hauled in 54 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns.
Wright came into the league as a wide receiver, and he has impressive receiving skills for the tight end position. This is pure speculation here, but Wright sure would fit in nicely in the Patriots’ system in the Aaron Hernandez role.
Until it is released how early the pick that the Patriots are receiving is, it is hard to say who won this trade. The Bucs are clearly getting the more veteran and established player, but the Patriots have landed an exciting receiving option from the tight end position.