Patriot forever? Mankins ends contract drama with six-year deal

All of the contract contentiousness between the New England Patriots and All-Pro guard Logan Mankins is finally over.

NFL Network's Michael Lombardi confirmed Wednesday that the Patriots have signed Mankins to a six-year contract. By signing Mankins to the long-term deal, the Patriots also lowered the six-year veteran's salary cap number, according to Lombardi. The story was first reported by ESPN.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft hinted to reporters early Wednesday that Mankins, who was set to play under a one-year, franchise-tag tender contract worth $10 million, would soon be signed to a long-term deal.

"Probably you'll see our good friend, Logan Mankins, will be signed up soon, hopefully, to be a Patriot for life,” Kraft said, according to the team's website.

The value of the six-year deal was not known, but a source told the Boston Herald that Mankins will be the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in the league.

Yahoo! Sports reported Wednesday that the Patriots got some help in paying Mankins from recently acquired defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Citing a source familiar with the deal, the website reported that Haynesworth, who was due to earn $5.4 million in 2011, reduced his base salary to $1.5 million.

He can earn the money back in incentives, including $1 million if he plays in 20 percent of the plays and an additional $590,000 when he hits 45 percent, 50 percent, 55 percent, 60 percent and then 65 percent, according to the report. He can also earn $400,000 if he makes the Pro Bowl.

Haynesworth was traded from the Washington Redskins to New England for a late-round draft choice. The Patriots could not be reached for comment.

A first-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2005, Mankins sat out the first eight weeks of the 2010 season after holding out over his status as a restricted free agent. Mankins signed his tender and reported to the team on Nov. 2 and started the final nine games of the season.

He was still named as a starter in the Pro Bowl, his third career selection.

Mankins had criticized the Patriots organization just before starting his holdout on June 14, 2010, the day before the team's minicamp began. He said the club asked him to play in 2009, the final year of his original five-year contract, and they would address his contract concerns after that season. He also said he wanted to be traded.

"Growing up, I was taught a man's word is his bond," he said in June 2010. "Obviously, this isn't the case with the Patriots."

He later apologized.

Mankins also was one of 10 players who were plaintiffs in an antitrust lawsuit filed against the NFL a few hours before the lockout began.

"All I know is," Kraft said Wednesday, "any face-to-face discussions I've had (with Mankins) or any private discussions have all been positive."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View the original article here

After week of drama, Vikings come back from 14 down to beat Cards in OT

MINNEAPOLIS -- Even Brett Favre thought the Minnesota Vikings were done -- for the game, and quite possibly the season.

Down 14 with less than five minutes to play against Arizona. Chants of "Fire Childress!" filling the Metrodome. A Super Bowl-or-bust season on the brink.

Watch all the action from Sunday all over again -- online and in HD. Save 50% with a Midseason Subscription! Learn More.

Suddenly, Favre conjured the kind of magic that simply hasn't been there all season, engineering another jaw-dropping fourth-quarter comeback that may have not only saved the Vikings' season, but coach Brad Childress' job as well.

Favre threw for a career-high 446 yards to rally the Vikings from 14 points down in the final four and half minutes and Ryan Longwell's 35-yard field goal in overtime lifted them to a 27-24 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.

"There was a point in that game where I think everyone in the building thought this is not going well. We don't stand a chance," said Favre, who has 46 career fourth-quarter comeback wins. "But we did."

Favre threw a 25-yard touchdown to Visanthe Shiancoe with 27 seconds to play in regulation, then hooked up with Bernard Berrian on a 22-yard pass in overtime to move the Vikings into position for an improbable victory.

The 41-year-old quarterback completed 36 of 47 passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions in easily his best performance of the season. Percy Harvin had nine catches for a career-high 126 yards and Adrian Peterson racked up 144 total yards and two TDs for the Vikings (3-5), who were dogged by questions about Childress' job security all week long.

Asked if he felt he was playing for Childress' job, Favre said, "I felt like I was playing for mine. I'm just being honest. ... Have I always got along with my coach, head coach, quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator? No. Do I always agree with the plays that are called? No. Why should that factor into me wanting to be the best player I can be?"

LaRod Stephens-Howling returned a kick 96 yards for a touchdown and Michael Adams returned a fumble 30 yards for a score for the Cardinals (3-5), who appeared to have the win sealed after stopping the Vikings on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with just over six minutes to play and a 24-10 lead.

But Favre directed scoring drives of 40 and 77 yards in regulation, quickly turning chants of "Fire Childress!" to "Let's Go Vikings!"

"I think they came expecting to see an execution," Childress said. "And it ended up a pretty good football game at the end."

It was an exhilarating end to another tumultuous week for the Vikings. It started with Childress deciding to cut receiver Randy Moss, a move that not only stunned players but team management and ownership as well. His messy handling of the situation raised serious doubts about his job security, and he also nearly came to blows with Harvin in practice on Friday.

Childress said he spent 15 minutes with Harvin before the game to clear the air.

"We're playing an emotional game with emotional people," Childress said. "It's part of what makes him good. Tempers can raise every now and then."

Owner Zygi Wilf declined to comment on Childress' status, only contributing to the speculation.

"The big thing is getting a win right now," Wilf said before the game. "The big thing is to win this game and to be crowned division champions and we're going to fight our (butts) off."

They did just that.

Vikings receiver Greg Camarillo chased down Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes on an interception return in the first quarter, jarring the ball loose just before Rhodes was about to score a touchdown. The ball squirted out of the back of the end zone for a touchback, a play of pure hustle that played a huge role in the outcome.

"I didn't see him at all," Rhodes said. "I thought I was in."

Harvin fumbled the opening kickoff to the second half and Adams returned it for a touchdown to give the Cardinals a 21-10 lead as boos rained down from the stands.

Derek Anderson was 15 for 26 for 179 yards and a touchdown and Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald had seven catches for 107 yards for the Cardinals, who had the ball first to start overtime.

But the Vikings defense smothered the Cardinals on that drive and Arizona had no answer for Peterson and Favre on the next possession.

"That's what he's been doing for it seems like forever now," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Especially here, they were a team that had their backs against the wall, and they played like it."

The Cardinals came into the week 30th in the NFL in passing offense, with inconsistency at quarterback the chief reason for the struggles. They've flip-flopped between Max Hall and Anderson, who finally gave them the kind of professional, veteran performance they've been looking for ever since Kurt Warner retired.

"We're moving in the right direction, but it's just not good enough at this point," Fitzgerald said. "When you're losing three games in a row, we've got to find a way to get a win."

The offense only managed one touchdown drive, which ended with a 30-yard TD from Anderson to Andre Roberts, leaving the door open just a crack for Favre.

"He just needs to quit," Anderson said of Favre.

Fortunately for Childress, no one -- not Favre, not Harvin, not anyone -- gave up on this day.

"For this team, we showed no quit," Harvin said. "It showed us that we can turn this thing around."

Notes: After setting a franchise record with three straight sackless games, the Vikings had six on Sunday. Jared Allen had 2 1/2 and Ray Edwards had 2. ... Peterson's 12-yard receiving TD was his second career receiving TD and first since the 2007 season opener, the first game of his career. ... Fitzgerald became the second youngest receiver ever to eclipse 7,500 career yards on an 18-yard reception in the first half. The youngest? Moss, of course.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here