By: Tyler Ward
Well, to say the least, it's also been a horrible week for the Patriots, too (see my post about Glen Coffee's retirement and you will understand this statement).
It was confirmed on Friday that Patriots defensive end Ty Warren will miss the entire 2010 season with a hip injury. The injury isn't considered career-threatening, but Warren will be forced to undergo surgery, which he will do so on Monday in Colorado.The defensive lineman has already been placed on injured reserve.
The loss of Warren leaves a big hole in the Patriots' defense. He has been one of the mainstays on the Patriots squad - Warren was drafted by New England in 2003 with the 13th overall pick. He has started 92 out of a possible 105 games since entering the NFL.
Warren told the Boston Herald on Friday, "I want to play as long as I can, I don't want to put a band-aid on it every week. I personally can't afford to be laboring around another year. I've been doing it for the past year and a half."
 |
| Ty Warren, Defensive End |
Whether some believe it or not, Warren is up there with the likes of Jared Allen and Julius Peppers - he just doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. So, with his injury, the Patriots have been dealt a major blow to their defensive line. They traded away Richard Seymour to the Raiders last season, perhaps one of the best defensive linemen in Patriots history. To fill Warren's shoes, the Patriots brought back Derrick Burgess, hoping he can fill some type of void Warren left behind. Burgess arrived at the Patriots' facility today and passed his conditioning test.
Head Coach Bill Belichick issued a statement, "It's a tough break for Ty, but we have to move on. He's missed quite a bit of time the last couple of years. We've had to deal with that anyway. It's unfortunate, but unfortunately that's part of the game. We'll just move ahead."
The regular season is only three weeks away, so the Patriots will have to figure out something to do as an insurance policy for Warren. A trade could be in the near future for the Pats - it has been rumored that recently-released defensive lineman Aaron Schobel has expressed interest in three teams, one of them being the Patriots. Schobel was released by the Bills earlier this month.
For his career, Warren has 496 tackles, 20.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles.
Not only do the Patriots have to deal with Warren's injury, but they also have to deal with Pro Bowl offensive lineman Logan Mankins' contract talks. Mankins' agent, Frank Bauer, told the Boston Globe that the Patriots have "totally lost this player mentally" as the sides continue to bicker about Mankins' possible extension. Mankins has stayed away from all mandatory team activities because of his "need" of a long-term solution.
 |
| Logan Mankins, Offensive Tackle |
This weekend, the Patriots will likely send a letter to Mankins, stating that they will put him on the roster exempt list. The roster exempt list means that a player cannot play the following three games after they officially sign a contract.
Mankins' agent has gone far enough to say, "For this young man to work like he has and play for the club for five years, and be promised he'd be taken care of, and to throw the offer they did across the table? It was never, ever a five-year deal. They wanted six years, they wanted seven. They have to do what they have to do, and we'll do what we have to do."
Mankins had previously declined the $3.26 million tender offer - he is not the only player in the NFL to have done this so far, joining Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson and offensive lineman Marcus McNeill. In June, Mankins even said that he wanted to be traded away by the Patriots. He said at the time, "At this point, I'm pretty frustrated, from everything that's happened and the way negotiations have gone. I want to be traded. I don't need to be here any more."
He continued, "After the 2008 season, me and my agent approached the Patriots about an extension and I was told that Mr. Kraft did not want to do an extension because of the [uncertain collective bargaining agreement]," Mankins said. "I was asked to play '09 out, and that they would address the contract during the uncapped year. I'm a team player, I took them at their word, and I felt I played out an undervalued contract."
"That's the big thing. Right now, this is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people," Mankins continued. "This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a man's word is his bond. Obviously this isn't the case with the Patriots."
