Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Logan Mankins has admitted that he was disappointed with the manner of his exit from the New England Patriots.
The 32-year-old was traded to the Buccaneers for a fourth-round pick in the 2015 Draft along with tight end Tim Wright after refusing to rework his contract with the Patriots after nine seasons with the club.
Mankins told ESPN: "I was open to the idea. It was a just a matter of how much. We couldn't agree on that. What they offered wasn't good for me and what I wanted wasn't good for them.
"And you know when you don't [rework the deal], something can happen.
"Looking back on it now, especially in my case, the timing of it was very disappointing. If it happened during free agency, that would have been a lot different. But the timing of how I left was the hardest part."
The Buccaneers recorded the worst record in the NFL with a 2-14 record, while the Patriots are in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Simon Sinclair
