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Mankins

One source tells Reiss that Mankins played through the partial ACL tear, not realizing the extent of the injury. Already considered one of the toughest players in the game, Mankins was listed on the injury report with a “knee” going back to Week 16. Although the Pats are hoping for a training camp return, veteran Robert Gallery has been brought in for insurance. The good news is that the ligament may not have been 100 percent torn, and linemen often return at a faster rate than skill-position players.

It’s believed that Mankins’ ACL was only partially torn, which explains not only the optimistic timetable, but also why he was able to play through the injury for several games. Veteran Robert Gallery is now on board for insurance should Mankins suffer a setback.

According to the Boston Globe’s Greg A. Bedard, Mankins looked like “he could play tomorrow.” This jibes with the Boston Herald’s March report that Mankins’ ACL was only “partially” torn, and that he is on track to be ready for training camp after injuring his knee in the Super Bowl. Mankins’ status should be updated when the Patriots report for their mandatory June minicamp.

Mankins is questionable to return. Tom Brady is under heavy pressure as he was already without starting tackles Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer. Mankins, a three-time Pro Bowler, has gone to the locker room.

Vollmer had been out since late November while Mankins went down in Week 16. Their return is welcome news for the ground attack, as Vollmer can push Nate Solder into the blocking tight end role.

Mankins had his left leg fallen on by Dolphins DE Jared Odrick in the first half. The three-time Pro Bowler did not return. The loss of Mankins would be a serious blow to the Patriots’ Super Bowl hopes. He’s among the premier interior linemen in football.

Mankins’ timetable will depend on the grade of the sprain. If it’s just a minor strain, he should be able to gut it out after the Patriots’ first-round bye. As one of the NFL’s top interior linemen, Mankins’ availability is key to the Patriots’ chances of a Super Bowl run.

Mankins opened camp on active/PUP, as expected. The Pats tentatively expect him to be ready for Week 1, but they may work Dan Connolly at left guard as a precaution. In that scenario, veteran Dan Koppen would be the center.

Mankins didn’t participate in the Patriots’ offseason program after suffering what was supposedly “only” a partially torn ACL in the Super Bowl, but the consensus among the local media has been that he’ll be ready for camp. Don’t bank on any forthcoming updates from Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Some ESPN speculation suggested Mankins would head to PUP for the start of the season. Per Curran, Mankins is likely to open training camp on “active/PUP,” but should be activated from the list ahead of the opener. Per Curran, Mankins’ progress “was termed as ‘awesome’.” It’s very good news for New England, obviously. Mankins has been to three straight Pro Bowls and was a 2010 All Pro.