The New England Patriots have traded Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tight end Tim Wright and a fourth round draft pick.

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The move comes as a surprise from the Patriots point of view as they trade the six-time Pro Bowler and locker room presence in Mankins to the Buccaneers for a tight end and draft pick. The Buccaneers have made it no secret that they need offensive guard help and they have opted to trade for the likes of Mankins instead of signing Richie Incognito.

This move has a slight ripple effect as to what each team must be thinking at this juncture. The Patriots trade away Mankins a year before he is considered an old player on decline and cash in with a tight end and the always valuable draft pick. This move could also show that the Patriots would like to have a backup plan in the event that starting tight end Rob Gronkowski can’t play Week 1 or gets hurt during the season.

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On the Buccaneers' side, this move shows how dire the team's need for offensive guard was and apparently their meeting with controversial guard Incognito didn't bear any fruit. Incognito is rumored to have up to five teams chasing him, but it can’t be a good sign for him that the one that sat down with him, passed on his services.

Mankins had spent his entire nine-year career with the Patriots and is seen as one of the better locker room leaders in the NFL. In a way, this move could be seen as the Buccaneers going in the opposite direction at guard seeing how Mankins is seen as a boost in the locker room where Incognito would be seen as a distraction.

This trade could set the parameters of any trade that includes 49ers guard Alex Boone as he has requested a trade out of San Francisco.

Mankins was ranked No. 82 in NFL.com’s top 100 players of 2013.

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