The New England Patriots traded Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for Tim Wright and a 2015 fourth-round pick, both teams announced on Tuesday.

New England coach Bill Belichick said that trading Logan Mankins, whom he called as one of the greatest Patriots of all time, was a hard decision to make, but they had to make the move heading into the 2014 NFL season.

"He is one of the all-time great Patriots and the best guard I ever coached," Belichick said of Mankins on Tuesday. "Logan brought a quiet but unmistakable presence and leadership that will be impossible to duplicate. Unfortunately, this is the time of year when difficult decisions have to be made -- and this is one of the most difficult we will ever make -- but like every other decision it was made for what we feel is in the best interests of the team."

Moving Mankins would save the Patriots $6.25 million cash in the upcoming season and $7 million next season, while also creating around $5.8 million in salary cap space.

Mankins, who was selected as the 32nd overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, has spent his entire 10-year career in New England. The 32-year-old, a six-time Pro Bowl guard and three-time captain, has started in all 130 regular-season games and 17 postseason games that he played in since turning professional.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said that their team is very lucky to acquire the former Fresno State standout, saying that he knows what Mankins could bring on the table after spending three seasons with him in New England.

"We feel very fortunate just to have Logan," Licht said in a statement on Tuesday. "He's a very good player. I'm a first-hand witness of what he means to the locker room as well. His play on the field ... that speaks for itself for Lovie [Smith] and our coaches, but I've known him over the years. Any time you have five consecutive Pro Bowls, All-Pro player -- I mean, that's a lot of accolades -- but he's a great person. He's going to be great for that room; he's going to be great for this locker room."

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