Could Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer return today?

Mike Rodak recently wrote up a piece on ESPN Boston to give an update on currently injured players on the New England Patriots. Veteran offensive linemen Sebastian Vollmer and Logan Mankins are two key cogs for the team, and the line suffered against the New Orleans Saints without both of them. In the piece, Rodak writes that there is a chance Vollmer and Mankins could be back, despite nothing official thus far.

Rodak writes, “Injured players have a tendency to return after a day off during training camp, and the Patriots were off on Saturday.”

This means that, if Vollmer and Mankins return soon, they can return today. They’ve been rehabbing extremely hard and should be returning at some point relatively soon, and that could happen later on today. The Patriots were off of practice yesterday, so keep an eye on Twitter- or somewhere- just in case there is an update on both players.

Logan Mankins is one of the best offensive linemen in the league, so having him healthy is important. However, getting Vollmer healthy is even more important at this point. Marcus Cannon did not look good in the opening preseason game and isn’t a starting-caliber right tackle yet. Vollmer is and is just two years removed from a second-team All-Pro appearance. He had an injury-plagued 2011 season that hurt his performance and is currently nursing a back injury. Back injuries have plagued Vollmer throughout his career, and he will need to be at his best in a contract year at the age of 28.

Having Vollmer back boosts the stability of the right side of the line, as the upgrade over Cannon is significant. Cannon needs the preseason reps and Vollmer needs to be eased in to playing time, but it would be nice to hear that he is healthy and ready to go. The Patriots are currently showing interest in veteran tackle Chad Clifton.