Two weeks before they had quarterback Tom Brady under contract, the New England Patriots nearly re-signed Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins.

But at the last moment, just when both sides thought there would be a deal, talks collapsed over an apology, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

About two weeks ago, Mankins and his agent Frank Bauer arrived at the Patriots training facility in Foxborough, Mass., with both sides intending and believing they would be able to hammer out a long-term deal similar to the seven-year, $56.7 million contract that Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans signed with New Orleans in the spring.