During Tuesday's conference call, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, director of player personnel Nick Caserio and RB coach Ivan Fears reacted to OG Logan Mankins' return to the team. All quotes are taken from transcripts provided by the Patriots.

Belichick on Mankins' reporting: "Well, Logan came in. I met with him this morning. It's good to have him back on the team. He is a part of the team here now; he's reported. He's been a great player and person for our football team. He is tough. He's smart. He's a dependable player and he's done all those things since he has been here. You just can't have too many guys like that on your football team, so we're glad he's back."

Belichick on whether what Mankins has said about the organization and owner Robert Kraft will be taken into account when it comes to playing time: "As always, we will do what's best for our football team."

Caserio on Mankins' return: "He's in the building. It's good that he's here. He's really no different than any other player that's on the team or in the building. ... Logan's been a good player for us. He's been solid. He's been reliable. I think he has a lot of the traits and characteristics that we look for in players. It's good to have him around here in the building."

Fears on Mankins' return: "(Laughs) Are you kidding? The guys are jumping for joy. Having another playmaker like him coming back to play for us? Sure. Plus he's fresh. We're kind of excited about it, no doubt about it. We can't wait to see where he's at out on the practice field."