An 11-year NFL career is considered a success by just about any measure. But for some players, like Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Logan Mankins, they don't just last over a decade as a professional football player, they excel. Mankins, a former first-round draft pick and seven-time Pro Bowler, has both the accolades and the hardware to attest to his on-field successes as a professional.

But no player can last forever in the NFL and Mankins, talented and coming off yet another Pro Bowl, his seventh, though he may be, isn't the same guy who was once tasked with protecting future Hall of Fame New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

That's why it wasn't surprising to learn Monday, as the NFL's legal tampering period was just getting into swing that Mankins informed the Bucs brass that he will be retiring.

Mankins, 33, was given leeway by the Tampa Bay coaching staff to figure out just what he wanted to do going forward. As a player of his stature and experience, Mankins seemed deserving of the opportunity to think out his future on his own time. Fortunately for the Bucs, he's making his decision early enough that they'll be able to get a jump on any free agent guards, like Baltimore's Kelechi Osemele and Kansas City's Jeff Allen, or draft-eligible players they might want to consider.

Mankins' retirement will also save the Bucs approximately $7 million in cap space.

Mankins though, did make clear earlier this offseason that his first priority was to his wife and kids and that he'd make a decision only when he knew it was right.

"Not yet, I'm trying to just take my time and make the right decision. Things like that, usually, you don't want to rush into," Mankins said then.

Mankins was originally drafted in the NFL by the Patriots in 2005. He spent nine seasons in New England, operating as one of Brady's most consistent offensive linemen and helping the team to two AFC championships. During that time, he also earned five second-team All Pro designations, and one first-team All Pro selection.

Ultimately, a contract dispute would end his time with the franchise and see him shipped to the Bucs in exchange for tight end Tim Wright and a 2015 fourth-round pick. Since then, Mankins has started 31 of 32 games, despite the fact that he spent nearly all of the last season dealing with a knee injury.

Other players appreciate the effort a guy like Mankins puts in and the injuries he's willing to fight through. Losing his leadership and personality will probably hurt the Bucs as much as losing his on-field presence.

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