JACKSONVILLE -- Four-year veteran Vincent Manuwai, half of a Jacksonville Jaguars' guard duet that has emerged in 2006 as one of the NFL's top interior blocking tandems, has signed a long-term contract extension with the team.
Terms of the extension, which was confirmed by team sources, were not yet available. Manuwai was not available in the Jacksonville locker room on Sunday evening following the Jaguars' loss to the New England Patriots.
The deal keeps Manuwai, who has been a starter at left guard since his 2003 rookie season with the Jags, off the unrestricted free agent market in the spring. Manuwai played the 2006 season for a base salary of $721,600, the one-year qualifying offer for a restricted free agent.
While guards don't always cash in big in free agency, Manuwai would almost certainly have generated a lot of suitors. The former University of Hawaii star is a durable performer, only 26 years old, and has gotten better every year in the league.
Many pro personnel directors around the NFL feel that Manuwai has performed at a Pro Bowl level this season, although he was not selected for the annual all-star game. Jaguars right guard Chris Naeole also has enjoyed a stellar season, and the play of the two is a big factor for a unit that entered the weekend ranked as the NFL's second-best rushing offense.
A third-round choice in the 2003 draft, and projected to be taken much higher, Manuwai came into the NFL as a pure mauler in the running game. But his technique has improved every season and, while he remains a tough in-line blocker, Manuwai has learned to use his hands well, and his pass protection skills have been enhanced as a result.
In four seasons, Manuwai has appeared in 62 of a possible 63 games, all but one of them as a starter.
Len Pasquarelli is an NFL senior writer for ESPN.com.