Danny Amendola could be traded or released by Patriots
Danny Amendola was pegged as the heir-apparent to Wes Welker last off-season when he was signed to replace the longtime favorite receiver of Tom Brady. However, things didn't exactly go as planned for Amendola this season, as he lived up to his reputation of being injury prone while also putting up underwhelming numbers.
Fortunately for the Patriots, Amendola's lack of performance was somewhat compensated for by Julian Edelman's career season, in which he beat out Amendola in every statistical category, while playing in every game for the first time in his career. Edelman, who is set to become a free agent this month, is also a dynamic punt returner, yet another aspect of his game that makes him a more appealing option at the position moving forward.
Reports are surfacing that Amendola may very well not be a Patriot next season, and the team is "floating" his name in trade talks. In a report published this morning, NESN.com writer Doug Kyed elaborated on these rumors and the ramifications of cutting ties with Amendola:
Given his subpar 2013 season, I can't see the trade market for Amendola being very lucrative. Whether the Patriots decide to keep him on the roster or abort the Amendola experiment, they will have to act quickly if they plan on making him a June 2nd designation, as Kyed mentions in his article.
Should the Patriots make this move, it would seem to be a logical next step to make a run at locking up Edelman, who displayed excellent chemistry with Tom Brady this season and was his go-to receiver for the majority of the year. That being said, despite playing the full 2013 season, Edelman is a risky re-sign as well due to his injury history. The slot receiver position has been a piviotal component of the Patriots offense throughout the Brady-Belichick era, and it will be interesting to see how they address that role on the team moving forward.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
Fortunately for the Patriots, Amendola's lack of performance was somewhat compensated for by Julian Edelman's career season, in which he beat out Amendola in every statistical category, while playing in every game for the first time in his career. Edelman, who is set to become a free agent this month, is also a dynamic punt returner, yet another aspect of his game that makes him a more appealing option at the position moving forward.
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| Jared Wickerham/Getty Images |
Reports are surfacing that Amendola may very well not be a Patriot next season, and the team is "floating" his name in trade talks. In a report published this morning, NESN.com writer Doug Kyed elaborated on these rumors and the ramifications of cutting ties with Amendola:
Amendola signed a five-year, $28.5 million contract last offseason that was only guaranteed for two years. If the Patriots cut Amendola before March 11 at 4 p.m., they could free up $2.88 million in salary cap room by making him a June 2 designation. If the Patriots trade Amendola, it would cost them $645,000 in cap room.
Given his subpar 2013 season, I can't see the trade market for Amendola being very lucrative. Whether the Patriots decide to keep him on the roster or abort the Amendola experiment, they will have to act quickly if they plan on making him a June 2nd designation, as Kyed mentions in his article.
Should the Patriots make this move, it would seem to be a logical next step to make a run at locking up Edelman, who displayed excellent chemistry with Tom Brady this season and was his go-to receiver for the majority of the year. That being said, despite playing the full 2013 season, Edelman is a risky re-sign as well due to his injury history. The slot receiver position has been a piviotal component of the Patriots offense throughout the Brady-Belichick era, and it will be interesting to see how they address that role on the team moving forward.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
