Danny Amendola says he is 100% healthy
This actually makes a lot of sense, given this is the part of the season where there is literally no contact. See, it's when the real games start when D.A has issues. Whether it's a groin pull, or getting KO'ed on an end-around, injuries of all kinds seem to find Amendola.
Last year, a groin injury originally sustained in Week 1 vs. Buffalo (which actually proved to be the pinnacle of his first season in New England), hampered the former Rams slot receiver, who made a big splash last off-season when the Pats signed him to a big money deal to be Wes Welker's replacement. He played in twelve games but was a disappointment in terms of production, catching 54 passes for 633 yards and 2 touchdowns, and was completely outplayed by fellow slot man Julian Edelman.
Amendola did show flashes of the receiver many thought he could be. He was critical to the team's week one win over Buffalo, had an excellent game against Pittsburgh, and caught the game winning ball in the Pats epic comeback over the Browns. But in the later stages of the season, it seemed he lost the trust of QB Tom Brady, and became somewhat invisible down the stretch. He was targeted on just one pass in the AFC Championship loss to Denver. He dropped that pass.
To what extent the lingering groin injury played in all of that is unknown, but according to Danny that issue is a thing of the past (Quote from BostonHerald.com):
According to Howe, Amendola went on to state that his groin is in fact "100% healthy" after he opted not to have surgery on it at any point, letting it heal naturally instead.
While Amendola was billed as the potential replacement for Wes Welker, it is obvious he is not nearly as durable as Tom Brady's former favorite target. That being said, IF Amendola can stay on the field, he certainly has the talent to contribute. But given his history, an emphasis should definitely be placed on IF.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
Last year, a groin injury originally sustained in Week 1 vs. Buffalo (which actually proved to be the pinnacle of his first season in New England), hampered the former Rams slot receiver, who made a big splash last off-season when the Pats signed him to a big money deal to be Wes Welker's replacement. He played in twelve games but was a disappointment in terms of production, catching 54 passes for 633 yards and 2 touchdowns, and was completely outplayed by fellow slot man Julian Edelman.
Jim Rogash/Getty Images |
Amendola did show flashes of the receiver many thought he could be. He was critical to the team's week one win over Buffalo, had an excellent game against Pittsburgh, and caught the game winning ball in the Pats epic comeback over the Browns. But in the later stages of the season, it seemed he lost the trust of QB Tom Brady, and became somewhat invisible down the stretch. He was targeted on just one pass in the AFC Championship loss to Denver. He dropped that pass.
To what extent the lingering groin injury played in all of that is unknown, but according to Danny that issue is a thing of the past (Quote from BostonHerald.com):
"Nobody plays 100 percent throughout the whole NFL. It was just one of those things."
According to Howe, Amendola went on to state that his groin is in fact "100% healthy" after he opted not to have surgery on it at any point, letting it heal naturally instead.
While Amendola was billed as the potential replacement for Wes Welker, it is obvious he is not nearly as durable as Tom Brady's former favorite target. That being said, IF Amendola can stay on the field, he certainly has the talent to contribute. But given his history, an emphasis should definitely be placed on IF.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife