Danny Amendola

Fallout From Julian Edelman Injury

August 26th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tom Brady offered hopes Julian Edelman could come back this season after the Patriots‘ third preseason game Friday night, but after the team confirmed earlier today the ninth-year wideout tore his right ACL, the Pats will have to adjust again. The team’s primary slot receiver post-Wes Welker, Edelman recorded a career-high 1,106 receiving yards last season and played in 16 games. Edelman missed nearly half the season in 2015, and Brady’s production dipped without his top volume target. The iconic quarterback’s completion rate plummeted from 68 percent in nine Edelman games to 60 percent in seven contests without him. But the Patriots, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, are deeper now and are expected to use a group effort to replace the 31-year-old receiver.

New England now employs Brandin Cooks and Chris Hogan, along with second-year player Malcolm Mitchell and a slew of viable receiving backs. Danny Amendola served as Edelman’s primary replacement in 2015, and the veteran figures to be part of the solution two years later. Florio uses New England’s 2016 Super Bowl run as an example of the resourceful team winning without a key pass-catcher. While the Pats won Super Bowl LI without Rob Gronkowski‘s services down the stretch, it’s hard to bank on the all-world tight end being available throughout this now-Edelman-less season. That said, Gronkowski did play in 15 games in both 2014 and ’15. Brady’s only played one game without Gronk or Edelman — 2015 loss to the Eagles — since the pair became the Patriots’ top chain-movers four years ago.

Here’s the latest fallout from the injury situation.

AFC execs and coaches concur with Florio’s assessment, to some degree. “They’ll find another way to do it. So initially, [it’ll hurt them] some, but in the end not much at all,” an AFC coach texted Albert Breer of SI.com. Another added: “Amendola will have to stay healthy and pick up the slack. It won’t be easy, but they’ll make it work.” The 31-year-old Amendola reworked his contract again this offseason to stay with the Pats in what is the final year of his deal. Amendola amassed 243 air yards last season. “Health of others is key,” an AFC exec said, via Breer. “Amendola and [Gronkowski] need to stay healthy, but their offense is diverse enough to pick it up.”
Edelman will still make nearly $7MM this season, with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) relaying that in addition to his $3MM base salary, the slot bastion collected $3.5MM of his signing bonus and $250K workout bonus. Edelman, though, will miss out on $750K in per-game roster bonuses and a possible $500K in incentives, via Volin (on Twitter).
Anquan Boldin retired from the Bills last weekend and would be an intriguing fit if the 36-year-old pass-catcher could be convinced to delay his busy-looking post-career endeavors, but Volin tweets Buffalo placed Boldin on its reserve/retired list. The Bills hold his rights and would have to relinquish them to green-light a Boldin/Patriots future. Boldin also said a day after his retirement intentions surfaced he won’t make a late-season return, insisting he’s done with the game.
Edelman will stick around Foxborough to do his rehab, Volin tweets, likely offering help to his replacements as they attempt to fill the void created by the absence of one of the game’s top slot targets.

AFC Notes: McCown, Cutler, Brissett, Ochi

August 6th, 2017 at 11:35am CST by Rory Parks

Regardless of what head coach Todd Bowles says, the Jets‘ QB battle is not an open competition, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello writes that Josh McCown has taken about 99% of the first-team reps in training camp, while Christian Hackenberg has worked almost exclusively with the second unit. Unless Hackenberg excels during New York’s first two preseason games, Costello expects McCown to be under center come Week 1, which is what we expected all along.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the AFC:

Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald says Dolphins brass hopes to resolve the Jay Cutler question soon, and that resolution could come as early as today (Twitter link).
Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola accepted a pay cut to remain in New England for the third consecutive season, but as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the 31-year-old Amendola (32 in November) never considered retirement, nor did he consider suiting up for anyone other than the Patriots. He again projects as the team’s fourth or fifth option at wide receiver, but he has grown comfortable with his limited role and at this point in his career he appears content to get a little burn while playing in a winning environment.
Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots No. 3 signal-caller who got two starts last season in the wake of Tom Brady‘s suspension and Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury, is in danger of being cut, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes. Brissett did not have a strong spring, and with Brady showing no signs of slowing down and Garoppolo back as the No. 2 QB, New England could look to use Brissett’s roster spot on a linebacker, receiver, or defensive back.
Titans LB Victor Ochi tore his ACL in Friday night’s practice, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (via Twitter). Ochi is a small school (Stony Brook) product who has spent time with the Ravens, Jets, Chiefs, and Titans in his brief career, appearing in two games with the Jets last season. He has a great deal of raw pass-rushing ability, but it seems he will have to wait until 2018 to put that ability back on display.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com says Tyler Ervin, whom the Texans selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, could fill in for Will Fuller while Fuller recovers from a broken collarbone. Ervin is a running back by trade, but he has tremendous speed and the club was already planning to use him in multiple roles to utilize his athleticism (he returned 27 punts and 14 kickoffs last season). With Fuller out for awhile, Houston could give receiver reps to Ervin with an eye towards making him a full-time slot receiver.

East Notes: Eagles, Jenkins, Pats, Dolphins

April 24th, 2017 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles reportedly offered veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins to the Saints as part of a package for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and though Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman later denied dangling Jenkins, the 29-year-old defensive back admitted today he’s known New Orleans wanted him for some time, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Jenkins of course, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Saints, but he’s indicated to Eagles management that he prefers to remain in Philadelphia, per Berman.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis visited the Eagles and Cardinals during the predraft process, he tells Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Davis also confirmed that he was hosted by the Titans, Ravens, and Browns over the past month or so. After undergoing ankle surgery and missing the combine, Davis says his ankle is now roughly 85% healed, per Laine. Davis comes from a small school, but he’s been extremely productive against lesser production, topping 1,400 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He’s expected to be one of the first three wideouts off the board in Round 1.
The Patriots created $4.75MM in cap space by reducing wide receiver Danny Amendola‘s pay for the 2017 campaign, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Amendola, 31, has now agreed to a paycut for the third consecutive season. He’ll earn a $100K signing bonus and a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.25MM, and can also bring in a $50K workout bonus and $300K in per-game roster bonuses. Originally $7.791MM, Amendola’s 2017 salary cap charge is now $3.041MM.
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey recently underwent a stem cell procedure on his hip as part of his regular rehabilitation program, reports James Walker of ESPN.com. Pouncey, who missed 11 games during the 2016 season, is now on crutches but hasn’t suffered any setbacks. Yesterday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote the Dolphins are aware they need to invest in an insurance policy at center given Pouncey’s repeated health scares.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola Takes Paycut

April 18th, 2017 at 1:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran wide receiver Danny Amendola has agreed to reduce his pay for the 2017 season, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Amendola had been scheduled to earn a $6MM base salary, but he’ll now bring in “slightly more” than the $1.6MM salary he earned in 2016, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

This restructure marks the third consecutive season that Amendola has reduced his base salary. In each of the past two occasions, Amendola has agreed to a paycut in exchange for additional guaranteed money. He’ll likely be given similar guarantees this time around, enabling him to stay on the New England roster for a fifth year. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com wrote last month that Amendola was never expected to maintain his current salary, especially after the Patriots acquired fellow pass-catcher Brandin Cooks.

Amendola, 31, appeared in 12 games for New England in 2016, and posted 23 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns while playing on roughly a quarter of the club’s offensive snaps. Given the presence of Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, and Malcolm Mitchell, Amendola could see that snap percentage fall even further in 2017.

East Rumors: Amendola, Jets, Giants, Landry

March 19th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots‘ addition of Brandin Cooks would seem to further diminish Danny Amendola‘s role in New England, but the team kept him on the roster despite his impending $6MM base salary and $7.791MM cap number for 2017. New England will reduce that salary if Amendola comes back for ’17, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, but the team is open to the possibility of the veteran returning at a lower rate. The 31-year-old wideout failed to surpass 250 yards receiving for the second time in his Patriots tenure last season, but Reiss notes the door seems open for a fifth Amendola Patriots year if he’s willing to work for less money. Amendola’s five-year deal runs through 2017, and the former Rams target accepted paycuts the past two offseasons. He made $1.25MM in base salary in each campaign.

Here’s more from the Eastern divisions.

UFA defensive end Howard Jones plans to make a few other visits before making a decision next week, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv (on Twitter). The team Jones visited Friday, the Jets, are still in the mix, Vacchiano notes. Beginning the year as an ERFA whom the Buccaneers did not offer a tender, Jones finished with five sacks in 2015 but none last season. He would profile as an outside linebacker in Gang Green’s 3-4 scheme. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranked the third-year player as one of the 15 best edge defenders still available in free agency.
The Jets aren’t in a hurry to land their presumptive 2017 starting quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. The team could bring in Jay Cutler for a visit after meeting with Josh McCown this weekend, but the quarterback market in somewhat of a holding pattern — and few teams competing with the Jets for Cutler — could well point to a Cutler trek to the Big Apple for a meeting. Gang Green reached out to the soon-to-be 34-year-old passer earlier this week.
The Dolphins are expected to give Jarvis Landry a “sizable” extension this offseason, James Walker of ESPN writes. This was the expectation last season, but the Fins now have Kenny Stills back on an $8MM-AAV deal. Landry has been the better player over the course of his career and would stand to earn more than that. Doug Baldwin and Tavon Austin reset the slot receiver market last summer, agreeing to extensions that paid them $11.5MM and $10.5MM per year, respectively. Landry will enter his age-24 season on the heels of back-to-back 1,100-yard slates.
Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Giants extension will count $7.5MM against the cap in 2017, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes. JPP’s deal created more than $9MM in cap space for 2017, since the eighth-year defensive end would have been attached to a $16.9MM figure due to being franchise-tagged for the second time. As of Sunday, Big Blue has $12.7MM in cap space remaining.
Eli Manning has three years remaining on his latest Giants contract, but Raanan does not anticipate the team targeting his successor in this draft. Although Raanan could envision a mid- or late-round pick coming to New York as a developmental candidate, the Giants will likely target the 36-year-old Manning’s heir apparent in a future draft. Jerry Reese said in January the team has started to look for their next quarterback, but the team having signed Geno Smith and agreeing to re-sign Josh Johnson may have assembled the Giants’ QB depth chart for this season.

East Notes: D-Jax, Jets, Hightower

February 19th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Rory Parks

We recently heard that Redskins receiver DeSean Jackson, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, could command an annual salary of at least $10MM on his next contract, despite the fact that he is a 30-year-old receiver whose game is predicated on speed. Today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lends more support to those rumblings, reporting that Jackson will be generating strong interest as free agency approaches. Of course, Jackson has expressed interest in re-signing with Washington and in returning to Philadelphia, but he would likely have to take a lesser salary to stay with the Redskins and he seems to be a little resentful about the way things ended with the Eagles. But as Florio observes, it seems as if Jackson’s choice will not be limited to two clubs.

Now for more from the league’s east divisions:

Regardless of what the Jets choose to do with Darrelle Revis, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that the team is exploring the upper end of the free agent cornerback market and could make a quick splash once free agency opens. A.J. Bouye, Stephon Gilmore, Trumaine Johnson and Logan Ryan are all options for Gang Green.
If the Patriots use a tag on impending free agent Dont’a Hightower, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes it will be the $11MM transition tag rather than the $14.5-15MM franchise tag. The transition tag allows New England the right of first refusal on any offer Hightower receives in free agency, although it does not allow the Pats to recoup any draft pick compensation if they choose to not match such an offer.
In the same piece, Reiss reports that Patriots receiver Danny Amendola will not be back on his current contract, which is scheduled to pay him $6MM in 2017. However, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes that New England values what Amendola can contribute on offense and on special teams, so the club would like him to have him back at a reduced salary. Given that Amendola has agreed to a restructure in each of the last two offseasons, and given that he posted only 23 catches for 243 yards in 2016, it seems likely that the two sides will be able to work something out.
In his latest chat with fans, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News says that he expects the Cowboys to select a defensive end with one of their first two picks in this year’s draft. The 2017 class has a fair amount of talent at the edge rushing positions, so Dallas should be able to land a quality prospect even though they are picking near the end of each round.
Yesterday, the Dolphins inked defensive end Cameron Wake to an extension that will keep him in Miami through 2018.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola Suffers Injury

December 5th, 2016 at 8:47am CST by Zachary Links

Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola suffered a high-ankle sprain yesterday against the Rams, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The plan now is to make sure he’s ready for the playoffs, Rapoport writes, so it sounds like he could be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

Once a focal part of the Pats’ offense, Amendola has been downgraded to more of a supporting role this season. In 12 games, the veteran has just 23 catches for 243 yards, though he does have a career high of four receiving touchdowns. That’s a step down from last year’s 65 grabs for 648 yards or his 2012 season in which he had 54 catches for 633 yards in a 12-game season.

Amendola’s injury is unfortunate, particularly after losing star tight end Rob Gronkowski. However, the Pats do have an impactful receiver in rookie Malcolm Mitchell. Yesterday, the fourth-round pick caught eight of ten targets for 82 yards. His targets and production have been ramping up in recent weeks and it is expected that he will continue to draw looks going forward.

It also helps that the Pats more or less have the AFC East sewn up. Over the next month, the Pats are pretty much playing for the top seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

AFC Notes: Patriots, Broncos, Woodhead

August 28th, 2016 at 11:30am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots signed Terrance Knighton to a one-year, $4.5MM deal this offseason to serve as a key cog in the interior of the club’s defensive front, but now Pot Roast is in danger of being cut, as Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com writes. Knighton struggled in the team’s second preseason game against Chicago, and he did not log a single defensive snap during New England’s third preseason contest against Carolina on Friday night.

Knighton, who insisted that he is completely healthy, expressed his frustration afterwards. He said, “It’s disappointing just because, you know, I’ve played a lot of ball in this league, seen a lot of things. I’m not going to make too much of it. It is what it is. Whatever happens, happens. If I’m here, I’m here. If I’m not, I’m not. I’m just taking it a day at a time.”

If Knighton does indeed receive his walking papers, he should be able to find work with a club looking for a dependable and durable run-stuffer.

Now for some more notes from the AFC:

It’s looking more and more like Patriots WR Danny Amendola will stay on the PUP list and miss at least the first six games of the regular season, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.
The Patriots had assigned rookie corner Cyrus Jones the same grade as several other players who were still available when the club was set to make its first draft pick (No. 60 overall) this year. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the team selected Jones because of his dynamic return ability, which he demonstrated in a big way with a 60-yard punt return Friday night. Reiss points out that Jones taking over the role could help preserve 30-year old returners Julian Edelman and Amendola from taking additional pounding.
Trevor Siemian likely cemented his status as the Broncos‘ starting quarterback after turning in a solid performance during last night’s preseason victory over Los Angeles, Mike Klis of 9News.com writes. At this point Klis would be surprised if the Broncos didn’t release Mark Sanchez, a move that would save the team $4.5MM and a seventh-round pick.
Troy Renck of Denver7 believes that Tavon Austin‘s new four-year, $42MM deal with Los Angeles will set the floor in Emmanuel Sanders‘ contract negotiations with the Broncos (Twitter link). As Renck observes, Sanders is older than Austin, but his production level has thus far been superior.
Danny Woodhead is entering the final year of the two-year extension he signed with the Chargers in 2014, and he would like to remain with the club long-term, as Michael Gehlken of The San Diego Union-Tribune writes. However, contract talks between team and player prior to training camp were unproductive, with the Chargers determining it was not in position to extend Woodhead for a variety of cited factors, including cash committed to other contracts this year. Woodhead, though, will not publicly comment on his contract situation, and simply indicated a desire to focus on the 2016 season.

AFC Notes: Amendola, Sanchez, Mettenberger

May 16th, 2016 at 7:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Patriots receiver Danny Amendola underwent a pair of surgeries this offseason, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. The 30-year-old had surgery on his injured left knee, and he also had an operation to remove a bone spur in his ankle. Despite these ailments, Amendola still managed to play 14 games last season, compiling 65 catches for 648 yards and three touchdowns.

There is hope that Amendola will be healthy enough for training camp, but the organization is not planning on rushing him back. Since it’s so early in the process, Howe notes that there is “no guarantee” that the wideout will be ready for Week 1.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Broncos quarterback Mark Sanchez injured his left thumb in the weight room last week, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The 29-year-old underwent surgery on Saturday, but he is only expected to miss “a few OTAs.”
Broncos tight end Jeff Heuerman says he’s back to 100% on his knee, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post tweets. Heuerman, the 92nd overall pick in last year’s draft, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during rookie camp last year and missed the entire 2015 season.
Indianapolis castoff Bjoern Werner could be another late bloomer for the Jaguars, Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union writes. Buffalo struck gold in the 2013 offseason when they traded with Indy for defensive end Jerry Hughes, a player who many had written off. Since then, Hughes has racked up 25 sacks for Jacksonville over the last three seasons. Werner has yet to produce in the NFL, but he is still just 25 years old and could theoretically turn things around with a change of scenery. The Jaguars signed Werner to a prove-it deal late last week.
The Titans released Zach Mettenberger today in order to give him a chance to do his OTAs and minicamp with a team and learn their system, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Patriots, Danny Amendola Rework Contract

May 10th, 2016 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 10, 8:12am: Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has the details on Amendola’s new-look contract for 2016, which calls for a pay cut from a $5MM base salary to a far more modest $1.25MM salary. Amendola previously could have maxed out at $6MM in 2016 with bonuses and incentives, but now won’t make more than $1.6MM this season. The deal features a $100K signing bonus and up to $250K in per-game roster bonuses for 2016, while the 2017 terms remain unchanged.

MAY 6, 9:57am: Despite some offseason additions at the wide receiver position, the Patriots won’t be parting ways with veteran wideout Danny Amendola, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a reworked contract that will allow Amendola to remain on the roster. It’s a two-year, $7.35MM deal for Amendola, with another $750K available in roster bonuses and catch incentives, per Garafolo.

“It’s an honor to play for this franchise and with this group of guys,” Amendola said in a statement, according to Garafolo. “We have one goal — to win another Championship and that’s all we care about.”

Amendola, who has spent the last three years in New England, enjoyed his best season as a Patriot in 2015, catching 65 balls for 648 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular season contests. The Texas Tech product added another 57 yards on seven receptions in the postseason.

Despite his solid year though, Amendola was in jeopardy of losing his roster spot due to his rising salary and the incoming additions to the Patriots’ WR depth chart. Within the last two months, the club has added Chris Hogan and Nate Washington in free agency, and used a fourth-round pick on Malcolm Mitchell. The Pats also have Julian Edelman in the mix, and will use tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett frequently in the passing game.

Before agreeing to a restructured contract, Amendola had been set to earn base salaries of $5MM in 2016 and $6MM in 2017, with per-game roster bonuses of up to $500K annually. Those salaries and bonuses were entirely non-guaranteed, so while Amendola’s projected pay for 2016 has decreased, he’ll actually get the opportunity to earn that pay now.

As for his cap hit, we’ll have to wait to see how the new agreement is structured, but the 30-year-old had been set to count for $6.804MM on the Patriots’ books in 2016. That number will now be reduced.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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