Danny Amendola - Pro Football Rumors

AFC East Notes: Unga, McCourty, Jets

July 20th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills will be the first team to open training camp in 2014, with a 6pm practice this evening. And, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, every team in the league will be in camp by this time next week. As the anticipation continues to build, let’s take a look at some Bills notes and swing around the rest of AFC East on this Sunday morning:

Mike Rodak of ESPN.com wonders if the recently-signed Stevenson Sylvester can crack the Bills‘ roster. Rodak pegs Sylvester’s chances at 40%, writing that Sylvester’s best chance to make the club is as a contributor on special teams.
Rodak also tweets that the Bills have removed guard J.J. Unga from the active/non-football injury list, but Marcell Dareus remains on that list.
Rock star Jon Bon Jovi has been confirmed as a partner in a Toronto-based group interested in buying the Bills, writes Tom Precious of The Buffalo News.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com says a contract extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty is not imminent at this time.
Tom E. Curran of CSNNewEngland pegs Danny Amendola as the Patriots‘ top breakout candidate (as he is every year).
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com breaks down the Jets‘ current linebacker corps.
Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News looks at five issues facing the Jets as training camp approaches, including whether the secondary can hold up and what newly-signed running back Chris Johnson has left in the tank.
Adam H. Beasley of The Miami Herald writes that a renovation of Sun Life Stadium and a more aggressive sales force are helping the Dolphins regain their share of the local market.

AFC Notes: Shorts, Cameron, Patriots

June 8th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

In addition to having a delightful name, Jaguars‘ receiver Cecil Shorts has been one of the few bright spots on the club over the past couple of seasons. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times Union examines the recent extension that Doug Baldwin signed with the Seahawks, and wonders if a similar contract would make sense for Shorts, who will become a free agent at the end of the 2014 season.

O’Halloran concludes that if Jacksonville were to offer Shorts a contract resembling the one that Baldwin received–the Seahawks added two years to Baldwin’s contract to create a three-year, $13MM with $8MM guaranteed–Shorts should jump at the opportunity. Both players have put up similar numbers during their three years in the league, but considering that the Jaguars drafted highly-touted receivers Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee last month, and given that rookie quarterback Blake Bortles will probably find himself under center at some point this season, Shorts’ stats may take a hit. This is not to mention the fact that Shorts has frequently been able to bolster his numbers in garbage time, when the Jaguars were forced to throw the football and opposing teams were willing to let them eat up big but meaningless chunks of yardage. If the Jaguars are more competitive this season, as they expect to be, those opportunities would decrease.

On the other hand, Shorts is doubtlessly a talented and sometimes electric playmaker, so he certainly could eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and drive up his price, particularly if he is able to stay healthy. As such, both sides would do well to consider an extension, and we will see if they enter into talks as we move closer to training camp.

Now a quick look at the AFC:

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com observes that, for the time being, Danny Amendola looks like the player that the Patriots thought they were getting when they signed him to a big free agent deal last year.
Staying on the subject of the Patriots, Christopher Price of WEEI.com notes that the team is “taking it slowly” with the tackle position. Starters Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer have been limited this spring, so the team has been working out Marcus Cannon on the left side of the line and Jordan Devey on the right. Price notes that New England could be on the lookout for depth at tackle, especially since June 1 has come and gone.
Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com notes that Browns tight end Jordan Cameron‘s already-impressive numbers stand to improve in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense and in the absence of Josh Gordon, and that improvement–along with Cameron’s recent changing of agents–should make any long-term negotiations between the two parties very interesting.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains why the Steelers, to the surprise of many, waited until the fifth round of last month’s draft to select a corner. In short, the team believes Antwon Blake and Brice McCain have a great deal to offer should the opportunity arise.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post reexamines the 2011 draft-day trade between the Broncos and 49ers that landed Colin Kaepernick in San Francisco and Rahim Moore, Quinton Carter, and Julius Thomas in Denver.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Revis, Amendola

May 30th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Raiders announced the signings of fourth-round picks Justin Ellis and Keith McGill, the sixth and seventh members of the team’s eight-man draft class to ink rookie contracts. Ellis is a 6-2, 334-pound nose tackle out of Louisiana Tech who profiles as a run stuffer, though he will have to improve his conditioning. McGill is a rare-sized, highly athletic, overaged, unrefined cornerback (6-3, 211) out of Utah whom the Raiders hope can develop into a coverman in the mold of the big, physical, rangy secondary defenders thriving and trendsetting in Seattle.

Here’s a handful more AFC news and notes:

Patriots big-ticket acquisition Darrelle Revis spoke with the local media for the first time, saying, “I’m on my career and my journey, and right now, I’m a New England Patriot. And that’s that.” Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post took notice of Revis’ word choice: “The words “right now” were telling, because logic — and the salary cap — dictates the $20 million team option for 2015 in Revis’ deal means this will be the All-Pro cornerback’s lone season in a Patriots uniform.”
One of Revis’ new teammates, receiver Danny Amendola, managed just 54 receptions for 633 yards (11.7 YPC) and two touchdowns in his first season in New England after signing a five-year $28.5MM ($10MM guaranteed) deal. He was affected by a groin injury that kept him out of four games and hampered him in others, but Amendola — who opted against off-season surgery — tells the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that he’s 100 percent.
Despite making a run at Alex Mack, the Jaguars believe in third-year center Mike Brewster, who has 10 career starts under his belt, said ESPN’s Michael DiRocco in a chat: “They went after Mack because he is by far the best center in the game and they felt they could take a shot. But notice they didn’t go after any other centers in free agency and only drafted one in the sixth round [Luke Bowanko]. That means they felt confident Brewster could do the job and they didn’t view it as a need position.”
ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky wonders if the Titans are better off with a veteran (Charlie Whitehurst) or a young, developmental (Zach Mettenberger) quarterback behind starter Jake Locker.

Patriots Notes: Mallett, RBs, Siliga, Jones

May 23rd, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Panthers GM Marty Hurney isn’t exactly buying Bill Belichick‘s answer when he was asked yesterday if he’d be interested in trading quarterback Ryan Mallett, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss. “He was regarded highly enough as a quarterback coming out [in 2011], and I think the position creates interest in itself,” Hurney said of the Patriots signal caller. “I said this statement [from Belichick] is like if you ever go to dinner and a person says, ‘I don’t want dessert’ so you order a chocolate cake and a big piece of chocolate cake comes out and all of a sudden you look and the other person is eating half of it. I think, if the chocolate cake looks good enough for Bill Belichick, they would be interested in trading Ryan Mallett.”

Meanwhile, Doug Kyed of NESN.com answered roster questions as part of a mailbag. Among his answers:

The futures of running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley, both free agents at year’s end, are dependent upon production, health (in the case of Vereen), ball security (in the case of Ridley) and the performance of rookie James White. As of now, Kyed believes Vereen has a higher chance of being retained.
Nose tackle Sealver Siliga played well in late-season duty, and if that continues through training camp, he’s the “perfect” backup for veteran Vince Wilfork.
Fourth-rounder Bryan Stork, who offers center/guard versatility, could compete for a starting job this season.
Meanwhile, the Pats have yet to add a legitimate No. 3 tight end, seemingly a position of need. Undrafted free agent Justin Jones out of East Carolina could be a sleeper, however, writes Karen Guregian in the Boston Herald. She talked to Jones’ college coach, Ruffin McNeil (who also coached Wes Welker and Danny Amendola in college), who had this to say: “I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised with him. He’ll catch on. He’ll work hard. Justin was taught the same concepts in our offense, as Danny and Wes had at Texas Tech. Plus, he’s got great hands, athleticism, and he’s got length. He was a mismatch any time in the red zone.” The 6-8, 277-pounder went undrafted after not playing in 2013 when he was academically ineligible.

Pats Rumors: Amendola, Smith, Shaughnessy

March 12th, 2014 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Late last night, the Broncos agreed to a six-year, $57MM deal with free agent cornerback Aqib Talib. While the Kansas product’s departure isn’t a total shock, it does leave the Pats with a significant gap to fill this offseason. The latest out of Foxboro..

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) notes that $2MM of Danny Amendola‘s $3MM base salary with the Patriots became guaranteed yesterday. While he has offsets, the $2MM guarantee means he’ll likely stay put in New England.
The Giants have competition for guard Shelley Smith, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. He also has a scheduled visit with the Patriots on Thursday.
The Patriots are hosting outside linebacker Matt Shaughnessy on a visit today, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (on Twitter).

Extra Points: Benton, Dolphins, Amendola

March 1st, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Peter Sowards

The Dolphins have promoted John Benton to offensive line coach and named Jack Bicknell Jr. the team’s assistant offensive line coach, the team announced today.

Benton was originally hired by the Dolphins on January 29. He replaces Jim Turner, who was fired earlier this month for his involvement in the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin bullying scandal.

Bicknell spent the 2013 season as the Steelers‘ offensive line coach. Before that, he had NFL stops with the Chiefs and Giants, and 24 seasons coaching at the collegiate level.

Here are some more bits and pieces from a relatively slow Saturday night…

Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report reported earlier today that the Patriots have “floated” receiver Danny Amendola in trade talks. However, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com said he “would not bet on Amendola being dealt this offseason.”
Regardless of what happens in free agency, Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News says Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans would be the Lions’ best choice “in terms of both talent and need.”
Denard Robinson played just 52 out of 1,056 snaps last year due to inconsistent play, but the Jaguars hope he has an impact in the running back rotation in 2014, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union.
As Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer points out, the Eagles handed out $133MM in contracts in the span of three days last week to four offensive players acquired by current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
A mix-up on draft day last year led to miscommunication between the Cowboys‘ coaching and scouting departments, but Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News said the team has since streamlined its operations and eliminated any possibility of disconnect.
Answering questions from fans in a Twitter mailbag, ESPN Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez said it makes “all the sense in the world” for the team to sign free agent defensive end Jared Allen.
In a similar format, ESPN Browns reporter Pat McManamon said safety Jairus Byrd would be a nice addition to Cleveland’s defensive backfield, but there’s still the possibility he gets re-signed or franchised (again) by the Bills. Byrd and Browns coach Mike Pettine spent a year together in 2013 when Pettine was the Bills‘ defensive coordinator.

Patriots Shopping Danny Amendola?

March 1st, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Matt Feminis

The Patriots have “floated” Danny Amendola in trade talks, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei. After contract negotiations with Wes Welker turned sour last year, the Pats jumped at the chance to replace the veteran slot receiver with Amendola, ostensibly a younger, quieter replica. Amendola was handed a five-year, $28.5MM contract, but managed just 54 catches for 633 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. In two playoff games, he totaled 3-77-0 and was kept off the stat sheet in a season-ending loss to the Broncos.

When healthy, Amendola has been productive, but he’s missed 24 games the last three seasons and his cap hit ($4.575MM in 2014) escalates by $1MM each of the remaining four years. Pompei says Amendola could be cut if a deal is not found.

Patriots Notes: Amendola, Edelman, McCourty

January 26th, 2014 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots may cut Danny Amendola this offseason, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Patriots are facing a difficult cap situation, with $127MM already committed to the team’s top 51 players, not to mention the dead money created by players that have already been cut. In order to alleviate some of their financial constraints, the Pats may elect to designate Amendola as a post-June 1 cut. If the team were to cut Amendola before June 1, the team would immediately take a $4.8MM cap hit. However, if they made Amendola a post-June 1 cut, they would take a $1.2MM hit in 2014, and a $3.6MM hit in 2015.

New England could then use some of the money they save on Amendola to pay free agent Julian Edelman, who emerged as quarterback Tom Brady‘s favorite target after the departure of Wes Welker and in the absence of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Amendola has had difficulty staying healthy throughout the course of his career, but he was able to parlay his flashes of excellence with the Rams into a five-year, $28.5MM free agent contract with the Patriots last March. Despite his continued injury problems in his first season with New England, he would generate significant interest if the Pats were to cut him. Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times tweets that the Ravens would likely take a good look at Amendola should he hit the open market again.

New England might also look to extend safety Devin McCourty to free up some more cap room. Christopher Price of WEEI.com notes that McCourty’s salary is due to take a significant hike for the 2014 season, from $920K to about $3.92MM. His cap hit would be an even larger $5.115MM. As such, Price writes that the Pats would do well do extend McCourty, whose strong ball skills and leadership in the secondary make him a valuable part of the team’s success. McCourty is entering the final year of his rookie contract and would be a free agent at season’s end.