New England Patriots Rumors: Danny Amendola worth bringing back

The New England Patriots desperately need to improve their pass-catching core in the offseason. Bringing back a familiar face in Danny Amendola would help.

One of the biggest issues for the New England Patriots in 2019 was the futility at both wide receiver and tight end. No pass catcher for the Patriots other than Julian Edelman was able to consistently create separation, and it made things difficult for Tom Brady.

The result was an offense ranked 15th in yards and just 22nd in yards per play.

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The Patriots have roughly $42 million in cap space and much of that number will be eaten if they are able to retain Brady.

However, they don’t need to break the bank in order to improve the receiver position. Danny Amendola is a free agent and it would be a fantastic idea for the Patriots to pursue him.

Amendola is no spring chicken at the age of 34, but he’s coming off a solid season with the Detroit Lions. In fact, since he left the Patriots his numbers haven’t taken a dip at all compared to his best seasons with Brady throwing him the ball. He also will not command a great deal of money, as his one year deal with Detroit was worth $4,500,000.

It’s safe to assume that he would likely take around that number or less for whoever he wants to play for next, given that teams probably won’t be eagerly lining up for his services at this stage in his career.

Regardless, Amendola is still capable of being a complimentary piece who would essentially be able to slide right back into the same role he previously had with the Patriots.

Amendola alone isn’t enough to make the Patriots’ offense go back to being elite, but he already has the trust of Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He had a tendency to come up big for the Patriots when it mattered the most, which is something they missed in 2019. Fans in New England called him “Playoff Danny” for a reason.

Amendola could have been a serious difference maker on the Patriots this season. When you look back on the season, there were times where they just needed an extra play or two on offense to make a difference.

If Amendola were in the place of Mohamed Sanu or Jakobi Meyers, maybe the team would still be playing right now. Amendola’s knowledge of the offense along with his rapport with the quarterback and the offensive coordinator is enough of a reason to at least try to get him back into a New England Patriots uniform.

He’s never gonna be that guy who catches 90 passes or sniffs 1,000 yards in a season, but that’s never been expected of him anyways.

Truth be told, the Patriots don’t have to go out and drop big money or assets for an All-Pro caliber receiver in the offseason. They really just need a couple of guys who can get open with crisp route-running and have good hands. and Danny Amendola checks both of those boxes off.