Report: Patriots offering Amendola, may cut WR

Danny Amendola might be done with the Patriots. (USATSI)

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One of the biggest disappointments of the Patriots season was receiver Danny Amendola, who signed a five-year deal worth $28.5 million as a free agent (with $10 million guaranteed) before the season and was expected to replace the production of the departed Wes Welker.

Instead of the 100-catch season New England might have expected out of the slot for Amendola, he was injured for part of the year and managed only 54 catches for 633 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.

As such, the Patriots reportedly are dangling Amendola as trade bait, according to Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei.

Pompei also writes that if a trade can't be completed, the Patriots could simply release Amendola, who costs $4.575 million against the 2014 salary cap but who would leave behind $6.8 million in dead money.

As friend of the blog, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, wrote in January, "$2 million of his $3 million base salary in 2014 becomes guaranteed if he's on the roster at 4 p.m. on March 11. ... [The Patriots] could designate him a post-June 1 cut, which would give him cap charges of $1.2 million in 2014 and $3.6 million in 2015. The Patriots could then use those savings to sign free agent Julian Edelman."

Either way, it seems that Amendola's reign with the Patriots is in serious danger of ending after just one disappointing season.

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Could WR Danny Amendola be one-and-done with Patriots?



The Patriots signed Danny Amendola to a five-year contract last March, but there is at least a chance that the oft-injured wideout doesn't last long enough to see year two in New England.Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei wrote Friday that Amendola's name has been "floated" in trade talks by anonymous NFL teams. There is also talk by beat writers that Amendola could be cut. It would cost the Patriots $4.8 million to cut Amendola, but if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, they would have to pay only $1.2 million of that price this year



Amendola suffered a debilitating groin injury in Week 1 and never seemed to be the same after that 10-catch, 104-yard performance. He missed four games, topped 60 yards just twice more and saw his playing time reduced severely late in the season. Injuries are a part of the package with Amendola, but I think he can still be very productive in this offense IF he stays healthy. However, it sounds like Amendola's future is directly tied to whether or not the Patriots re-sign free agent wide receiver Julian Edelman.