Could Patriots Get Amendola To Replace Welker?
There appears to be some déjà vu in New England regarding slot receivers for the Patriots. Current wideout Wes Welker and free agent Danny Amendola are very similar, which could lead to Amendola one day replacing Welker as the team’s sure-handed slot man.
Tom Curran of CSNNE.com compares how Welker joined the Patriots and how Amendola could potentially walk along the exact same road. Welker—undrafted out of Texas Tech—was a second-round tender by the Miami Dolphins in 2006 before joining the Patriots. Currently, Amendola—also undrafted out of Texas Tech—is a second-round tender by the St. Louis Rams, and could be joining the Patriots.
However, the similarities don’t end there. The Boston Herald compares Welker’s stats in his last two years with the Dolphins to Amendola’s in his last two seasons with the Rams, and the numbers are very much the same.
Curran brings up the fact that, since Welker is the Patriots franchise player for 2012, his contract is $9.5 million, which may make it harder for the team to sign Amendola. But it is possible that either the Patriots reach a long-term contract with Welker to make room for Amendola, or sign Amendola this season to replace Welker in 2013 if the Patriots don’t re-sign Welker then.
It does seem a little bit complicated from a business standpoint, but Amendola at age 26 might be a more suitable (and cheaper) long-term option for the Patriots in the slot than Welker at age 30. If somehow they can both be on the field together, along with the Patriots two-headed monster at tight end with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Tom Brady may have yet another record-breaking MVP season.
