Patriots’ Danny Amendola’s roster spot could be in danger
By Mike Dyce
The New England Patriots let wide receiver Wes Welker leave and brought in Danny Amendola to fill his role. Welker is playing in the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos while Amendola might not even be on the team next season.
From Boston Globe:
"Danny Amendola may be fighting for a roster spot come March 11, the first day of the 2014 league year. Amendola signed a five-year deal worth $28.5 million ($10 million guaranteed last March), and $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. Amendola is coming off a disappointing season in which he missed four games and lost Tom Brady’s trust, and could be in danger of being cut. It would cost the Patriots $4.8 million against the cap to outright cut him, which seems unlikely given their tight cap situation, but they 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."
The injury concerns that made teams hesitant when Amendola came on the market showed themselves in New England. Amendola otherwise had a normal year for him. He recorded 633 yards and two touchdowns on 54 catches.