Are Danny Amendola's Days Numbered In New England?
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- After the Patriots' flurry of free agent moves, including wide receiver Chris Hogan and tight end Martellus Bennett, Danny Amendola became a prime candidate for a restructuring of his contract. But according to new reports, Amendola could be in a different uniform next season.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Wednesday night that a "source with knowledge of the situation" said it's "possible" that Amendola could be gone from New England by the start of the 2016 season.
Considering the money the Patriots have added to the payroll in the offseason, and the need to iron out extensions for key defensive players like Malcolm Butler, Jamie Collins, and Dont'a Hightower, they will likely make an attempt to retain Amendola on a restructured contract before making any other moves. But if Amendola stands his ground on his current deal - which includes a $5 million base salary, $437,500 in roster bonuses, and $6.8 million cap hit - that could make him vulnerable to be traded or cut outright.
According to PatsCap.com, the Patriots would save about $3.96 million in cap space if they cut or trade Amendola after June 1, which moves future prorated roster bonuses to the 2016 payroll and frees up space on the 2017 cap. The Patriots have glaring needs to extend key players beyond 2016, so it would make sense for the Patriots to either restructure or move Amendola before June 2.
However, CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora tweeted that the Patriots are "trying to rework [Amendola's] deal to keep him around," which is top be expected. So if Amendola is cut or traded, it would probably happen before June 2, but such a move is far from imminent.
With Amendola set to create a bigger cap hit than Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, command the fourth-highest base salary on the entire team, and create something of a redundancy when considering the team's financial commitment to Hogan, it's practically guaranteed that the Patriots will not simply stand pat with this contract.
What do you think the Patriots will do with Amendola this offseason? Vote below.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
