The New England Patriots finally made moves over the weekend to improve their wide receiving corps after a down year in 2013. The team needed to sign some offensive fire power in order to help Tom Brady out in the upcoming season. After signing two top targets, could releasing one be the next move?
The Patriots got their wish and re-signed 2013 leading receiver Julian Edelman. The wide receiver became a free agent after working off a one-year, minimum contract last season. The re-paid the Patriots by putting up his best season yet, with 1,056 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Edelman had been looking to capitalize off his breakout season and took visits to several teams, but in the end he returned back to Foxboro.
ESPN.com reports the receiver signed a deal to remain with the Patriots, but the terms of the agreement are not yet known. Edelman had been looking for the most money he could receive from any team, so it is assumed that the Patriots contract has a few years and few more zeros on it than what he earned last year.
Along with Edelman, former Carolina Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell will be joining up with Brady on the field. The wide receiver is entering his fifth year in the league and is also coming off a career-high season with 627 yards and five touchdowns at the hands of Cam Newton. LaFell was supposed to visit the Denver Broncos before agreeing to a deal, but instead signed a three-year contract with New England.
After signing both receivers over the weekend, the Patriots are still keeping an eye on the market. ESPN reports that veteran receiver Kenny Britt is supposed to make a visit to Foxboro this week to work out for the team. This only raises more questions about the future of Danny Amendola. The wide receiver is a heavy cap hit for the upcoming season. The Patriots can still designate him as a June 1 cut and he would only count as a $1.2 million hit this season.
New England has been dangling Amendola in trade talks since the offseason officially began, but so far there are no takers. With players like Hakeem Nicks and Emmanuel Sanders now off the market, a wide receiving hungry team could make a move on the veteran who had a disappearing act last season. The Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers are still looking for receivers so Amendola is expected to be gone sooner than later.
