Danny Amendola is tired of talking about last season. The wide receiver was signed by the New England Patriots with the expectations that he becomes Tom Brady's new favorite target after the departure of Wes Welker and the arrest of Aaron Hernandez. However, things did not go as planned and Amendola spent more time rehabbing injuries than developing chemistry with Brady. Now reportedly healthy, the wide receiver has no time to answer injury questions.
During an interview with 98.5 FM "The Sports Hub" in Boston, Amendola was plugging an upcoming event "Catches for Kids." When the hot Adam Jones asked him about his injury history, Amendola promptly hung up the phone. Sensitive issue? Amendola has missed significant time for injuries over the past three years. He had hip injuries last year while suffering a clavicle injury back in 2012.
"It's not something I really think about, to tell you the truth," said Amendola. "My job is to be as healthy as I can and to play good football, and that's really the only thing I focus on, so I don't really think about it too much. I feel really good."
Amendola's health has caused his future to fall into questioning. The pressure is on the wide receiver to perform well in training camp and this season if he is given the chance. Financially, it makes no sense to cut ties with Amendola now considering the Patriots must pay him either way. But there are no guarantees after that. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is saying all of the right things, but is comparing Amendola to a rookie as far as his knowledge with the team goes.
"Danny's not dissimilar to the rookies," McDaniels said, via the Boston Globe . "He wasn't here before, and he had an opportunity to get a foundation and a system last year. And now it's his second year, and it will be exciting to see Danny's growth. Any time you're in your second year in a system, you're more comfortable. We're excited to see what he does."
The positive words of Amendola has not stopped the Patriots from looking at other options. The team has been linked to trades for both Andre Johnson and Denarius Moore in order to give Brady one more down-field threat. They have also brought in both Jermichael Finley and Dustin Keller for visits following the uncertainty surrounding Rob Gronkowski. After last season when the Patriots were hit hard with depth issues, the team does not want to face the same scenario again.
While in the midst of OTAs, McDaniels notes that right now the younger receivers have really taken a leap and look improved this year. Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson were essentially thrown right into the fire last season and while they performed well, they also suffered their share of rookie mistakes. McDaniels does not see that being an issue this year.
"They're not rookies - you can see that right away," McDaniels said. "Now we're not in Stage 1 anymore, and those guys have kind of hit the ground running. Their minds have slowed down so they can process a lot of information. We can count on them to do things after the snap. It will be exciting to see how far we can go with them."
If Amendola has any intention of remaining with the Patriots beyond this season, he must step up because the younger players are right on his heels. After signing a five-year, $28.5 million contract with a $6 million signing bonus, he was expected to put up a lot more than just 54 catches total. Julian Edelman is back along with Brandon LaFell and newly drafted Jeremy Gallon. If Amendola shows any sign of struggle or health issues, he is likely out.
