Every Saturday throughout the offseason, one question from Twitter will be selected to further explore a relevant topic around the New England Patriots.
@MikeReiss you've suggested that Amendola's roster spot and salary are in doubt but doesn't his added special teams value make him worth it?
— Eric Stockman (@utterlack) March 25, 2016
Eric, I could make a strong case that Danny Amendola is indeed worth it. The first thing that comes to mind is the trust he's developed with Tom Brady as a receiver, which is something that is hard to gain. That has added value when considering that Brady is going to be 39 on Aug. 3, highlighting how opportunities to make a championship run are narrowing.
So why voluntarily take away a receiver in Brady's circle of trust? Amendola is also coming off an excellent season (65 catches) while playing 51.5 percent of the snaps and is important depth as a projected No. 3 option. Add in the work he does as a returner, especially with the possibility of more kickoff returns with the new rules placing a touchback at the 25-yard line, and that is the foundation of the argument to absorb the $5 million base salary and $6.8 million cap charge -- both team highs for receivers.
Sometimes a player's cap charge isn't always in line with his projected role, but Amendola put the team first and took a pay cut last year, and that counts for something, too. All that said, I have doubts that Bill Belichick will ultimately be thinking along those lines and that's why I see this as a situation to watch as the year unfolds. Do the Patriots approach Amendola about a pay cut for a second year in a row? They are a better team with Amendola, but the projected No. 3 role/economics are a factor of note in this situation, and the team's track record in making tough economic decisions is solid.