Are we just ignoring production when making our determinations? Eddie Royal had 3 times the catches, 4 times the yards, and 7 times the touchdowns last season. #18 on the list Miles Austin had 47 catches for 568 yards last season and is around the same age. I think you need to look at the list again and be more objective, #7 is way off..
Not to my eyes.
A receiver can only catch that which is thrown to him. If a healthy Welker had been on the team in 2013, Edelman wouldn't have gotten near 1000 yards. Similarly, if Amendola hadn't gotten hurt, I honestly - HONESTLY - believe that his numbers and Edelman's would have reversed that year (they have the same catch rate, YPC, etc.).
I'm looking at that list as a GM, honestly. There is very little below #6 that I find intriguing. Royal and Austin are two that might come in equal to my eyes to Amendola, though I've never been big on Royal.
I know Amendola can make the clutch play. I know he'll die on the field to win. Depending on the circumstance of my team - what kind of receiver am I looking for - the only ones I put ahead of him on my wish list are 1-6.
Amendola's lack of production has more to do with the emergence of JE, who in my mind has ABSOLUTELY become a pro-bowl receiver, than anything else. Amendola and LaFell are different types of receivers with different roles to play and there is a lot of overlap between Amendola and Edelman. Similar to Manny Sanders' breakout as soon as he got out from under Brown's shadow.
I hope he stays. If JE gets hurt, have DA walk onto the field makes me feel a helluva lot better than anything else we have. I was hoping Boyce would step up, but if he is, there's no indication of it from BB at this point.
I've already agreed that I doubt the Pats will pay him 4.5 for next year - unless they have plans to greatly expand his role. I think Deus's post is spot on.
And again, below Crabtree, there's really no one on that list I'd jump up and down over if I heard he was coming to the Pats.