Rumor: Pats could sign both Danny Amendola and Wes Welker

[Deus Irae]

Sorry but no one is talking about defense most lately Douche...its about adding more slot receivers......we don't need slot receivers if Welker remains here,they will most likely keep Edelman on the cheap and should look to a deep threat if anything is needed at receiver.

How many teams do you really think would pay big bucks for Edelman? ....

I like the guy but he has missed a decent amount of time with injuries over the past few years and I think they could get him at about the same type of deal they could get Woodhead back for...not dirt cheap but far from a lucrative deal.

..........

 

[Jimke]

How many teams do you really think would pay big bucks for Edelman? ....

I like the guy but he has missed a decent amount of time with injuries over the past few years and I think they could get him at about the same type of deal they could get Woodhead back for...not dirt cheap but far from a lucrative deal.

In my opinion, Edleman is vastly over-rated by many posters on this forum.
I am hoping that BB doesn't cut off his nose to spite his face by cutting LLoyd
and letting Welker walk. This would put the Patriots in a bind where they
might over pay Edleman.

 

[supafly]

The Patriots may have to offer Edleman a very generous contract to re-sign.
This would enable them to have one wide receiver with a little experience.

I don't think we'll need to worry about Belichick overspending to bring back Edelman. He couldn't possibly warrant a 'generous' contract. Besides being a good ST player all he's proven to be is a developmental receiver as a work in progress. Belichick isn't going to overpay for anyone, let alone Edelman.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Llyod's roster bonus isn't due until 4 full days after free agency, so they will have a very good read on who is staying/leaving by then before they leave the cupboard bare.

There are a lot of options for the slot if Welker ends up leaving. You could use Hernandez there more, you could combine Edelman with someone else (or use him by himself and deal with the injury concerns), you could draft a player like Tavon Austin, or you could bring in an outsider like Amendola for 6 million per year. I'm not saying it's not a concern re: him not being retained, but there are other options that may be able to provide a good chunk of his production at a fraction of the cost.

Obviously the best thing to hope for is that we resign Welker, but I wouldn't think that Edelman will command anything more than 2 million a year myself.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

..........

What is your purpose of the two quotes?

I said Edelman can be signed on the cheap and not a large contract as I see few teams interested in his services,especially no chance of a bidding war on him.

Dirt cheap is like veteran minimum.....he should get more than that but still cheap compared to what Welker will get once he is back on the roster.

What part of that do you fail to understand?

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I don't think we'll need to worry about Belichick overspending to bring back Edelman. He couldn't possibly warrant a 'generous' contract. Besides being a good ST player all he's proven to be is a developmental receiver as a work in progress. Belichick isn't going to overpay for anyone, let alone Edelman.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Llyod's roster bonus isn't due until 4 full days after free agency, so they will have a very good read on who is staying/leaving by then before they leave the cupboard bare.

There are a lot of options for the slot if Welker ends up leaving. You could use Hernandez there more, you could combine Edelman with someone else (or use him by himself and deal with the injury concerns), you could draft a player like Tavon Austin, or you could bring in an outsider like Amendola for 6 million per year. I'm not saying it's not a concern re: him not being retained, but there are other options that may be able to provide a good chunk of his production at a fraction of the cost.

Obviously the best thing to hope for is that we resign Welker, but I wouldn't think that Edelman will command anything more than 2 million a year myself.

I agree that Edelman is worth more like 1.5m to maybe 1.75m mainly because he is a very decent kick returner compared to others on the team ,Woodhead is awful at it and McCourty hasn't shown much and Welker out there returning kicks makes me nervous.

 

[supafly]

I agree that Edelman is worth more like 1.5m to maybe 1.75m mainly because he is a very decent kick returner compared to others on the team ,Woodhead is awful at it and McCourty hasn't shown much and Welker out there returning kicks makes me nervous.

I think anytime you can get the ball in Edelman's hands in space you're raising your odds of him making a big play. He excels in punt returns but has also shown that he can return kickoffs too, although to a lesser degree. He offers some good options at trick plays and YACs at times.

I think our kickoff return game will have some new candidates in the mix, when you factor in some of the draft picks, potential free agent signings, and guys like Demps etc are possibly returning. They will likely be in the mix with Woodhead and Edelman, depending on who comes back. I'm sure Belichick sees it as something that could use an upgrade.

 

[Bhelmet]

Until proven otherwise, whatever Edelman gets paid - it is for 1/2 a season. I believe he will stay here - very reasonably at that - and Woody will be retained as well - especially since I believe Brady wants him here. If Edelman stays on his current trajectory and finds a way to play 12+ games, he could be a very pleasant surprise. Edelman needs to take a page (no more than that) out of Lloyd's repertoire when it comes to avoiding the contact.

 

[letekro]

Until proven otherwise, whatever Edelman gets paid - it is for 1/2 a season. I believe he will stay here - very reasonably at that - and Woody will be retained as well - especially since I believe Brady wants him here. If Edelman stays on his current trajectory and finds a way to play 12+ games, he could be a very pleasant surprise. Edelman needs to take a page (no more than that) out of Lloyd's repertoire when it comes to avoiding the contact.

Edelman in my opinion is ultimately going to be frustrating because, although talented and explosive, he plays too recklessly to be consistently healthy.

Oh and what's this nonsense about signing Amendola and Welker?? Amendola averages 8.8 ypc . That is abysmal and not what this team needs. Sign Welker if affordable and if not sign Amendola.

 

[Brady6]

I agree that Edelman is worth more like 1.5m to maybe 1.75m mainly because he is a very decent kick returner compared to others on the team ,Woodhead is awful at it and McCourty hasn't shown much and Welker out there returning kicks makes me nervous.

I can Edelman getting a contract similar to Slaters 3yr/$5.4m last year because of his versatility and ST play. Not because he was an 'elite #2 WR" last year.

And if Edelman doesn't jump at that deal he'd be a moron.

 

[Brady6]

Not a fan at all of this idea unless Welker's deal is only two years and Amendola's contract is way under what his real value is.

I would much rather bring back Edelman as the #2. People forget how great he was playing for us as a starter. He just needs to bulk up a little and strengthen himself so he doesn't get banged up so much, but he was an elite #2 receiver and great playmaker.

RECTGTSYDSAVGLNGTDFDATTYDSAVGLNGTDFUMLST
2012 Regular Season213223511.25631244511.347011

Ahh elite WR stats theses days..

 

[DocHoliday]

Random, but I'm still waiting for the day Edelman throws the ball in a trick play.

Just once McD, please. In a blowout.

 

[EJ Blitz]

I wonder if Brady will ever play with a young speedy deep threat between now and the time he retires. It seems unlikely.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I wonder if Brady will ever play with a young speedy deep threat between now and the time he retires. It seems unlikely.

probably not...but he has 2 of the better/best TEs in the league...1 being the best in the league. Has to count for something

 

[supafly]

Oh and what's this nonsense about signing Amendola and Welker?? Amendola averages 8.8 ypc . That is abysmal and not what this team needs. Sign Welker if affordable and if not sign Amendola.

I seriously doubt that it actually happens myself, but there are some reasons why they could actually make it work better than you might think.

It certainly seems as though Belichick has really made an effort into having Brady get the rid of the ball quickly for various benefits. This past season he led the NFL in quickest release time, with under 2.5 seconds. That would go well with a player like Amendola, who excels in space and can rack up some YACs. It would also continue to benefit the offense's approach of taking advantage of quick moves off the line, protecting Brady, and hiding some of the weaknesses of the offensive line.

The size differential isn't much at all. Amendola is only an inch shorter than Llyod and about 10 lbs lighter. He has experience in McDaniel's offense already, and also offers a great replacement to either one of Welker/Edelman (assuming they may not keep both). He returns punts, and he does it pretty well at times too.

I don't think it'll happen, but there seems to be a somewhat limited WR market if they try to replace Llyod. Do I think it would be the best match? No, but many here were fine with going out and getting Hartline to replace Llyod, so I do think it could be done better than you may initally think. One thing you need to remember is that Amendola played primarily in the slot where his YPA is going to be lower than a guy like Llyod. He also played in the horrid offensive hell which is St.Louis too, so that may come into play when assessing the stats.

 

[supafly]

I wonder if Brady will ever play with a young speedy deep threat between now and the time he retires. It seems unlikely.

I don't think we'll ever see anything like the speedy, deep ball throws to Moss in 2007 again, but I think there's a decent chance that this year or next we could have someone on the quick side as a receiver, sure.

Unless, of course, it's by design--which is something that we've spoken of before. I suppose it's possible that Belichick may be doing this for a reason, trying to protect Brady/prolong his career, etc, not that I'm saying that's the case.

 

[letekro]

I seriously doubt that it actually happens myself, but there are some reasons why they could actually make it work better than you might think.

It certainly seems as though Belichick has really made an effort into having Brady get the rid of the ball quickly for various benefits. This past season he led the NFL in quickest release time, with under 2.5 seconds. That would go well with a player like Amendola, who excels in space and can rack up some YACs. It would also continue to benefit the offense's approach of taking advantage of quick moves off the line, protecting Brady, and hiding some of the weaknesses of the offensive line.

The size differential isn't much at all. Amendola is only an inch shorter than Llyod and about 10 lbs lighter. He has experience in McDaniel's offense already, and also offers a great replacement to either one of Welker/Edelman (assuming they may not keep both). He returns punts, and he does it pretty well at times too.

I don't think it'll happen, but there seems to be a somewhat limited WR market if they try to replace Llyod. Do I think it would be the best match? No, but many here were fine with going out and getting Hartline to replace Llyod, so I do think it could be done better than you may initally think. One thing you need to remember is that Amendola played primarily in the slot where his YPA is going to be lower than a guy like Llyod. He also played in the horrid offensive hell which is St.Louis too, so that may come into play when assessing the stats.

All of this begs the question....why not just keep Lloyd, rather than projecting a small, slow, slot receiver to an outside position??? Oh that's right, Lloyd is weird.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

probably not...but he has 2 of the better/best TEs in the league...1 being the best in the league. Has to count for something

Yeah but neither can stay on the field all season.
That's what kills me about the way the Patriots have busted Wes' balls. He's the ONE they can and do rely on every season and he can't get paid.
There's a part of me that hopes Wes pulls an Adam Vinatieri and signs with a good team, never gives the Pats a chance to match and then wins a ring.

 

[stcjones]

Why does everyone want Amendola so bad? He isn't a compliment to Welker when sharing the field and he isn't remotely close to a replacement for Welker if he leaves. It's like celebrating being the runner-up in a 2 man race.

What's with the love for him? He's played in 42 of 64 games including missing 20 of the last 32 and people argue that he isn't injury prone. His "ultra productive" seasons are half of Welker's yardage and he has a career YPC of 8.8.

I don't get it. This guy is NOT an acceptable replacement or outside compliment. We don't need ANOTHER underneath player, we'd have Welker, both tight ends, and then Amendola? Edelman if we bring him back?

Have you watched Amendola play??? He is VERY similiar to Wes and given the same reps in the same schemes/plays here, I think you would not find a significant drop off. Heck Edelman filled in pretty darned nicely here when Welker was out. Now I am not saying that anyone is going to be a carbon copy of welker here....he is a tremendous talent. But can his productivity be met at 90% of what he did here by Amendola and/or Edelman given the way we run our plays with Gronk, Ahern, and the other (hopefully more vertical) WR's???? There is always alot of room open in the middle and on the slant in this offense right now. Even Danny Woodhead is capable of doing some of this if he is still here.......I think the Pats will do whatever they can within reason to get Wes,......but if they can't get it done....Bring in Amendola and lets go!!!

 

[Sicilian]

Yeah but neither can stay on the field all season.
That's what kills me about the way the Patriots have busted Wes' balls. He's the ONE they can and do rely on every season and he can't get paid.
There's a part of me that hopes Wes pulls an Adam Vinatieri and signs with a good team, never gives the Pats a chance to match and then wins a ring.

Slightly off the thread topic, but this notion that Gronk can't stay healthy for a season seems unfair. Hernandez sure, he always seems to miss a few games with something nagging, but Gronk played all 16 regular season games in his first two seasons, then got his ankle rolled freakily and still played (though limited) in the Super Bowl. He then didn't miss any time coming into the next regular season, until he broke an arm.

Injury concerns are usually kept for the type of player that just always seems to have "something". It's not like he broke the arm due to poor conditioning, poor technique, or a reckless style. It broke on an extra point, then rebroke due to complications with the plate. I feel pretty confident that he's going to be around for the whole season next year. And if he's not, I'm guessing it's just another bad luck thing that could just as easily happen to Welker (aka, blowing out his ACL on a cut without being touched).

 

[strngplyr]

Have you watched Amendola play??? He is VERY similiar to Wes and given the same reps in the same schemes/plays here, I think you would not find a significant drop off. Heck Edelman filled in pretty darned nicely here when Welker was out. Now I am not saying that anyone is going to be a carbon copy of welker here....he is a tremendous talent. But can his productivity be met at 90% of what he did here by Amendola and/or Edelman given the way we run our plays with Gronk, Ahern, and the other (hopefully more vertical) WR's???? There is always alot of room open in the middle and on the slant in this offense right now. Even Danny Woodhead is capable of doing some of this if he is still here.......I think the Pats will do whatever they can within reason to get Wes,......but if they can't get it done....Bring in Amendola and lets go!!!

Why is everyone so willing to replace Welker with a guy who has played 12 games over the past 2 seasons and has 1 full season under his belt?

Welker has missed 3 games in 8 seasons, Amendola has missed 22 games in 4 seasons.

He won't replace any production if he doesn't play.

Since Ras-I "Made of Glass" Dowling joined the NFL in 2011 he has only played in 3 fewer games than Amendola who some people claim doesn't have an injury problem.

I'm not trusting Welker's "replacement" with someone who hasn't played for a full seasons worth of games in the last 2 seasons combined, sorry. The only reason we would potentially not see a drop-off in production is if Hernandez and Gronk both went over 1,000 yards, it won't be because of Amendola or even Edelman.