Who would you rather have? Welker or Amendola?

[Joker]

look at the list ...they ARE there....big, 4.5 receivers right down the list...all they have to do is hit on one...I mean, they can't keep getting deuces every draft they take a shot at a WR...the law of averages should kick in somehow...at least I hope

 

[supafly]

We'll have to see how well Amendola grasps the offense this coming fall and if he can interpret coverages anywhere near the level that Welker did. Welker was very rarely fooled.

It is not a question of whether or not Amendola will grasp the offense as well as Welker did; that will never happen.

The question is if he will grasp it well enough to cover up adequately what we will lose with Welker's departure.

Amendola is quite familiar with the scheme as far as "grasping the offense." I don't think that should be a problem.

As you point out, the main question will be how he is able to read and interpret the coverages and pre snap reads, and whether or not he's able to get on the same page with Brady.

To answer the OP's question--I'd rather have Welker, but there have been some trends that have been pointing in the wrong direction lately that may/may not continue with him in DEN.

If I had to choose a slot receiver to replace Welker it would surely be Amendola though.

 

[patsfan-1982]

i dont care that Welker is gone i just wished they would have signed Heyward-Bey and not Amendola the pats pretty much just give julian edelman 6 million per that's the why i feel about Amendola.... it is what is lets just hope they sign some defense

 

[supafly]

look at the list ...they ARE there....big, 4.5 receivers right down the list...all they have to do is hit on one...I mean, they can't keep getting deuces every draft they take a shot at a WR...the law of averages should kick in somehow...at least I hope

This is exactly why I wouldn't mind if they doubled up with 2 choices in the first 4 rounds. (I am assuming that we acquire a 4th rd pick through trading down at some point)

It worked pretty well with the TE's, RB's, and front seven players last year.

 

[supafly]

i dont care that Welker is gone i just wished they would have signed Heyward-Bey and not Amendola the pats pretty much just give julian edelman 6 million per that's the why i feel about Amendola.... it is what is lets just hope they sign some defense

Amendola is seriously a very tough player. He came back from a potentially season ending injury last year in about 5 weeks. Unfortunately he had some injury problems in the past couple of seasons, but I don't think that is necessarily a trend, and apparently Belichick doesn't either. I wouldn't put him in the "Edelman" category on talent or toughness.

Regarding your DHB want, I don't think they'll bring him here but if they were planning on it or thinking about it at any time, the Amendola signing wouldn't prevent that from happening.


I think the defense and the overall team will be improved, even if we end up taking a step back in the slot.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Welker in a landslide. Better, more consistent, and more durable. I'm not going to get overly emotional about the move like some posters are doing, but it wasn't a good one. The team needs at least one more WR, hopefully in the big, physical, athletic mold.

Yup - I agree.

And I'm amazed that Welker went for so little - and Amendola went for so much.

That being said - Amendola's guaranteed money is less than Welker's - if he's good, we've got him for 5 years. If he's bad it's effectively a two year contract that's less than Welker's.

Meanwhile we've also got the makings of a Three TE set that could drive defenses bonkers, not to mention numerous other pieces of the offensive puzzle -and Belichick isn't even near done assembling a team.

In the end, remind yourself that no one barely knew Welker's name when he came here and blossomed under Brady - one has to think they see the same potential in Amendola.

 

[Joker]

hey, Menino STILL doesn't know his name, Joe...heh

 

[patsfan-1982]

Amendola is seriously a very tough player. He came back from a potentially season ending injury last year in about 5 weeks. Unfortunately he had some injury problems in the past couple of seasons, but I don't think that is necessarily a trend, and apparently Belichick doesn't either. I wouldn't put him in the "Edelman" category on talent or toughness.

Regarding your DHB want, I don't think they'll bring him here but if they were planning on it or thinking about it at any time, the Amendola signing wouldn't prevent that from happening.


I think the defense and the overall team will be improved, even if we end up taking a step back in the slot.

i hope it works out i was not high on Welker when the pats traded for him and i was worng about that i hope im worng about Amendola to

 

[supafly]

Yup - I agree.

And I'm amazed that Welker went for so little - and Amendola went for so much.

That being said - Amendola's guaranteed money is less than Welker's - if he's good, we've got him for 5 years. If he's bad it's effectively a two year contract that's less than Welker's.

Meanwhile we've also got the makings of a Three TE set that could drive defenses bonkers, not to mention numerous other pieces of the offensive puzzle -and Belichick isn't even near done assembling a team.

In the end, remind yourself that no one barely knew Welker's name when he came here and blossomed under Brady - one has to think they see the same potential in Amendola.

I agree with a lot of your post, Joe, with the exception of the notion that "Amendola went for so much."

Most had him pegged squarely in the 6 million dollar aav range, so a 5/31 deal shouldn't be that big of a deal for a player who you point out could very well resemble Welker in a lot of ways. He did have a very nice season catching 85 balls a couple of yrs ago, and he did show a lot of toughness coming back from what most assumed was a season ending injury in only 5 games this year. He's seriously tougher than most people think.

I certainly agree that the shocker was Welker going for so little, but many of us had him pegged at about 3/22--3/24, or 7.5 to 8 million aav. I was actually surprised that so many felt that he would surely get a 4/5 yr deal on the open market and see money in the 40's and 50's, as that just didn't make much sense for a 33 yr old slot receiver (no disrespect intended to those who don't see him as a slot guy).

 

[Sticky Caulk]

It is not a question of whether or not Amendola will grasp the offense as well as Welker did; that will never happen.

How can you know this? There was a time when nobody would have thought Welker could grasp the offense as well as Welker did.

i dont care that Welker is gone i just wished they would have signed Heyward-Bey and not Amendola the pats pretty much just give julian edelman 6 million per that's the why i feel about Amendola.... it is what is lets just hope they sign some defense

Really? Heyward-Bey sucks. He was let go of for a reason. Many players can run fast. Fewer can run fast and possess good football skills.

 

[patsfan-1982]

How can you know this? There was a time when nobody would have thought Welker could grasp the offense as well as Welker did.




Really? Heyward-Bey sucks. He was let go of for a reason. Many players can run fast. Fewer can run fast and possess good football skills.

Darrius Heyward-Bey was cut cause he was makeing 8 million a year with oakland, give him a QB like brady and maybe he starts to show why he was drafted in the top 10

 

[PYPER]

Darrius Heyward-Bey was cut cause he was makeing 8 million a year with oakland, give him a QB like brady and maybe he starts to show why he was drafted in the top 10

I agree about DHB. He had 975 yards in his 3rd year (2011) and then struggled after getting knocked unconscious by the Steelers early in the season last year. He also played well against us in 2011 which seems to be a common factor in many of our pickups.

I wonder how much he would cost? He's definitely worth taking a look at for the right price. The key, I think, is his football intelligence. Is he a guy capable of learning our offense?

 

[Metaphors]

My thoughts:

- You need to consider cap charges for the next 2 years before any significant cap increase hit. Welker will cost $6M per for the next 2 years. I doubt Amendola's hit will be that high over that time.

- Welker has regressed into a body catcher over the last couple of years. He just can't be counted on when a pass is chest-high or above. As a result his target area isn't small, its microscopic. Amendola is a hands catcher with a much larger catch radius.

- Welker has lost some quickness over the last couple of years. He still gets open, but it takes a beat longer to do it. Amendola is faster off the line, but doesn't have the wiggle that Welker has mastered to get open.

- Welker is a high volume receiver. If he isn't on target for 100+ catches, it becomes a story. The Pats are paying Gronk and Hernandez a boatload of cash to own the middle of the field. There reaches a point where Welker is taking opportunities from the TEs. Amendola can be considered successful with lower volume as long as he is highly efficient. Bonus if he can operate effectively away from where the TEs roam.

All that being said, Brady is pretty finicky with his receivers. If he can get on the same page as Amendola, this decision is a no-brainer. There are plenty of options where Brady can (and frankly should) look. All Amendola needs to do is complement the weapons already there...not be a next-gen Welker.

But if Amendola and Brady don't click, all the factors I mentioned above won't matter. In the end, this situation will be evaluated by a single moment in the playoffs. Welker had moments in the last 2 playoffs where he came up small. Amendola doesn't need to have 10 catches...but he does need to have zero missed opportunities.

 

[supafly]

The Pats are paying Gronk and Hernandez a boatload of cash to own the middle of the field. There reaches a point where Welker is taking opportunities from the TEs.

Great thoughts.

This is also a concern I'd have as Welker may take away production from the 2 main targets of Thomas and Decker, who came close to 100 catches each last year.

 

[supafly]

I agree about DHB. He had 975 yards in his 3rd year (2011) and then struggled after getting knocked unconscious by the Steelers early in the season last year. He also played well against us in 2011 which seems to be a common factor in many of our pickups.

I wonder how much he would cost? He's definitely worth taking a look at for the right price. The key, I think, is his football intelligence. Is he a guy capable of learning our offense?

I think that as much as most of us will differ on the specific player, we're going to need to look at some vet signings at the WR position for sure, in addition to a higher draft pick.

The reasons you've listed are likely key in any potential players.

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Darrius Heyward-Bey was cut cause he was makeing 8 million a year with oakland, give him a QB like brady and maybe he starts to show why he was drafted in the top 10

Or maybe he continues to drop a lot of passes and run bad routes.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

All that being said, Brady is pretty finicky with his receivers. If he can get on the same page as Amendola, this decision is a no-brainer. There are plenty of options where Brady can (and frankly should) look. All Amendola needs to do is complement the weapons already there...not be a next-gen Welker.

To paraphrase from someone else here, what Amendola should do is call Aaron Hernandez and ask if he wants a roommate when he's in LA working with Brady.

 

[Ozymandias]

Amendola, easily. And not because I expect him to replace Welker's production or role in the offense. But more so because I expect him to be everything that Welker wasn't and a significant upgrade to Julian Edelman. The jack of all trades receiver that could threaten at all areas of the field.

Welker is a aging, over-the-hill, slow-footed slot receiver without any ability to consistently play on the outside against (and consistently beat) the game's premier cornerbacks on the perimeter. Something Amendola has shown he's capable of doing more adeptly than Welker is. Just ask the Cardinals, Seahawks, and 49ers (who Amendola completely obliterated in their match-up this season and would've easily won the game for them in OT on a 80-yard catch negated by an unfortunate penalty), which player they'd rather go up against on Sundays.

Welker's slightly overrated, because he's not as good as his numbers would suggest. In fact he's overrated precisely because of his numbers. He may catch 100+ balls a season (largely based on scheming) but his declining physical skills along with his already limited catch radius meant its time for the Patriots to head into a new direction. His drops in key situations also don't help his cause. Amendola has no such issue and has exceptionally reliable hands and is a natural hands catcher something Welker no longer is.

Hopefully this signing signifies the end of the over reliance on the slot receiver position which was already being phased out last season by more dynamic players like Hernandez and Edelman, into to a more balanced offense that is not so overly predictable when it comes to the game that actually mean something in January and beyond. And had it not been for untimely injures to Hernandez and Edelman both likely would've eclipsed Welker's inflated production had they stayed healthy all season like he did. Anyone who doubts this need not look any further than their practices in training camp. Both of them were vastly superior to Welker.

And at this stage of the their respective careers, so is Amendola. Younger, faster, more dynamite. They don't call him Dolamite for nothing.

 

[Leemo]

Really? Heyward-Bey sucks. He was let go of for a reason. Many players can run fast. Fewer can run fast and possess good football skills.

DHB has ha da bunch of scrubs throwing him the football. I think he's a different player with Brady throwing him the ball.

 

[patsfan-1982]

Or maybe he continues to drop a lot of passes and run bad routes.

he's last two years in oakland were mid level WR numbers no one is going to pay a mid level WR 8 million per, i said i want the pats to sign him cause i think he could be signed for a 2 or 3 year contract that would only be a 3 million dollor cap hit in he's first year,

what your looking for is a true #1 WR that catchs everything thrown he's way thats just not going to happen but a mid level WR that has the potential to be a #1 with the right QB and also runs a 4.25 40 is worth looking at IMO