As we begin the final stretch before training camp, here's a daily look at some Patriots on the roster where we'll individually preview them heading into the 2015 season. Today's edition, Patriots receiver Danny Amendola.
When Danny Amendola was signed to take over for the departed Wes Welker, the expectations were high for the veteran receiver coming into his first season in New England.
But an injury-riddled first year limited his effectiveness and prevented a breakout year for Amendola, with Julian Edelman instead taking advantage of Amendola's misfortunes. However, 2014 ended up being one of the most memorable seasons of his career and now he rejoins one of the few position groups returning of all their players this season.
2014 RECAP:
For the second straight season Edelman got off to a fast start and Amendola saw limited action early on in New England's offense, which didn't come as much of a surprise considering how his role had diminished the season before.
However, Amendola ended up trying to find ways to help the Patriots win football games, and the veteran receiver did a good job of getting back to the basics and established himself in other areas. By midseason he ended up becoming a terrific and effective return man in the kicking game, with Belichick emphasizing how hard Amendola worked after their win over New York back on October 16th.
"Nobody works harder than Danny does," said Belichick at the time. "Nobody works harder than Danny. He's working every day. Offense, scout team, special teams, he always works hard. He's a really competitive kid…tough, no question about it."
He maintained that work ethic all season long and took full advantage of what snaps he did play in the offense. By the end of the season, the veteran was playing his best football since joining New England and it was terrific to see him finally coming into his own.
In the postseason, he really shined and came up bigger than the Patriots could have ever hoped for. He tied Rob Gronkowski and Dallas' Terrance Wilson for the NFL lead in the playoffs with three touchdowns, including the game-tying score against Baltimore on a pass from Edelman, as well as a key fourth quarter touchdown against Seattle that pulled New England to within three at 24-21 and helped spark their come-from-behind championship win over the Seahawks.
One of the biggest problems the Patriots have had in past seasons was their inability to have the third receiver be able to beat one-on-one coverage, especially in the playoffs. Their past years included bringing in older veterans that helped them win from September to December, but by the end of the season they were run down and not able get open in games that mattered in January.
With Brandon LaFell and Edelman playing at a high-level, having a player as good and as athletic as Amendola was a game-changer and he ended up being the key reason why the Patriots finished the year by hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
DID YOU KNOW:
Amendola's 51-yard reception against the Ravens tied for the fourth longest reception of the postseason, and his five reception, 81-yard and two touchdown performance against Baltimore also marked his first career game with two receiving touchdowns. His first career postseason touchdown came in the second quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady in their Divisional showdown against the Ravens, with his second coming on that remarkable pass from Edelman that stunned Baltimore to tie the game and started their championship march.
2015 OUTLOOK:
2014 was a season Amendola desperately needed in order to rebuild his confidence and help him get back to being the player the Patriots thought they signed when they brought him here. During this offseason Amendola restructured his deal to lower his cap number to help him remain with the team, and now he heads into 2015 with an opportunity to build on what was really a storybook finish for him.
Some may feel he's not as good as Welker or worth the money he was signed for. However, Amendola more than proved his worth by helping Bill Belichick and Brady do something they couldn't do when Welker was here, and that was win a championship.
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