Amendola apparently bitter about time in New England:

[Joey007]

Damn.

 

[VrabelJr]

It’s the thing to do these days.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

He is still playing at a fairly high level at 35. From 2018-20, he averaged about 600 yards and earned about $4.5M per year. Another three years too early is better than a year to late outcome for a team with the worst group of skill players in the NFL.

So before everyone calls out Amendola, let's remember this goes both ways. He took paycuts to remain in New England to win championships, play with Brady, and build a winning legacy, and the team then kicked him to the curb despite that he was still affordable and productive.

But I don't kow why he's negotating a contract by himself...get an agent.

 

[Boomer B]

If you look at it from Amendola’s point of view it’s a fair point he makes. A lot of key Patriots took pay cuts or below market contracts including Amendola, Brady, Bruschi, Edelman, Moss, and more. Amendola continuously took paycuts but delivered in huge spots. Brady at the end was taking 1 year prove it incentive deals. All the while Bill is paid almost double what the other highest paid coaches are. It’s human nature to look at it and say you get paid double what other coaches in your profession do but you want many of your top guys to take pay cuts or bargain deals.

 

[PaulThePat]

2 Rings and as clutch as they come. He's entitled to his opinion.

 

[Nunchucks]

He won those rings too

 

[catent]

I mean, Amendola gets to put those rings on his own fingers, too.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I really wish DA would just shut the hell up. Pro athletes complaining about their boss and contracts in the past and present is soooooo unbecoming.

I understand he has issues with his time in NE but there is nothing to be gained by his complaining and digs at the NEP/BB.

DA is better than this.

 

[brdmaverick]

If you look at it from Amendola’s point of view it’s a fair point he makes. A lot of key Patriots took pay cuts or below market contracts including Amendola, Brady, Bruschi, Edelman, Moss, and more. Amendola continuously took paycuts but delivered in huge spots. Brady at the end was taking 1 year prove it incentive deals. All the while Bill is paid almost double what the other highest paid coaches are. It’s human nature to look at it and say you get paid double what other coaches in your profession do but you want many of your top guys to take pay cuts or bargain deals.

I can't actually open the article, but whether your post is your words or Amendola's I think that's a VERY good point.

One of those classic 'do as I say, not as I do' sort of deals.

 

[irishfanatic]

Putting S/B rings on his fingers..wore him the wrong way. OK buddy.

 

[Pape]

I had to renegotiate my contract 3 years in a row

No, he did not have to renegotiate his contract. He could have refused and been released.

Sour grapes make for poor conversation starters.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

I can't actually open the article, but whether your post is your words or Amendola's I think that's a VERY good point.

One of those classic 'do as I say, not as I do' sort of deals.

Go ask Matt Millen if he thinks being a player or front office/coach is harder.

Players have salary cap..........coaches/GM's don't. A fundamental point of getting paid big as a GM is managing the CAP.

BB is the coach and GM.....salary comparisons need that consideration.

The only reason anyone on god's green earth would care what Amendola says is only due to the fact he played in New England and won two rings. Would he have got the same money as Detroit if he didn't play in New England?

 

[Shed83]

I can't actually open the article, but whether your post is your words or Amendola's I think that's a VERY good point.

One of those classic 'do as I say, not as I do' sort of deals.

It’s not really though is it?

BB’s salary doesn’t count against the cap whereas the players do. I’m sure if there was no cap BB would be a lot more inclined to see his players right financially. It’s not his physical money that’s being paid so he doesn’t care.....but when it limits his options as a GM for building a roster then he becomes a shark for the good of the team.

I get Amendola being frustrated by the situation but he had the choice....take a chance for rings or get cash. He chose the former for 5 years and then moved on to choose the latter. That is entirely his prerogative but to then moan about it later is a bit eye rolling!
To be fair he still had plenty nice things to say about BB also

 

[sb1]

I agree he was underpaid here at the end of his run but nobody forced him to sign here and take the pay cuts.

If he felt that way at the time then he should have said no and looked elsewhere. He didnt until he went to the Dolphins in 2018. Obviously he decided to play for the rings. No point complaining about it now.

 

[Sicilian]

I can't blame him, I'm sure it left a sour taste in his mouth. But let's also remember that he was paid about $6m per year for two season where he caught 54 balls in year 1, and 27 in year 2 (for a whopping 200 yards). For context, N'Keal Harry this year caught 33 for 300 yards, and he is considered worthless. Danny made some big catches in the playoffs, and I won't try to undersell that, but he was overpaid for his production for the first two years, then underpaid for it in the final two after a couple renegotiations. It sucks that he had to go through that, but if he didn't want to play with Brady and win those rings, he could have gone elsewhere rather than accept the pay cut, and both sides would have been worse for it, IMO. After a couple of rings, he made the choice that enough was enough and (mostly) moved on.

 

[RIpats88]

To be fair, he could've left and gone to another team. He took a pay cut to stay and win rings.

On the other hand, Bill can only operate this way with players when he has the GOAT. Players are NOT going to take paycuts to play for the Patriots without Brady here.

If Bill doesn't adjust his free agency approach and continues to low-ball players less than market value we are going to be in big trouble and stuck holding the bag with a mediocre roster again.

 

[farn]

No, he did not have to renegotiate his contract. He could have refused and been released.

Sour grapes make for poor conversation starters.

So so true.

I love me some Amendola. He was a hell of a player and produced in some of the most important spots.

No one forced him to renegotiate. I’m glad he did, because he contributed to rings. But he didn’t have to renegotiate. Nor did he have to do it himself. If he wanted to go to Bora Bora, he could have found representation for 15%. Maybe less.

He made more in lean years than many of us made in a decade. I’m not jealous - he has a tremendous skill and put his body in harms way - but I signed a contract and I have advantages and disadvantages. Just like DA.

 

[Sciz]

Danny Woodhead said last summer that he didn't really mind that he didn't win a Super Bowl (with regards to the 2011 loss), while it sounds like Amendola doesn't really care that he did. At the end of the day, the increased wealth is going to affect most players' lives significantly more than the outcomes of the games.

 

[Sicilian]

Danny Woodhead said last summer that he didn't really mind that he didn't win a Super Bowl (with regards to the 2011 loss), while it sounds like Amendola doesn't really care that he did. At the end of the day, the increased wealth is going to affect most players' lives significantly more than the outcomes of the games.

The way he words it, it really sounds like buyer's remorse. Like, at the time he probably thought, "I just want to win another ring." But now, staring down the home stretch of his career, he may be thinking he'd rather have that few extra million to make a LONG retirement more fun. It's like when I spend extra to get the Double Meat option at Chipotle, but then later that night I'm in the bathroom wishing I had the extra $2 for Pepto instead.

 

[TheRainMaker]

First of all, Danny should be thanking Bill for overpaying for him in 2013 after they made it too easy for the Steelers to match the offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders. That contract Danny got should've gone to Emmanuel Sanders a year later (he asked Bill to match and he would've signed).

However, Danny brings up a good point though. I can see how players can take it a little personal when the guy that Coaches you has a value in mind:

"But the fact that he also wore the GM hat, and I had to negotiate my contract with him three years in a row by myself and and take pay cuts to help him and put rings on his finger kind of wore me the wrong way. So I felt like it was in the best interest for me to move on.”

I don't think it would hurt Bill to bring someone on as the buffer to negoitiate contracts.

Danny Amendola Clarifies That His Issue Is With Bill Belichick The GM, Not The Coach

"The fact that he also wore the GM hat, and I had to negotiate my contract with him three years in a row by myself and and take pay cuts to help him and put rings on his finger kind of wore me the wrong way. So I felt like it was in the best interest for me to move on."

boston.cbslocal.com