Danny Amendola, Patriots Reportedly Agree to Restructured Contract

New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola will reportedly return to the team in 2017 on a reduced contract.According to ESPN.com's Field Yates, Amendola was originally slated to make $6 million next season. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Amendola will now make slightly more than the $1.6 million he made in 2016.Amendola has played eight NFL seasons split between the St. Louis Rams and Patriots, registering 365 receptions for 3,450 yards and 17 touchdowns.He was a key part of New England's offense two seasons ago when he racked up 65 catches for 648 yards and three touchdowns, but his usage dropped off significantly in 2016.The former Texas Tech standout missed four games due to ahigh-ankle sprainand finished the year with 23 grabs for 243 yards and four touchdowns.One of the biggest factors working against Amendola in 2016 was the fact that the Patriots boasted a deep receiving corps that gave quarterback Tom Brady no shortage of options.With wideouts Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Floyd in the fold, it was tough for Amendola to get targets.Amendola also had to battle it out with tight ends Rob Gronkowski (when healthy) and Martellus Bennett, in addition to pass-catching running backs James White and Dion Lewis.That leaves Amendola's role for 2017 in doubt, especially since New England traded for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, replaced Bennett with tight end Dwayne Allen and added pass-catcher Rex Burkhead to the backfield.Finding comparable production at a much lower cost seems like a fairly easy proposition, although Amendola's contributions on special teams add to his value.The 31-year-oldveteranis an effective slot receiver with sure hands and a penchant for moving the chains, but he has seemingly never been able to reach his full potential due to the myriad injuries that have nagged him.He has played in all 16 games just twice in eight seasons and missed a total of 32 regular-season contests.Despite his struggles on the injury front, Amendola has carved out a fairly successful career that includestwo Super Bowl championships with the Patriots.While Amendola may be reaching the end of the line soon, he is a useful player when healthy, and his versatility makes him precisely the type of player Pats head coach Bill Belichick loves to have around.
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