Danny Amendola's debut season with the New England Patriots was a disappointment. Will he get a chance to redeem himself in 2014?
The Boston Globe's Ben Volin speculated Sunday that the Patriots could designate the wide receiver as a post-June 1 cut.
Amendola signed a five-year, $28.5 million contract last March that included $10 million in guaranteed money. Of his $3 million base salary in 2014, $2 million is guaranteed if he's on the roster at 4 p.m. ET on March 11 -- the first day of the league year. If he's a post-June 1 release, the Pats could spread the cap charge ($1.2 million in 2014 and $3.6 million in 2015).
It's an interesting personnel call for the Patriots, who have some pressing needs and not much in the way of cap flexibility as they enter the offseason. Amendola was supposed to be the offense's replacement for Wes Welker, but he missed four games to injury and never gained the trust of Tom Brady.
Don't discount the timing of Amendola's Patriots nadir, either. In the team's AFC Championship Game loss to the Denver Broncos, Amendola nearly was invisible. He was targeted just once, dropping the only pass thrown his way.
With Julian Edelman headed toward free agency, the Patriots might have a better use for Amendola's money.
*We handed out awards for the 2014 coaching class and talked all the latest headlines in the latest "Around The League Podcast." *
