Midas touch for clutch
Big-game Danny is solid gold
FOXBORO — The wide receiver room already was stacked for the Patriots. But that didn’t stop Bill Belichick from bringing in plenty of competition to keep it interesting. After all, who wouldn’t want to earn a job catching passes from Tom Brady in a championship offense?
That scenario is what drew veteran free agent Andrew Hawkins to the Patriots. The 5-foot-7 slot receiver is trying to crash the party, but it’s a tough group to infiltrate. There are no weak links here when you consider the room is populated with Brandin Cooks, Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell. And then there’s Danny Amendola. Some believe the final spot might come down to Hawkins or Amendola. But how can anyone consider Amendola a weak link?
In Patriots terms, he’s one of their best assets. Who else keeps giving money back to remain on the team?
For the third straight year, he restructured his contract in order to remain with the Patriots and play with Brady in an offense with which he is familiar. He’s taken less money each time.
More importantly, he consistently delivers in the big games and has earned a rare kind of trust from Brady. Who can forget his Super Bowl LI performance with eight catches for 78 yards and a touchdown and a vital two-point conversion in the 34-28 comeback win over the Falcons?
At 31, Amendola doesn’t run very fast anymore, and his snaps have to be managed. But when Brady needs him, he finds a way to get open. He always seems to make plays. In the Super Bowl against the Falcons, as well as the last Super Bowl against the Seahawks, Amendola was huge. You cannot replace his brand of clutch.
It’s something Amendola takes great pride in. He enjoys having that label and works hard to keep the plays coming.
“In the moment, I don’t think about it. But (being considered clutch) means a lot to me,” Amendola said following yesterday’s minicamp workout. “I love to play in big football games — games that mean the most. That’s when you have to play at your highest level, that’s when you have to play really good, that’s when it all matters. It comes with being in the right spot at the right time. It’s experience. A lot of work goes into those plays.”
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Brady’s second favorite target during the minicamp session was Amendola (four catches). That’s just how it is. There’s a comfort level, and he just has a knack for getting open.
In other words, the 31-year-old Hawkins, the rookie Austin Carr, or whoever else is fighting for a receiver job is going to have to do something beyond special to unseat No. 80.
For his part, Amendola said he welcomes the competition.
“That’s what it’s all about. I love to compete,” he said. “That’s why I play football. We have a good group of guys in our (receivers) room. They come to work. The young guys are learning really quickly and the old guys
are bringing it every single day. It’s good to be a part of a good group.”
When Amendola joined the Pats in 2013, he signed a five-year deal worth $31 million. Over the course of three negotiations, he’s given back $10,481,260. The reason is simple enough: When you’ve found a good thing, you don’t want to let it go, even if you have to surrender some cash. His cap hits were too big, so he’s continually gone in and made it work in order to stay. “This is the best place for me. It’s the best fit for me. I like playing here,” Amendola said. “I like the mentality of the guys I walk in the building with every day. It’s not about money for me. I look at it as an opportunity. There’s a few more things I want to do with my career. Being here is one of them.” Asked if they’d have to rip the uniform off his back before he surrenders his job, Amendola laughed. “I’m going to try not to let that happen,” he said. “I’m bringing it every day, I’m working hard every day, I’m not ready to not play football (for the Pats) just yet.”