Should the Detroit Lions bring back Danny Amendola next season?
Danny Amendola has had one of his better seasons of his career with the Detroit Lions. As he is pending free agent once this season ends, should he re-sign?
As the NFL regular season goes into its final week, the Detroit Lions will begin preparations for the offseason. The Lions have plenty of team needs, but their wide receivers are a complicated position group.
Wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones should be back next season. Both are under contract and were one of the league’s best receiver duos. Veteran wideout Danny Amendola, who primarily plays in the slot, is a pending free agent. To bring Amendola back or to replace him will be a decision made by general manager Bob Quinn and the Lions’ front office. Let’s try to breakdown that choice.
Why the Lions should bring Amendola back
The most significant factor is that Amendola has ties with the New England Patriots. He understands the culture and knows how head coach Matt Patricia wants to run things.
Outside of that fact, Amendola’s play this season has been more than adequate. Heading into the final game of the season, he is just 28 receiving yards from a career-high in a single season. Amendola has recorded 60 receptions for 662 yards and one touchdown in 2019 so far.
Amendola also built a good connection on the field with quarterback Matthew Stafford. In seven contests with Stafford under center, the veteran receiver had two 100-yard games. He’s only had one since the franchise passer’s injury.
Amendola was on pace for a career-high 752 receiving yards if he had played a full-16 games with Stafford. In contests with backup quarterbacks, that number drops to 653 receiving yards.
Why the Lions shouldn’t bring Amendola back
Amendola will be turning 35-years old next season and most wide receivers don’t make it to that age in the NFL. Logically, the concern of regression will always be in play. It doesn’t mean that Amendola will regress, but no one truly knows what will happen.
Also, it wouldn’t be a strenuous task to upgrade the position. Stafford has always made the slot receiver a favorite target of his.Just ask former Lions slot receiver Golden Tate, whose career peaked in Detroit.
The Lions have a total eight draft picks in the upcoming draft that seems to be loaded with a ton of talent at wide receiver. It is doubtful they use a pick in the first three rounds on a wideout, especially a slot receiver. But a late-round pick seems plausible.
Next. Evaluating the Detroit Lions 2019 Free Agent Class. dark
Overview
The most likely scenario would be that the Detroit Lions opt to bring back Danny Amendola and also draft a slot receiver. Bob Quinn could look at some developmental guys to back up Amendola. Quinn always preaches good-depth, so re-signing Amendola and drafting a player accomplishes that.