Danny Amendola, Rams reportedly 'far apart' on deal/NFL.com

[RamBill]

Danny Amendola, Rams reportedly 'far apart' on deal

By Marc Sessler
Around the League Writer
Published: Feb. 17, 2013 at 06:09 p.m.

Danny Amendola, Rams reportedly 'far apart' on deal - NFL.com

Erik Burkhardt, the agent for unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Danny Amendola, said earlier this month that Titus Young's fling with the St. Louis Rams would have no impact on his client's future.

Burkhardt was essentially correct. Young didn't last long enough to catch a pass from Sam Bradford, and his release on Friday could, in fact, help Amendola's chances to re-sign with the Rams. Hurdles, however, still remain.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday that Amendola and the team are "far apart" on a new deal. The newspaper also stated that free-agent wideout Brandon Gibson unlikely will be brought back because of cap limitations, meaning St. Louis could conceivably be left with just three receivers on the roster -- Austin Pettis, Chris Givens and Brian Quick -- who played for the Rams in 2012.

"Not a concern whatsoever," Fisher said. "There's options out there. The free-agent market, there's options out there, and it's a great draft for a receiver this year."

Fisher acknowledged Amendola was a priority, saying, "Oh yes, we've got a number of unrestricted free agents on our roster that we want back, and Danny would be one of them. 'Jack' (Steven Jackson) would be another. We've got plenty of time. The process is ongoing. We're communicating with their agents and so on and so forth."

The newspaper reported it's "universally expected at Rams Park" that Jackson will void his $7 million player option and test free agency. As for Amendola, he's likely to draw interest on the open market, but the issue boils down to what the 27-year-old wideout is asking for -- and what the team is ultimately willing to fork over.

[Ram Dragoon]

Amendola has been a good player for the Rams when he can remain healthy, and it would be a step backward if the Rams can't retain him and find an equally talented WR. I was hoping that the Rams would get such a player and be able to stretch the field more. But am hoping....

[general counsel]

I love Danny, but he is not a guy we can break the bank for. He is very productive, but simply too injury prone. Would love to have him back, but the price has to be right. If i could only keep one of them, i would rather pay jackson.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[FestusRam]

Gibson looks like he is out the door.

If Danny follows him, it will be really interesting to see how they attack that position. If they don't pick up a solid free agent, we will probably see them use two draft picks on wide outs. I'm ok with that scenario.

[RamBamThankYouMam]

Gibson looks like he is out the door.

If Danny follows him, it will be really interesting to see how they attack that position. If they don't pick up a solid free agent, we will probably see them use two draft picks on wide outs. I'm ok with that scenario.

There is no way I could ever be ok with that scenario. Between Givens, Pettis, and Quick you are looking at a combined four years of NFL experience. Throw two more rookies into the equation and you are looking at a very inexperienced bunch. We saw what the Rams accomplished last year. I hate to think of what the Rams' offense would be next year with all those untested players.

[HUbison]

Hear me now: if Amendola walks, the 2013 offense takes a step back from 2012.

We better have a defense that will hold teams to single digits.

[NJ Ramsfan1]

Hear me now: if Amendola walks, the 2013 offense takes a step back from 2012.

We better have a defense that will hold teams to single digits.

I agree- and our offense taking a step back is scary, considering it wasn't very good in 2012.

We simply have to stop this musical chairs act with the wide recievers and develop some continuity with solid, dependable talent. Players have come and gone for various reasons and all it does is throw the offense into a state of flux. Paying Amendola on par with the Calvin Johnsons of the world would obviously be ridiculous, but if we have to overpay a bit to keep him, there shouldn't be a second's hesitation.

[RosieJones]

I agree- and our offense taking a step back is scary, considering it wasn't very good in 2012.

We simply have to stop this musical chairs act with the wide recievers and develop some continuity with solid, dependable talent. Players have come and gone for various reasons and all it does is throw the offense into a state of flux. Paying Amendola on par with the Calvin Johnsons of the world would obviously be ridiculous, but if we have to overpay a bit to keep him, there shouldn't be a second's hesitation.

I would agree with you about overpaying a bit for Amendola if he could stay healthy, which he doesn't seem to be able to do.

As much as I like Amendola he's not the only good slot receiver in the NFL. I honestly believe that if he decides to move on the Rams will adapt and find a good player to take his spot.

Maybe having an almost as good as Amendola type receiver who plays 90% of the time would be better for the offense than having Amendola who plays 10% of the time.

[RealRam]

As GC said, 'the price has to be right'. I for one do not want to see the Rams offense sans DA!

Note to Rams F.O.: MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[AvengerRam]

As is often the case, I find myself reacting to this with a one-word question: Source?

From what I can tell, Jim Thomas made the "far apart" statement in an article (citing no source) and others have now repeated this, using Thomas as a source.

I'm not saying he's wrong, I just think that reporters should give some indication of where they are getting their information. I, for one, do not think that is too much to ask.

As to the issue of Amendola's contract, my position has not changed. I want him back, but only at a reasonable price. I'm thinking that something in the 4 year, $26M range would be as high as I'd go.

[RamBamThankYouMam]

As to the issue of Amendola's contract, my position has not changed. I want him back, but only at a reasonable price. I'm thinking that something in the 4 year, $26M range would be as high as I'd go.

I agree that 6.5 million is that absolute highest amount. While Bradford and Amendola do have a connection, that connection only works if Amendola is on the field. I feel like Amendola's agent is trying to negotiate a contract based off of what his client does when he is actually on the field. Playing 12 games in two seasons makes me a little nervous. The Rams should be paying Amendola partially based off of his production and partially because of the risk involved with him. It's not like Amendola has a huge track record to speak of, and I feel this should be a factor as well.

[VegasRam]

Really curious to see how this plays out.
He's good, and one has to love his style of play, but I wonder how much of a big fish (little pond) he is. Rams have sucked so bad at receiver since Holt and Bruce that Danny looks like a superstar. Not sayin' it's so, just commenting. I'm praying he's back.

Hey Sam, if you love him so much, offer $2M of your salary for the next 4 years. Problem solved.

[Fortuninerhater]

I like Danny and he is good, but it's not like he can't be replaced.

5 million per over 4 years is good enough IMO.

Particularly for a guy who's played 12 of the last 32 games.

Even DX has played 20 games over the last 2 seasons.

[berg8309]

I'm just guessing Amendola's agent will let him test free agency in the hopes of garnering a big deal, maybe from NE with Welker seemingly on the way out. Personally I don't think any team will committ big dollars to him, I think what he needs is a year to rebuild value. Even with the free agent market weak in WRs, teams aren't going to just throw money at a guy who has spent much of the last two years looking on from the sideline.

[MauiRam]

Rams and Danny still far apart? Says who? And so what .. Danny needs to test the market before he and the Rams can have any meaningful negotiations IMO.

Danny's pluses:
Extremely quick and elusive.
Sharp precise routes that create separation.
Fearless (yes, that has been a double edged sword for him at times).
Great hands and concentration.
Terrific attitude, work ethic, and locker room presence - very competitive.

Minuses:
Durability - injuries have significantly hampered his playing time.
Does not have a second gear; not a homerun threat every time he touches the ball.

What team out there is going to throw Megatron money at him? I doubt any team will. His style of play is not likely to change wherever he plays. Let's face it - even Danny knows he's not the next Jerry Rice. Danny is going to play somewhere, but I doubt any team will break the bank to acquire him. That said, it is hard to know how Fish & Snead view him as fitting into the overall offensive scheme they are trying to implement. The durability issue could be a deal breaker in the end.

From Danny's perspective, he already has a good thing going here with Sam and Schotty. If there isn't a huge disparity in dollars offered, my guess is Danny would probably prefer to keep wearing horns ..