A big story from the Patriots cutdown weekend is the status of wide receiver Danny Amendola and how he is still on the roster. Amendola has not practiced and qualified for the team’s Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, but the team opted to keep him on the active roster instead of force him out for the next six weeks.
The major implication is that Amendola could return to the field soon if the Patriots thought he was close enough to be worth holding open a roster spot. This might not be the case for long as the Patriots are reportedly looking to acquire another wide receiver. Amendola would not be able to be placed on the PUP list, but perhaps he’s targeting an earlier week 2 or 3 return.
The Patriots depth chart at wide receiver is pretty short. Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan are penciled in as the starters, while Malcolm Mitchell is the depth option as he returns from his elbow injury.
Amendola is the only other receiver, if you count Matthew Slater as a special teamer.
The Patriots have compensated by retaining four tight ends in Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett, AJ Derby, and Clay Harbor, which should help out the run game a little bit. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw running backs James White and D.J. Foster align at wide receiver, too.
But the fact is that Amendola is on the active roster, and that’s a positive sign for his eventual return. The Patriots offense needs him back as soon as possible.