Danny Amendola walked into the Patriots with a sense of the offense, having been with Josh McDaniels with the Rams in 2011.
But he knows that his success will depend on building a connection with quarterback Tom Brady, and that takes time.
According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, the two have a noticeable chemistry on the practice field, and Brady has hailed his new slot receiver’s work ethic.
“We’re trying to get the most work we can in,” Amendola said. “It’s still early. Just trying to go from there and try to be the best we can be in the given time that we have.”
While Amendola’s not necessarily a duplicate of the departed Wes Welker, there’s more similarity there than Brady has found with a new group of outside receivers. So the things Brady’s been more comfortable with in years past figure to show earlier with Amendola than guys such as Michael Jenkins, Donald Jones, Lavelle Hawkins and Aaron Dobson.
That has Brady doing a lot of teaching, and Amendola is eager to learn.
“He’s a legend,” Amendola said. “He’s a football mind. He’s been around the game for a long time, and it’s fun to learn from him and play with him, pick his brain a little bit. It’s going to be a good year.”
“It’s a fun system to be in, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Of course, without full contributions from their recovering-from-surgery tight ends, it’s impossible to accurately gauge where the passing game is at the moment. But if Brady and Amendola are truly on the same page (and Amendola can stay on the field), it’s a good start.