Pats Cut LB Tony Steward
- The Patriots have cut linebacker Tony Steward, leaving them with an open roster spot, as Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal tweets.
Barnwell Grades Patriots' Offseason
- In the view of ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Bills and Patriots had solid offseasons, while their division rivals – the Dolphins and Jets – weren’t quite as successful over the last few months. Barnwell assigned B grades to Buffalo and New England, with Miami receiving a D+ and Gang Green getting a D.
Patriots, Danny Amendola Rework Contract
MAY 10, 8:12am: Ben Volin of the Boston Globe has the details on Amendola’s new-look contract for 2016, which calls for a pay cut from a $5MM base salary to a far more modest $1.25MM salary. Amendola previously could have maxed out at $6MM in 2016 with bonuses and incentives, but now won’t make more than $1.6MM this season. The deal features a $100K signing bonus and up to $250K in per-game roster bonuses for 2016, while the 2017 terms remain unchanged.
MAY 6, 9:57am: Despite some offseason additions at the wide receiver position, the Patriots won’t be parting ways with veteran wideout Danny Amendola, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a reworked contract that will allow Amendola to remain on the roster. It’s a two-year, $7.35MM deal for Amendola, with another $750K available in roster bonuses and catch incentives, per Garafolo.
“It’s an honor to play for this franchise and with this group of guys,” Amendola said in a statement, according to Garafolo. “We have one goal — to win another Championship and that’s all we care about.”
Amendola, who has spent the last three years in New England, enjoyed his best season as a Patriot in 2015, catching 65 balls for 648 yards and three touchdowns in 14 regular season contests. The Texas Tech product added another 57 yards on seven receptions in the postseason.
Despite his solid year though, Amendola was in jeopardy of losing his roster spot due to his rising salary and the incoming additions to the Patriots’ WR depth chart. Within the last two months, the club has added Chris Hogan and Nate Washington in free agency, and used a fourth-round pick on Malcolm Mitchell. The Pats also have Julian Edelman in the mix, and will use tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett frequently in the passing game.
Before agreeing to a restructured contract, Amendola had been set to earn base salaries of $5MM in 2016 and $6MM in 2017, with per-game roster bonuses of up to $500K annually. Those salaries and bonuses were entirely non-guaranteed, so while Amendola’s projected pay for 2016 has decreased, he’ll actually get the opportunity to earn that pay now.
As for his cap hit, we’ll have to wait to see how the new agreement is structured, but the 30-year-old had been set to count for $6.804MM on the Patriots’ books in 2016. That number will now be reduced.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions Acquire Jon Bostic From Patriots
The Lions have acquired linebacker Jon Bostic from the Patriots, as Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). New England will receive a conditional 2017 seventh-round draft pick in return. 
Bostic, a former second-round pick, is no stranger to being traded after a September swap shipped him from the Bears to the Pats. In 2015, he appeared in eleven games (one start) for New England, recording two tackles. Not long ago, however, Bostic was looked at as a promising youngster. As a rookie with the Bears, Bostic played in all 16 games with nine starts on the year. In total, he notched 57 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and an interception in 2013. He followed that up in 2014 with a career high of 83 tackles. Now, he’ll try and get back to his old form with Detroit in 2016.
The swap marks the first deal between Lions GM Bob Quinn and his former team. Given the relationship there and Quinn’s knowledge of Pats player, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more deals go down between the two clubs in the future.
The Pats have also signed defensive lineman Anthony Johnson, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Appeal To UDFAs
- Malcolm Butler‘s rise from undrafted free agent to Pro Bowler has made other UDFAs want to join up with the Patriots, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. This year, the Pats signed three undrafted corners in Illinois’ V’Angelo Bentley, Auburn’s Jonathan Jones and Florida Atlantic’s Cre’Von LeBlanc. “Clearly when a tryout guy like Malcolm Butler ends up where he does, it’s an example of how they play the best players and it’s truly an open competition, no matter how you got there,” said Joe Linta, who represents Jones. Jones is a particularly interesting prospect – he posted a 4.3 second 40-yard-dash time, but teams were concerned about his 5’9″ height.
Howe: Amendola Could Have Called Patriots' Bluff
- Danny Amendola‘s role on the Patriots is “irreplaceable,” said the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe on CSNNE.com. As a result, the reporter says it would have been interested if the wideout has called the Patriots’ bluff in regard to a pay cut.
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Latest on Dominique Easley
The market for former first-round pick Dominique Easley is seemingly heating up. Following reports last week that the Falcons were eyeing the former Patriots defensive lineman, several more teams have recently expressed interest. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that Easley has already had a couple workouts with teams, including a visit with the Bengals.
The 29th-overall pick in the 2014 draft was surprisingly waived by the Patriots in mid-April. Later reports indicated that the move was due to “philosophical differences on following injury programs.” The 24-year-old did struggle to stay healthy in New England, although the Patriots knew these concerns when they drafted Easley despite a torn ACL.
Other reports indicated that the release could be attributed to a lawsuit regarding Easley’s dog, while others have reported that the defender was “unreliable and immature,” as well as a “locker room cancer.” For what it’s worth, one of his former teammates expressed hope for the University of Florida product, noting Easley’s work ethic.
Easley has played in 11 games in each of his two seasons in the league, compiling a combined 25 tackles, three sacks, and one interception.
Patriots Sign Eight UDFAs, Cut Joey Iosefa
The Patriots have officially confirmed six previously reported contract agreements with their 2016 draftees, and announced that they’ve locked up two more members of their draft class. Having now signed third-round defensive tackle Vincent Valentine and sixth-round linebacker Elandon Roberts, New England has now secured all of its draft picks except for third-round quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
The Patriots have also cut running back Joey Iosefa from their roster, so he’ll become a free agent if and when he passes through waivers. Iosefa spent time on the Pats’ practice squad last season and was promoted when the backfield was hit hard by injuries. He had 15 carries on the year, with 14 of them (for 51 yards) coming in Week 15 against the Titans.
Finally, the Patriots filled out their 90-man roster by adding eight undrafted free agents to the mix. The club signed the following UDFAs:
- DB V’Angelo Bentley (Illinois) ($17.5K guarantee, per Aaron Wilson)
- RB D.J. Foster (Arizona State)
- DL Woodrow Hamilton (Mississippi)
- LB C.J. Johnson (Mississippi)
- DB Jonathan Jones (Auburn)
- CB Cre’Von LeBlanc (Florida Atlantic) ($17.5K guarantee, per Wilson)
- TE Steven Scheu (Vanderbilt)
- TE Bryce Williams (East Carolina)
Joe Cardona Has To Fulfill Navy Commitment
- Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona “may have to leave the Patriots for a year or so,” a Navy official told The Dan Patrick Show (transcript via ESPN.com). The second-year player has been assigned to a ship, which prompted New England to sign free agent long snapper Christian Yount.
Patriots Sign Kamu Grugier-Hill
- The Patriots signed sixth-round linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill to a $2.44MM deal, including a $100K signing bonus, as his slot dictates, Wilson tweets.