Browns: 5 free agents that Cleveland could give a chance to
By Chad Porto
WR Danny Amendola
The idea of signing Danny Amendola isn’t like the idea of signing Richard Sherman or Melvin Ingram (or the next guy on the list), as those would be straight-up additions for now. Amendola is someone to keep an eye on in case of injuries. It’s great to get rookies reps when you’re on a losing team. If you’re a playoff team, heck, a Super Bowl contender, you want vets who can help out. He’s played well for Miami and Detroit over the last few years, and even though he’ll be 36, his shiftiness isn’t on the decline just yet.
You’d only really reach out to him if Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry get hurt again or if the team finally trades Beckham. Amendola would then make a nice veteran presence on the field, alongside Rashard Higgins. Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz are great prospects on paper, but is anyone really excited about the possibility of Baker Mayfield being forced to throw to a third-round rookie 100 times in a season?
Amendola as an injury replacement gives the team some stability if there are injuries to the position. Like with Ingram, a veteran’s minimum would probably be all it takes to get the deal done. It’s unlikely he’s going to get man big contract offers, if any, that exceeds a $1 million, so it’d be pretty easy to get him if the Browns end up having a need for him.
His playoff experience could also be helpful for some of the younger players at the position.