"He never really was my coach, so to speak, because he was always on the defensive side of the ball," Danny Amendola said of Matt Patricia. But during their five seasons together in New England, Amendola said he was "around (Patricia) all the time."
And he jumped at the chance to reunite with him in Detroit.
"Just a guy that's relatable, a guy that's demanding. He instills a lot of mental toughness in the guys that play for him. Those are the thing that stood out the most," Amendola said. "I just loved the enthusiasm he brings to work, the attitude he comes into the building with everyday. I'm excited to continue my career with him."
"That excitement," said Amendola, "is mutual."
The veteran wide receiver signed a one-year deal with the Lions on Monday two days after being released by the Dolphins. He can make up to $5.75 million in 2019.
In Detroit, Amendola will step into the slot position that was once occupied by Golden Tate. He caught 59 passes for 575 yards last season in Miami, both tops on the team. He expects a pretty smooth transition under Lions first-year offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
"I've been watching this style, this type of offense for a long time. I've been a part of an offense like this. Obviously every team communicates differently -- all the verbiage is different, and I have to learn that vocabulary -- but schematically it's something that I'm really familiar with," he said.
The 33-year-old was rumored to be considering a return to New England, but ultimately liked the looks of things best in Detroit.
"I wanted to go to a place where I could fit in," he said. "I love the staff here, I love watching these guy plays football. I got to play against them last year when I was in Miami. Just a really good organization to be a part of."
Amendola is entering his 12th NFL season. He's caught passes from several quarterbacks in his career, including, of course, Tom Brady. Now he'll join forces with a guy in Matthew Stafford who shares Amendola's Texas roots.
"Great quarterback. A guy that's been playing at an extremely high level in this league of a long time," Amendola said. "He's a Texas kid, too, so I've been a fan of Matthew for a long time, even before he went to Georgia. He can really throw it. I know he has every throw in the book, he can do a lot of great things. Excited to get working with him."
For Amendola, 2019 is a bit of a bounce-back opportunity. Despite his healthy numbers last season, he averaged his fewest yards per reception (9.7) in four years and scored just one touchdown. The Dolphins released him from the two-year, $12 million deal he signed last offseason to save $6 million against the cap.
"Miami and I had a few conversations and decided that it really wasn't going to be the best fit for me. But that's the way this business works, and I understand that. You can't play football forever, so I wanted to get in ultimately the best spot for me, the best spot for my family and continue my career here in Detroit," Amendola said.
As for those that assume he's on the backside of his career, Amendola has other ideas.
"I feel really good," he said. "I'm in the best condition of my life, I'm as fast as I've ever been and I'm hungry as ever. I'm ready to play at a high level and do whatever I can to help this team win."
