Danny Amendola On Tom Brady: 'Wow, This Guy Can Really Wing It'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Danny Amendola has caught nearly 200 passes in the NFL from a few different quarterbacks, but he's never played with the likes of Tom Brady before.
Amendola worked with Brady in the offseason, and the two were back together this week for the first organized team activities of the year. The 27-year-old receiver said he came away from Tuesday's practice session yet again impressed by Brady.
"He darted me in the chest with one ball," Amendola said, "and inside my head I was just like, 'Wow, this guy can really wing it.' And that's why he's Tom Brady."
How well the chemistry between Brady and Amendola works will go a long way in determining just how successful the Patriots' offense is in 2013, and the receiver said that work has already begun.
"It's very important. It's something that you work on every day, in the meeting rooms, outside of the building, forming relationships. You play better on the field that way," Amendola said. "The more work is best going into the season. Any time you get a jump and you get to work with each other is good, so we're getting a lot of good work in right now."
Amendola said he's familiar with a lot of the New England playbook, which is similar to what Josh McDaniels ran in St. Louis in 2011, but he still has a lot to learn before the season begins.
"It's a little more intricate out here, and it's something to grasp," Amendola said. "I'm learning every day."
Considering everything Amendola accomplishes (or doesn't accomplish) in a Patriots uniform will be compared with what Wes Welker did with the Patriots and continues to do with the Broncos, it was only appropriate for Amendola to be asked about the inevitable Welker comparisons.
"It's not something I need to worry about," Amendola said. "I'm worried about the playbook and getting the routes down and getting on the same page with my teammates. The good thing is I don't have to worry about that stuff."