It didn’t take Danny Amendola long to adjust to his new South Florida home.
Speaking Wednesday on a conference call with New England reporters, Dolphins coach Adam Gase lauded the veteran slot receiver, who left the Patriots this past season to sign a two-year, $12 million contract with Miami.
“He picked up our offense quickly,” said Gase, whose team is preparing to visit the Patriots this Sunday. “It’s not too far off from what he’s used to — a lot of the same things that he’s, verbiage-wise, probably heard before or concepts that aren’t far apart from what he’s used to.”
Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed that, saying earlier Wednesday that Amendola’s role in the Dolphins’ offense appears similar to the one he played during his five seasons in New England.
“He’s done a great job as far as rolling right in and fitting in in that receiver room,” Gase continued. “The guys love having him here with his experience and being in as many games as he’s been in and winning as much as he has. I think he’s been a positive influence for our guys.”
At 32 and with 10 seasons of NFL experience under his belt, Amendola is the elder statesmen in a Dolphins receiving corps that features two 25-year-olds (Jakeem Grant and DeVante Parker) and two 26-year-olds (Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson).
Gase, who previously worked as the Denver Broncos’ offensive coordinator, compared Amendola’s impact to the one Wes Welker — another ex-Patriots slot receiver — had when he joined the Broncos as a 32-year-old in 2013.
“Danny, just seeing him every day in meetings, doing the things the way that he does it and the intensity he brings and everything that he does has been just great for our guys to witness,” Gase said. “It makes me feel a little bit like when we got Wes in Denver, where our younger guys realized, ‘Wow, this guy really goes all-out every rep in practice.’ And Danny’s the same way. Those young guys feed off of that and see him work, and that’s really rubbed off on our guys.”
Amendola wasn’t the only longtime Patriot the Dolphins scooped up before the season. They also signed Brandon Bolden, a veteran running back/special teamer, after New England released him during final roster cuts.
“I think they do it in different ways, but both of those guys have a great sense of pride on their side of the ball,” Gase said. “… Brandon is a true pro. He does everything right. From meetings to on the field, games, he’s been great for us.”
Through three games this season, Amendola has caught a team-high 11 passes on 13 targets for 100 yards. Bolden hasn’t played a down on offense but has been on the field for 70 percent of Miami’s special teams snaps, tied for second-most on the team.
