Miami Dolphins

Wide receiver Danny Amendola, who helped lead the New England Patriots to two Super Bowl titles during his career, is hanging up his cleats.

Amendola retired Monday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Amendola is ready to pursue various other interests, including having initial talks with broadcasting networks. He has multiple relationships and respect from around the league and is ready for the next challenge.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 25, 2022

The Texas Tech product entered the league as an undrafted free agent and leaves as a 13-year veteran who became a household name with his ability to come through in the clutch.

He played for the St. Louis Rams from 2009 through 2012, the Miami Dolphins in 2018, the Detroit Lions in 2019 and 2020, and the Houston Texans in 2021. However, he is best known for his tenure with the Patriots from 2013 through 2017. While he never put up head-turning stats during the regular season, he had a tendency to come up with critical plays in the postseason for New England.

Amendola finishes his regular-season career with 6,212 receiving yards and 24 touchdown catches, never topping 689 yards or four touchdowns through the air during a single campaign.

However, he had a touchdown reception in the Patriots' Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Seattle Seahawks and three touchdowns in three playoff games that season. He also caught a touchdown as the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

Amendola also bailed out New England with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in January 2018 and then tallied eight catches for 152 yards in the ensuing Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Michele Steele of ESPN reflected on Amendola's propensity for coming through in the most important moments:

Is there a more underrated Patriots receiver than Danny Amendola? Always comes up clutch at big moments.

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) January 21, 2018

The possibility of retirement came up for the receiver before the 2017 campaign, but he seemed intent on playing for the foreseeable future when speaking to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

I want to play football for some more time. I'm not done yet. Wherever that may be, whatever it is, wherever it is. I want to play football at a high level. This is where it's going to be, so I love it here. I'm going to try to make this team and try to fulfill my role, whatever that may be. Try to expand my role, whatever that may be. Try to be here for my teammates and try to win games. That's why I am here.

While he didn't stay with the Patriots, he apparently wasn't ready to walk away until he got his fill between three teams in his final four seasons.

There was not much left to accomplish at the NFL level for Amendola, especially considering he came into the league without much hype. He leaves the game as a Patriots playoff legend.

Money talks for Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill.

During an appearance Monday on ESPN's First Take, the wide receiver acknowledged he might still be with the Kansas City Chiefs if they had offered a contract extension closer to the amount of the one he signed with Miami.

Upon his trade to the Dolphins, Hill put pen to paper on a four-year, $120 million contract, which made him the highest-paid wideout in NFL history.

The 28-year-old is coming off his sixth straight Pro Bowl appearance. In 91 games for the Chiefs, he caught 479 passes for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns.

Losing Hill is a massive blow for the offense, one that could take multiple seasons to address.

Still, it was easy to see the Chiefs' calculations for trading him to the Dolphins.

Davante Adams could be a trendsetter or a cautionary tale. His five-year, $140 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders reset the market and potentially sets the stage for the position to be the second-best-compensated behind quarterback.

However, it's not clear whether spending upward of $30 million per season, even for a wideout as good as Hill, is a smart investment.

Teams routinely find great value at receiver in the draft.

Ja'Marr Chase, the No. 5 overall pick in 2021, was a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. From the 2020 class, CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson have Pro Bowl nods as well. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr. and Chase Claypool have provided positive returns outside the first round in the last two years.

For Kansas City, using the money it could've earmarked for Hill elsewhere on the field might prove a better use of its salary-cap flexibility.

The Chiefs used a second-round pick on Skyy Moore and signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as free agents. Individually, none of the three can match Hill; collectively, they could help Patrick Mahomes helm one of the league's most potent aerial attacks.

A revolution occurred in professional football at the turn of the century. The St. Louis Rams offense emerged as the Greatest Show on Turf and led the NFL in passing for three consecutive seasons.

The streak ended after the 2001 campaign. During that period, the Rams, who were led by Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, averaged 4,992 passing yards per season.

Twenty years later, nine different teams threw for 4,500 or more yards. Further comparison shows only two teams eclipsed 4,000 passing yards in 2001. Nearly half of the league passed that number last season.

Yes, the NFL is a passing league.

To take full advantage of how the game has been trending over the last two decades, teams need weapons on the outside. Those playmakers are now more valuable than ever as the league continues to evolve, and the influx of talent from the collegiate ranks creates more opportunities in the passing game.

Last season, all 32 teams had three or more wide receivers on the field for 65 percent of the snaps, according to Sharp Football's Warren Sharp.

Let's backtrack for a second. While Warner's "American Underdog" story became the basis of a Hollywood film, his wide receivers shouldn't be considered secondary characters. Isaac Bruce is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Torry Holt went on to become a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. Az-Zahir Hakim served as a deep threat. And Ricky Proehl played 17 seasons in the league. The talent found among this group helped to create a storybook ending.

Traditionally, NFL economics were built around the concept of four premium positions.

Quarterback, offensive tackle, pass-rusher and cornerback held the most value based in part on how they affected passing games. Wide receiver officially crashed the party this offseason as an avalanche of movement occurred at the position, which helped reset the market.

The Green Bay Packers traded the game's best wide receiver, Davante Adams, to the Las Vegas Raiders, and he subsequently signed a record-setting $140 million contract. The Miami Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill from the Kansas Chiefs and signed him to a $120 million deal. The Dallas Cowboys flipped Amari Cooper and his $100 million contract to the Cleveland Browns. The Tennessee Titans decided to trade A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles during draft weekend, and he then signed a new $100 million agreement.

Those are just the biggest moves of the offseason (so far).

Currently, 12 different wide receivers are under contract with average annual salaries of between $20-30 million. Nine of those deals were agreed upon within the last few months.

Only three offensive tackles are making $20 million per season. Only one has at least a $100 million deal compared to four at wide receiver. A similar financial trajectory has taken place at cornerback, where three players at the position make $20 million or more annually, with two claiming at least $100 million in total value.

Scarcity remains the biggest difference between the traditional premium spots and the upstart position.

Only 32 starting quarterbacks exist, and some argue the NFL can't even find enough quality options to fill all of those spots. Only so many men are big enough, strong enough and athletic enough to protect a quarterback at a high level from left or right tackle. Cornerbacks are arguably the most athletically gifted players on a football field.

Meanwhile, anyone with enough length, flexibility, core strength and explosivity tends to find his way to the defensive front to harass opposing signal-callers.

Wide receiver is different. Various body types, speed levels and skill sets can thrive in today's game. For example, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Mike Evans is 6'5", 231 pounds, and one of the league's best at working down the field and sideline, whereas the Las Vegas Raiders' Hunter Renfrow is 5'10", 185 pounds, and extremely slippery working out of the slot. Yet the two finished only three yards apart with last season's production.

Therein lies the value of being elite in a specific role.

Defenses are adept at keying in on specific talents in order to take them out of the equation or adjusting to make sure a player or a concept won't repeatedly beat them. When a team has wide receivers with complementary skill sets, the position is far more difficult to defend. An opponent can't consistently roll coverage toward one player or bracket one option.

Aside from Adams, there's not a wide receiver who consistently takes over games with little to no help from his fellow targets.

It's important not to have the same types of weapons. An "X" receiver, "Y" receiver and those working in the slot typically have different body types and abilities, much like the starting five on a basketball court.

On the gridiron, a squad should want a taller target, a vertical threat and someone with the quickness to quickly separate while working from the slot. Not everyone runs the routes the same way or has similar ways to win against tight coverage.

Those differences often lead to cohesion and greater effectiveness within the offensive scheme.

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The NFL's Top Five WR Corps

The league's best wide receiver corps have players with varied skill sets as well as plenty of depth.

It's not just about the top individual wide receivers. That's why it became necessary to exclude the likes of the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints, though all three were strongly considered.

The five best wide receiver corps for the 2022 season are filled with high-end producers, significant potential and plenty of quality options.

5. Miami Dolphins (Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Erik Ezukanma, Lynn Bowden Jr.)

The Dolphins paid an exorbitant amount to acquire Hill, sending a first-round pick, a second-round selection, two fourth-rounders and a sixth-rounder to the Kansas City Chiefs, but his on-field performance could be well worth it. The 28-year-old wideout is the game's premier deep threat and the league's most explosive target.

Jaylen Waddle broke the rookie record last season with 104 receptions. Cedrick Wilson Jr. set career highs in 2021 with 45 receptions for 602 yards with the Dallas Cowboys. All three present inside-out versatility. The Dolphins also added Erik Ezukanma, who is a 6'2", 206-pound target, in this year's fourth round.

4. Las Vegas Raiders (Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Demarcus Robinson, Keelan Cole, Mack Hollins)

Since Adams became the focal point of a passing attack in 2017, he hasn't had a teammate manage more than 690 receiving yards. During that same span, Adams went to five Pro Bowls and averaged 101 catches, 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns per season. Defenses knew exactly where the ball was going to go and still couldn't do anything about it.

Now Adams is part of the Raiders, and he'll have a little more help than he's accustomed to. Renfrow was one of 10 receivers last season with more than 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards. In March, Adams praised Renfrow, telling reporters, "He might be able to teach me a few things."

Neither Demarcus Robinson nor Keelan Cole is a stronger third or fourth option compared to some of the other depth found on this list, but both are established veterans capable of 400-plus-yard efforts.

3. Los Angeles Rams (Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell)

Cooper Kupp is coming off the single greatest season a wide receiver ever produced with 178 receptions for 2,425 yards and 22 touchdowns through the regular season into the playoffs and on his way to being named the Super Bowl LVI MVP. His contributions from the slot and as a blocker are vital to the offense's success.

Last season, the Rams had Robert Woods and Odell Beckham Jr. on the roster, but injuries affected their playing time. Neither is currently with the team.

The Rams did sign Allen Robinson to a three-year, $46.5 million free-agent deal. The 28-year Robinson excels at contested catches down the sideline and already has three 1,000-yard campaigns. Van Jefferson posted an 802-yard campaign last season. Ben Skowronek is a 6'3" target, and Tutu Atwell, whom the team drafted in last year's second round, presents 4.32-second 40-yard-dash speed if he can crack the rotation in 2022.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Russell Gage, Tyler Johnson, Breshad Perriman)

If ranking the best wide receiver corps were based purely on depth, the Buccaneers would run away with the title. Obviously, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are elite targets. Evans set an NFL record with eight 1,000-yard campaigns to start his career. Godwin is less than three years removed from finishing among the top three in receiving yardage. Injuries, including a torn ACL last year, derailed his last two campaigns.

General manager Jason Licht wasn't content with his options on the roster and signed Russell Gage to three-year, $30 million free-agent contract after he posted back-to-back seasons with at least 66 receptions and 770 yards. Tyler Johnson, Breshad Perriman, Scotty Miller and Jaelon Darden could make the Week 1 roster.

The team even signed the top two leading receivers at the FBS level in Jerreth Sterns and Deven Thompkins as undrafted free agents.

1. Cincinnati Bengals (Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Mike Thomas, Trent Taylor)

The Cincinnati Bengals organization found itself at a crossroads last offseason. The team could have gone with either the top offensive lineman to properly protect quarterback Joe Burrow or select the best wide receiver prospect in the draft class. The franchise chose the latter path and benefitted greatly.

Ja'Marr Chase is special. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year grabbed a league-high 10 touchdown receptions of 15 or more yards last season. The "X" receiver has yet to fully mature as a route-runner.

"Last year I was just out there running routes, having fun again," Chase said in May, per Jay Morrison of The Athletic. "Now I’ve got all the small details down, like learning how to set people up before the next route. And I feel more comfortable with the offense."

Chase isn't the only reason why the Bengals are so dangerous. Tee Higgins is a massive 6'4" target who's coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign. Tyler Boyd is one of the game's elite slot receivers, and he has two previous 1,000-yard seasons. That's three 1,000-yard receivers on one roster who have the potential to be the team's leading pass-catcher on any given Sunday (or Monday or Thursday).

Unsurprisingly, every team counted among the top five either traded for an elite target, signed one to massive contract extension and/or sunk a top-10 pick into the position.

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Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa divulged Thursday that he didn't believe the Dolphins had actually acquired wide receiver Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs until receiving calls from his coaching staff.

Appearing on Hill's It Needed to Be Said show on YouTube, Tua gave some insight into his feelings and reaction when news of the Hill trade broke (beginning at the 19:30 mark):

"I heard about it and I didn't think it was real. Because I already kind of had the notion like, this guy is set in KC, he has a good relationship with all the guys there, he's been playing there for a while already, they all mesh well together.

"And then I get a call from the head coach, then I get a call from my quarterbacks coach, and it's the same thing. 'Yeah, hear the news?' I said, 'Wait, is this real?' They're like, 'Of course it's real, why would it be fake?'"

Miami officially acquired Hill from the Chiefs on March 23 for five draft picks, including first- and second-round picks in 2022. The Dolphins then made Hill the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL when they signed him to a new contract.

After persistent rumors of the Dolphins trying to make a play for quarterback Deshaun Watson via a trade with the Houston Texans, they instead decided to stick with Tagovailoa and give him the best chance to succeed.

Miami hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as its new head coach and signed wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, as well as running backs Chase Edmonds, Sony Michel and Raheem Mostert, but the biggest helping hand to Tua was clearly the acquisition of Hill.

Hill has been a stud throughout his six-year NFL career, earning a Pro Bowl nod each time, along with three first-team All-Pro selections.

Along with tight end Travis Kelce, Hill was quarterback Patrick Mahomes' favorite target during his time in Kansas City, racking up 479 receptions for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in six seasons.

Hill finished with an uncharacteristically low 11.2 yards per catch last season as opposing defenses focused on shutting down Kansas City's deep passing game, but he still recorded 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns, plus a career-high 111 receptions.

Kansas City was a perennial playoff team and Super Bowl contender during Hill's tenure, reaching the Super Bowl twice and winning it once.

Most would likely consider going from an NFL MVP quarterback in Mahomes to an unproven signal-caller in Tagovailoa a significant downgrade, but Hill isn't among them.

He has been nothing but complimentary of Tua since making the move to Miami, even calling him a more accurate passer than Mahomes.

Now, Tagovailoa simply has to prove it on the field, as the Dolphins have assembled one of the most talented rosters in the NFL around him.

Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill says he received death threats over his comments about Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"I just feel like a lot of people just overreacted for no reason. ... They really didn't see what I said. A lot of people are just acting off emotion," Hill said on the second episode of his podcast It Needed to Be Said. He added, "Every social media account I own, I got death threats on."

In the first episode of the podcast, Hill said he felt Tua Tagovailoa was a more accurate quarterback than Mahomes. He also said he felt underutilized at times in the Chiefs offense.

"If teams are gonna give us favorable one-on-one matchups against their best corner, I don't see why teams don't utilize their best receiver," Hill said. "And that's where probably the Chiefs and I fell apart right there. When I'm like, 'Yo, I don't mean to talk or be a diva in some situation but can I see the ball sometime, please? Just give me the ball, please.'"

Mahomes said he was "surprised" by Hill's comments.

"I'm surprised a little just because I felt like we love Tyreek here. We’ve always loved him. We still love him," Mahomes told reporters last Thursday. "I saw him out at Formula 1 in Miami and everything like that. But I'm sure it had something to do with trying to get his podcast some stuff, get it rolling. But definitely I still love Tyreek. He's a one-of-a-kind player."

The Dolphins traded first-. second- and fourth-round picks in 2022 and fourth- and sixth-round selections in 2023 to the Chiefs in exchange for Hill. As part of the deal, Hill signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension.

Hill said he was also underwhelmed by the Chiefs in extension talks before asking for a trade. According to his account of events, Kansas City was not even willing to make him an offer worth $25 million per season.

As far as his usage complaints, the numbers don't provide much backing. Hill set career highs in targets (159) and receptions (111) last season, though the Chiefs offense did have fewer explosive plays down the field.

The Miami Dolphins reportedly heavily pursued Sean Payton—who resigned from his position with the New Orleans Saints earlier this offseason—to become the team's next head coach.

According to Albert Breer of the Monday Morning Quarterback, Miami offered Payton a four-year deal worth $100 million. Last week, David Hyde of the Sun Sentinel reported the Dolphins had offered $100 million over five years.

Had Miami signed Payton to the massive deal, it would've been only the second known $100 million contract for a head coach in NFL history. Jon Gruden signed a $100 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2018, but that was for 10 years and would've had an annual average value of $10 million. Payton's reported offer from Miami would've more than doubled that, paying him $25 million per year.

In March, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier confirmed to reporters that the team had reached out to the Saints to gauge Payton's availability prior to his retirement. It was also reported that the Dolphins were interested in pairing Payton with legendary quarterback Tom Brady, but Grier said the team had "no conversations" about bringing in the 44-year-old signal-caller.

Payton addressed the rumors surrounding him, Brady and the Dolphins during a celebrity golf tournament in April.

"I have no clue about the Tampa Bay-Miami Dolphin-Tom Brady rumor," Payton said. "My understanding is that there was a request put in, or the intermediaries talked. I'm like the rest of you. I heard that story."

During that same interview, Payton said that he would've remained with the Saints had he not decided to retire.

"If I had been ready to coach like this year, I woulda stayed in New Orleans," Payton said. "It's nice to have someone interested, and that's about it. Look, our focus on Tom Brady has been beating him, not joining him."

Payton is set to work as an analyst for Fox Sports for the 2022 season.