Patriots: 10 most valuable players of 2015 regular season

Patriots: 10 Most Valuable Players from 2015 Regular Season

iDec 20, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) reacts with quarterback Tom Brady (12) after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

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9. Danny Amendola

He isn’t Julian Edelman by any means, but Amendola is a very good player in his own right. There were times in the 2015 regular season when Amendola was by far the most trustworthy receiver at Tom Brady’s disposal (the Week 7 game against the New York Jets comes to mind).

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This season, Amendola caught more passes (65) than he had since 2010 with the Rams, when he snagged 85 balls. Amendola churned out 648 yards and a trio of touchdowns on those 65 receptions, helping to fill the void left by Edelman in the latter part of the season.

In addition, Amendola made his mark in the punt return game. The Texas Tech product was the NFL’s best punt returner in 2015, averaging a league-leading 12 yards per return. Had Duron Harmon not clipped Amendola’s ankles against the Giants, Danny would have scored his first career punt return touchdown.

When Amendola is out of the lineup, the Patriots’ passing game misses him dearly.

Next: 8. Malcolm Butler

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