Lions sign Amendola; agree with Flowers, Coleman, James

Slot wide receiver Danny Amendola landed on his feet in Detroit, signing a one-year, $5.75 million deal days after being punted by the Miami Dolphins. Detroit on Monday also reportedly agreed to lucrative deals with defensive end Trey Flowers and cornerback Justin Coleman, along with tight end Jesse James.

Flowers reportedly will receive a five-year deal that averages at least $16 million per season, while Coleman agreed to a four-year contract worth $36 million, according to NFL Network, making him the league's highest-paid nickelback. Terms have not yet been reported for James. Flowers, Coleman and Amendola are all former New England Patriots, though Coleman spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Amendola spent 2018 in Miami.

Amendola, 33, joined the Dolphins last spring but previously played with the Patriots during Lions head coach Matt Patricia's run as defensive coordinator and assistant coach. "He was never really my coach, so to speak, because he was always on the defensive side of the ball, but I was always around him all the time and I just love the enthusiasm he brings to work," Amendola said of Patricia on a conference call. "The attitude he comes into the building with every day. I'm excited to continue my career with him."

The Dolphins signed Amendola to a three-year, $24 million deal on March 13, 2018. Amendola has 485 career receptions, including 59 grabs in 15 games in Miami last season. He had 40 receptions or more in seven NFL seasons, including 138 in his first two seasons in the league with the then-St. Louis Rams.

"I feel really good," Amendola told reporters. "I'm in the best condition of my life, I'm as fast as I've ever been and I'm as hungry as ever. I'm ready to play at a high level and do whatever I can to help this team win." The Lions traded Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles in October and did not have a suitable replacement in the slot on the roster. In return to Tate, Detroit received a third-round pick.

Marvin Jones went down with a season-ending knee injury two weeks after Tate was traded. The Lions added another former Patriot in Flowers, who had 7.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 15 games for the New England Patriots last season.

Flowers racked up 21 sacks and 59 QB hits over the past three seasons and knows the Lions' system well after playing under Patricia for three seasons in New England. Coleman also has some familiarity with Patricia's methods, as he played two seasons in New England before becoming a valuable member of the Seahawks' secondary over the past two seasons.

Coleman, who turns 26 later this month, had an interception and 10 passes defensed in 16 games (five starts) for Seattle last season. He also recorded a career-best 55 tackles. Coleman went undrafted in 2015 after playing in college for Tennessee.

James, 24, had 30 catches for 423 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (seven starts) for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, giving him 120 catches for 1,189 yards and nine scores in his four-year career. He was a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2015. The Lions also officially released cornerback Nevin Lawson. The team will reportedly save $4.675 million of his $5.8 million cap figure for 2019.

Lawson, who turns 28 in April, had signed a two-year, $9.6 million extension last March. He started 45 games for Detroit over the last three seasons, notching 18 passes defensed. --Field Level Media

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