Danny Amendola signs 5-year contract with Patriots, per report

Otto Greule Jr

Well, that didn't take long. The Patriots reportedly reached a five-year deal with Danny Amendola, who will replace Wes Welker.

The Patriots and free-agent wide receiver Danny Amendola have reportedly reached an agreement "in principle" on a five-year contract, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.

The contract is worth a reported $31 million per Ian Rappaport of NFL Network, including $10 million guaranteed.

That didn't take very long. Literally an hour after the news broke that the Patriots lost Wes Welker to the Denver Broncos, they bring in Welker's replacement, Amendola. Amendola is likely one of the closest receivers to Welker the Patriots could have found, too. Both were undrafted free agents out of Texas Tech, both are better as slot receivers, both are about the same size and they kind of look alike as well.

It's actually kind of creepy.

The two biggest differences between Welker and Amendola are age -- Amendola is four years younger -- and statistics. Amendola hasn't put up the same numbers as Welker, but he also didn't have Tom Brady throwing the pigskin to him over the last six years. In his four years with the Rams, Amendola has caught 196 passes for 1,726 yards and seven touchdowns.

With the Patriots' high-powered offense, Amendola could be the best possible replacement for Welker and could become one of Brady's favorite targets over the next few years.