DeVante Parker might not be the cannonball splash that Patriots fans were hoping for this offseason, but the veteran still is a very good, productive receiver who should boost New England’s offense.
Parker, 29, had trouble staying on the field over his seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins. However, in trading for Parker, the Patriots landed a receiver who in 2019 caught 72 balls for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s a better campaign than any currently rostered Patriots receiver ever has put together.
After news of the trade broke, Mike Giardi of NFL Media spoke to an AFC defensive coach who offered their review of the Parker trade.
“He won’t be the best receiver on the field most weeks but — if healthy — he’ll be the best on the Patriots,” the coach told Giardi on Saturday. “I think they needed a piece like him. Fights for his space and the football.”
That assessment lines up with this note shared Sunday by Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard.
Got the lowdown on Parker from a Dolphins source, and it was largely positive: “He’s talented, contested ball catcher, not an elite separator/lacks vertical explosion but makes a lot of catches away from his frame and while tightly covered. When he’s played, he’s been productive but he’s been a soft tissue injury guy almost every year and has missed games as a result. … Good guy/good locker room guy. When he’s in the building, he works at it.”
Again, injuries are a real concern for Parker, who only has played one full season in the NFL. But with two years and just $11.35 million remaining on his contract, Parker is an intriguing low-risk/high-reward play for Bill Belichick.
That said, despite filling a need at boundary receiver, the Patriots still have work to do this offseason as they look to build a winner in 2022.
