DeVante Parker is making his training camp debut with the New England Patriots this week, and he seems to be loving it.
"It's very different," Parker said Thursday, per video provided by ESPN's Mike Reiss. "To me, there's like a million people out here, and it's awesome having everyone riled up. I love it."
Parker spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins who, despite holding their training camp in South Beach, drew a lesser crowd than the Patriots. The 29-year-old veteran's enjoyment of practices seems to have translated into on-field success, as he has been one of New England's stars through the first two days of camp. Early returns have had his teammates share some praise, saying his presence takes pressure off the rest of the offense.
The Patriots acquired Parker in a trade with the Dolphins in April, sending a 2023 third-round draft pick to Miami in exchange for the Louisville product and a 2023 fifth-round pick.
The hope for New England is Parker will be able to provide a reliable presence on the outside -- something that has been missing in the Patriots offense for a half-decade. While Parker has only been on the field for a few days, it sounds like things are progressing quite well.
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