Patriots Reporter Offers Notable Detail About DeVante Parker Extension

The New England Patriots’ decision to extend wide receiver DeVante Parker apparently wasn’t as costly as it initially seemed.

At first glance, the Patriots extended Parker on a deal worth up to $33 million over three years. While that number represented the maximum value, it nevertheless appeared a bit steep for the 30-year-old wideout who was acquired in a trade last offseason.

Well, as Patriots reporter Mike Reiss pointed out Sunday in his weekly notes column, the pact is more team-friendly given there isn’t much in guaranteed money but rather incentives.

“When the specifics of Patriots receiver DeVante Parker’s new three-year contract worth up to $33 million are ultimately revealed, the expectation from sources familiar with the general framework of the pact is that the base value of the deal is considerably lower, there isn’t a high total of guaranteed money and more than half of the total value will be tied to playing-time incentives, performance incentives, All-Pro honors and per-game roster bonuses,” Reiss wrote for ESPN.

“In league circles, that’s sometimes referred to as a ‘pay-as-he-produces’ deal, which would be the primary motivation for the Patriots to commit to Parker after a season in which he appeared in 13 games, totaled 51% playing time and amassed 31 receptions.”

Reiss noted after the reported agreement last week how it could open up cap space for the Patriots, who are still in the mix for wideout DeAndre Hopkins, according to multiple reports. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport also reported that Parker’s deal had no impact on New England’s pursuit of Hopkins, who visited with the team June 15.