Previously attached to a Dolphins-designed extension, DeVante Parker is no longer in a Patriots contract year.
The Patriots are giving the ninth-year wide receiver a three-year deal worth up to $33MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The contract includes $14MM between guarantees and per-game roster bonuses. No guaranteed money remained on Parker’s previous contract.
Parker’s previous deal — a three-year, $30.5MM pact agreed to in 2019 — was set to expire after the 2023 season. He was only carrying a $6.2MM cap number in his second Patriots campaign. The Dolphins traded Parker to the Patriots last year. In 13 Pats games, the former first-round pick caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns.
New England has been busy at wide receiver this offseason, signing JuJu Smith-Schuster to a three-year deal and hosting DeAndre Hopkins on a visit. The Pats made a push reach a deal with Hopkins while he was in Foxborough, but the former All-Pro remains a free agent. New England did join Tennessee in extending an offer to Hopkins, but Wednesday’s development shows the organization has notable plans for Parker as well.
Neither Hopkins nor Parker are known for their speed. Parker, 30, has finished last in Next Gen Stats’ average separation metric in each of the past three seasons. During Parker’s belated 2019 Dolphins breakout, the metric slotted the 6-foot-3 receiver in the bottom five. Parker still averaged 17.4 yards per reception during his first Patriots season. The Louisville product has one 1,000-yard season on his NFL resume — a 1,202-yard 2019 — but has been a starter for most of his career.
Parker profiles as an auxiliary pass catcher on team that now rosters Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki. Considering Smith-Schuster’s contract contains $16MM fully guaranteed and checked in at $8.5MM per year, it will be interesting to see if the Pats’ Parker deal outpaces both numbers in terms of base value.
The big-bodied weapon now joins Smith-Schuster in being signed beyond 2023. The Pats have Kendrick Bourne going into a contract year and selected Tyquan Thornton in last year’s second round. Parker went to the Pats in a pick-swap trade, one that sent the receiver and a fifth-rounder to New England and a third-rounder to Miami. Other teams pursued Parker, who wanted to land in Foxborough. The Patriots may be in better position to generate Parker production in 2023, seeing as Bill O’Brien — and not career-long defensive coach Matt Patricia — will be calling plays.
Sick
Would rather see the money go to Hopkins
I think Bill O’Brien can turn this offense around. Mac played well in year 1. Unfortunately instead of taking a 2nd year leap they gave him 2 scrubs who had no business calling offensive plays. Defense is really good, solid special teams, just not enough weapons on offense. If they want to pay to keep someone in the building then more power to them. They cannot afford to lose any productive pieces of offense.
D-Hop would help this team, throw some money at him and help out your young quarterback.
I thought they would drop Parker if they signed DHop. Either this means they’re not signing DHop, or maybe Bourne is the one to go? (IMO that’s a mistake)
I’d argue they’ve had no weapons on offense lately. This collection of WRs may be slightly better, but still no obvious threats. They’ll be an under team again this year. Poor Mac
I’m much more worried about the OL than the WRs.
If they don’t get Hopkins, this WR group looks average at best.
They really gave a guy an extension for 31 catches, 500 yards, and 3 td’s? Lol
Either case, enjoy 4th place.