The New England Patriots are going to look a lot different in 2024. After trading away Mac Jones and signing Jacoby Brissett, the offense will have a new face under center. However, the changes won’t stop there, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Patriots will release wide receiver DeVante Parker and have given the former 1,200-yard wideout permission to start talking to other teams.
Patriots informed WR DeVante Parker that they are releasing him Wednesday and he now has been given permission to talk to other teams, per his agent Jimmy Gould.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024
DeVante Parker first joined the New England Patriots during the 2022 offseason. The team was intricately familiar with his game, as the former Dolphin was one of the main reasons for the loss that cost them a bye week in the 2019 regular season finale. The former first-round pick had a decent first season with the Patriots, hauling in 31 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns on 47 targets despite subpar quarterback play.
However, the wheels fell off the wagon last year. DeVante Parker had a season to forget, finishing the year with 33 receptions for just 394 yards and no touchdowns whlie actively speaking out against quarterback Mac Jones.
Patriots To Release DeVante Parker, Grant Wideout Permission To Speak With Other Teams
Now entering his age-31 season, DeVante Parker is not the same player he once was. While his 1,200-yard season was a bit on an outlier, the wide receiver had some solid seasons earlier in his career. He’s no longer a guy who can put up 800 receiving yards, but he’s more than capable of winning a few contested catches per game and making plays in the red zone.
Parker didn’t record a single touchdown last year, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that the Patriots themselves didn’t make it to the redzone too frequently. Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe combined to finish with a whopping 16 touchdown passes, one of the lowest marks in the league.
DeVante Parker is not going to be anyone’s Plan A in free agency, but it’s no secret that there isn’t enough starting-caliber talent to go around. With the wide receiver market slow to develop, the former first-round pick could end up with any of these five teams.
Possible Team Fits
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers entered free agency with glaring needs at wide receiver and along the interior offensive line. So far, they’ve spent big on the guard position but have basically ignored wide reciever. Seeing as they probably don’t have the money to go after top options like Calvin Ridley, they could take a flier on DeVante Parker.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs broke the bank to keep Chris Jones around, and they might not have the financial resources to spend big on a complementary wide receiver. Seeing as they won the past two Super Bowls, they clearly don’t need an elite receive to win games, so they might bargain shop for DeVante Parker. Giving Mahomes who can win with size on the outside should mesh well with Rashee Rice’s shiftiness and Travis Kelce’s dominance over the middle of the field.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs have similar offensive builds. Both teams have a star tight end, a second-year receiver that showed plenty of promise as a route runner, and a glaring need for another outside threat. With several key free agents, the Ravens might not be able to afford a better player than DeVante Parker.
New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr is only as good as the pieces around him, so if the Saints want to win football games, they’ll need to provide their veteran quarterback with as many offensive weapons as possible. Chris Olave is great and Rashid Shaheed is a reliable deep threat, but this team could use a perimeter receiver. With minimal cap space and glaring needs on the offensive line, DeVante Parker might be a cost-effective signing.
Los Angeles Chargers
Mike Williams and DeVante Parker have remarkably similar playing styles. At their best, both players excel at running downfield, leaping over defenders, and bringing in those hard receptions. While Williams is better at the job than Parker, he’s also set to count $32.4 million against the salary cap. The Chargers can free up $20 million in cap space by releasing him, and Parker can fill that role for pennies on the dollar.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing – USA Today Sports
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