The New England Patriots are seeing a potential breakout of veteran WR DeVante Parker in his second year with the team amid a dominating performance at training camp.
The Patriots extended Parker on a 3-year, $33 million contract after his first year in Foxboro, despite rumors of a DeAndre Hopkins pursuit in the offseason. Coach Bill Belichick and the Pats are hoping the deal will pay off, and it looks like Parker is off to a hot start.
“(DeVante) Parker has had some of the best catches this summer. On Wednesday, he looked like the Pats best receiver. (He) finished with a camp-high 5 receptions against the Packers. That included a nice TD, where he jumped over the Packers secondary, and back-to-back catches on Rasul Douglas,” writes Mark Daniels of MassLive.com
The 30-year-old receiver is entering his second year with the Pats, pulling in over 500 yards and 3 TDs in his 13 appearances last season. He dealt with inconsistency at the quarterback position, something he is familiar with after three different starters in Miami.
Parker hasn't been able to return to the top form he experienced in 2019 with the Miami Dolphins, when he racked in his only 1,000 yard receiving season. He enjoyed in his two top-target years while playing with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in Miami from 2019-20, seeing 100+ balls come his way in both seasons.
The Patriots find themselves in the unfamiliar position of the projected last-place team in the AFC East. After dominating the division for over two decades, the Patriots reign has seemingly come to an end, as they face the worst odds to win it at +800. The Bills, Jets, and Dolphins help round out one of the toughest divisions in football, and Belichick and the Pats will have a tough time competing against the top dogs unless they can get a dominating season from Parker and his teammates.
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