{"id":132539,"date":"2022-04-04T13:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T17:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=132539"},"modified":"2022-09-22T15:46:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T19:46:09","slug":"devante-parker-perfect-fit-new-england-patriots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2022\/04\/04\/devante-parker-perfect-fit-new-england-patriots\/","title":{"rendered":"Why DeVante Parker is a Perfect Fit for the Patriots"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver DeVante Parker and a 2022 5th-round pick in exchange for a 2023 3rd-round pick, as first reported by NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moving Parker solves a logjam at receiver for Miami created by the offseason additions of Cedrick Wilson<\/a> and Tyreek Hill. While his <\/span>contract<\/span><\/a> remained reasonable, Miami essentially opted to replace him with the younger, unproven Wilson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some have bristled at the price the Patriots paid to acquire Parker. A swap of third and fifth-round picks for a 29-year-old receiver who has played 16 games and had 1,000 yards once in a seven-year career is unusually steep, and a reflection of both the teams\u2019 status as rivals and New England\u2019s high opinion of Parker as a player.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Why DeVante Parker Didn’t Work in Miami<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

DeVante Parker A Perfect Fit For New England Patriots<\/h2>\n

Parker fits the mold of a Patriots acquisition to a T. Bill Belichick has a history of acquiring veterans who have not lived up to their high draft pick status (Kyle Van Noy, Barkevious Mingo, Eric Rowe, etc.) with their drafted teams, and Parker, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, is just another one of those players.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parker\u2019s performances against the Patriots in big moments were also likely salient in Belichick\u2019s evaluation of him as a player. Much like when Belichick signed Chris Hogan to an offer sheet a few months after Hogan had a <\/span>career game<\/span><\/a> (6 receptions for 95 yards) on a Monday Night in Foxboro in 2015, Parker has often played some of his best games against the Patriots. <\/span><\/p>\n

Most notably, he played a large role in playing spoiler to the 2019 team\u2019s bid at a first-round bye, turning in an eight-catch, 137-yard masterclass on Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore in Week 17. He played a similar spoiler role in 2015\u2019s Week 17, with a five-catch, 106-yard, one-touchdown performance in Miami\u2019s stunning win over New England that robbed the Patriots of home-field advantage throughout those playoffs (and, this author will always believe, Super Bowl 50).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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DeVante Parker should be the most dominant downfield presence the Patriots have had since Brandin Cooks<\/p>\n

Not the same separator as Cooks due to a lack of top-end speed, but few maximize their size and work the boundary as well as Parker pic.twitter.com\/Y74iXeBXnH<\/a><\/p>\n

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 2, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n