Eagles to sign Patriots veteran WR DeVante Parker
Parker, who had 64 receptions over the last two seasons with New England, will contend for the Eagles' third wide receiver spot after getting a one-year deal upon his release from the Patriots.
The Eagles are signing wide receiver DeVante Parker to a one-year deal, agent Jimmy Gould confirmed to The Inquirer.
The contract is fully guaranteed at $4.69 million, with the Eagles paying $1.2 million and the New England Patriots covering the rest. ESPN was first to report the news.
Parker, 31, will be released by the Patriots on Wednesday at the start of the new league year, which allowed him to find a new team pending the finalized move.
He spent the last two seasons of his nine-year career with the Patriots. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Parker played 13 games last year, collecting 394 yards and no touchdowns on 33 receptions. He played 74% of the offensive snaps, primarily lining up on the perimeter as a big-bodied option in the passing game.
The Miami Dolphins selected Parker No. 14 overall out of Louisville in the 2015 draft. He has played a total of 119 games in his career, including 93 with the Dolphins over seven seasons.
Parker has amassed 402 receptions for 5,660 yards and 27 touchdowns in his career. He had his best season in 2019 at age 26 when he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the only time in his career, racking up a total of 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns on 72 receptions.
Gould told The Inquirer that other teams had expressed interest in signing Parker, but general manager Howie Roseman “jumped on it” from the get-go. The Eagles, Gould said, had also shown interest previously in bringing in Parker during his stops in Miami and in New England. The Eagles’ enthusiasm for Parker, combined with Gould’s relationship with Roseman, helped pave the way a deal for 2024.
With Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Quez Watkins set to become free agents on Wednesday, Parker will contend for the third wide receiver spot with the Eagles.