Proceed with caution, Dolphins fans. We’ve seen this same song and dance plenty of times before — enough to know that this may be fools gold. The reemergence of wide receiver DeVante Parker has worked its way up through the grapevine, all the way to the world-wide leader in sports. ESPN released a column this weekend dedicated to recognizing the surprise standout of each NFL franchise’s offseason thus far. And, as he typically is, Parker was Miami’s talent of choice.
The recognition of Parker, which was written by Dolphins beat reporter Cameron Wolfe, should sound familiar for Dolphins fans everywhere.
“(Parker) has regularly looked like the Dolphins’ best offensive player this spring, making highlight grabs along the sideline and consistently being a threat in the red zone and in the middle of the field. This isn’t the first time Parker has opened eyes in the spring (only to disappoint in the fall), but it’s a good sign after how bad 2018 went for him. In a surprise, the Dolphins brought back Parker this offseason on a one-year deal with hopes that a fresh start under a new coaching staff and a new quarterback (right now, Ryan Fitzpatrick) that seems to appreciate him more will help…”
– Cameron Wolfe, ESPN
The biggest point Wolfe brings regarding Parker and his prospects in 2018 is the change at quarterback. Parker’s strengths as a player have typically played away from the strengths of the quarterbacks we’ve seen in Miami over recent years — he’ll produce the most with an aggressive quarterback who is willing to let it rip. Sure, Jay Cutler offered him that and a career high in targets (96) in 2017. But the Dolphins offense that year deteriorated into a watered down attack — the team averaged a paltry 5.5 yards per pass attempt.
Parker doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt anymore, but there are some indicators that things could be different. Namely, more aggressive quarterback play and a passing attack designed to be more aggressive as well.
