Three years after the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are looking to build a winning team.
They have made the playoffs just once since Brady left, and last season they finished just 8-9 while having to deal with an anemic offense.
New England took a step toward improving when they acquired wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl last season, earlier this offseason.
On Wednesday, they also reached an agreement with DeVante Parker in order to beef up their wide receiving corps.
Sources: The #Patriots & WR DeVante Parker reached an agreement on a 3-year new contract worth up to $33M. The deal, done by Parker’s long-time agent and owner of Management One Jimmy Gould, also includes $14M in guarantees and per-game roster bonuses. Parker finds a home in NE. pic.twitter.com/0aEUVhZedU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2023
Parker came to New England prior to last season, and he posted 539 yards and three touchdowns during the 2022 campaign.
His best season came in 2019 when he had 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns as a member of the Miami Dolphins, the team he had played for his entire career for prior to becoming a member of the Patriots.
Of course, the biggest key to any real success the team will have in the near future is the development and production of quarterback Mac Jones.
As a rookie in 2021, Jones, the No. 15 pick in that year’s draft, threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns while being named to the Pro Bowl, and there was a feeling that New England had found their new franchise signal-caller.
But in 2022, his production fell, and the reality set in that Jones isn’t quite all that.
2023 will be huge for him, as it will be his third pro season, which is the season in which quarterbacks traditionally either blossom or prove that they will be a disappointment.
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