DeVante Parker kills it at practice with new QB’s but temper that joy
By Brian Miller
DeVante Parker was a star on Tuesday at the Miami Dolphins OTA’s but fans and the media should carry a muted and tempered enthusiasm.
Once again we are in the off-season workout programs and once again DeVante Parker is doing all the right things. It is a record that we have worn out over the last four seasons. Should we get excited?
There are two players on the Dolphins roster that need to have not just good seasons but great seasons. DeVante Parker and Charles Harris. Two former first-round draft picks that have done next to nothing since they arrived. As for Parker, he has all the talent in the world but can’t showcase it on gameday.
Maybe that changes this year. Maybe the extension he signed this off-season was a wake-up call that he needs to get it together because the deal was a team deal not a player one. Maybe, just maybe, it has been bad coaching and inconsistent play by the quarterback.
Enter Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chad O’Shea, and Brian Flores.
When it comes to Parker, something has to click eventually. He is too good of an athlete to just bow out of the NFL with a whisper. He needs to do more and wants to do more. His quiet demeanor doesn’t win him many fans but there is a positive to that. He doesn’t rock any boats.
After spending a season with Joe Philbin and three more with Adam Gase, Parker has never truly had the type of coaching that he needed. He should get that now. Chad O’Shea was brilliant as the receivers coach in New England as he helped make little known receivers into stars. Now he must make Parker into one.
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While it is nice to see Parker receiving accolades from the media and gaining positive praise after every catch he will still need to prove that he can do that when pads are on and contact can be made. This is where Parker has failed. Not at OTA’s and mini-camps. When it counts, Parker has gone missing.
The Dolphins believe that Parker can be a true number one receiver which is why they restructured his contract and got rid of the 5th year option instead of releasing him. There is something there but if this coaching staff can’t get that out of him with better quarterback play and coaching, then there is nothing that can be done at this point.
We do not know who the quarterback starter will be but both of the QB’s have big arms and are accurate. This should help Parker who needs to use his body more to shield defenders but he also needs to learn to get into a better position to make the catch. This is what OTA’s are for. It may be great to hear he is practicing well and it is something he can build on but I will hold judgment until September when he takes the field against an opponent who will be trying to stop him.