Louisville Football: Former Cards in the pros on the move this offseason
By Jacob Lane
DeVante Parker – WR
2016-17 statistics: 57 receptions, 670 yards, 1 touchdown
No DeVante Parker did not make an offseason move to another team. But unlike all of the players on this list, another offseason move is forcing a former Card into a new role.
DeVante Parker is moving from a secondary role into the teams primary wide receiver for 2018-19, a move many saw coming.
After extending the Franchise Tag to star WR Jarvis Landry, the Dolphins decided to send him to the Cleveland Browns for a few draft picks, instead of handing him a big, guaranteed contract.
Now in his third year in the NFL, DeVante Parker will be counted on to be a #1 wide receiver for a Dolphins team looking to bounce back.
The 2016-17 season was expected to be DeVante Parker’s “coming out” party. But unfortunately lingering injury issues kept the second year receiver off the field for the majority of the season.
Even with injuries, Parker made several plays that left people around the league saying “this kid is a future star.” And apparently the Dolphins organization saw that as well.
Parker finished the season with just 570 yards and one touchdown, which would be a regression from his rookie season. However, the Dolphins had poor offensive line play, and with normal starting QB Ryan Tannehill out, the team relied on washed-up, retired QB Jay Cutler, who is not known for throwing the deep ball.
Expect Parker to have a big season for the Dolphins if Tannehill is able to stay healthy in 2018-19.