DeVante Parker a Risk Worth Taking Only if Price is Right

A report indicated that the Eagles have reached out to the Dolphins about the availaiblity of the veteran WR

On the day the Eagles introduced hybrid edge rusher Haason Reddick last week to the media, they released DT Fletcher Cox about a half-hour after the news conference. About 48 hours later, they brought back Cox.

On the day the team introduced WR Zach Pascal on Thursday, a week after Reddick sat at the podium inside the auditorium at the Eagles’ NovaCare Complex, a report emerged just a couple hours after the Pascal presser wrapped that they are interested in trading for Miami Dolphins WR DeVante Parker.

If there is a theme to be gleaned here, perhaps it is that before the weekend expires, Parker will be an Eagle, just like Cox was – again.

Adding Parker would make some sense, but Miami’s asking price may be too high.

Now, if they would take a fifth-round selection – heck, the Eagles have three of them – then sure.

Why does Parker make sense?

More depth. Acquiring him would allow the Eagles not take another pass-catcher in the first-round and let them wait until the second day to perhaps grab one.

Their WR unit would look like this and in no particular depth chart order: DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, Jalen Reagor, Zach Pascal, Greg Ward, and a draft pick. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is likely the odd man out, released after training camp.

Reasonable Contract. Parker is signed through 2023, but it’s an easy deal to get out from under. There is no guaranteed money in the final year, so to cut him following this season would afford the Eagles $6.3 million in salary cap relief while the dead-money hit is just $2.7M.

His cap charge this season is $8.7, a number the Eagles can afford with about $23M to spend under the cap and accounting for about $10-13M to sign 10 draft picks, including three first-rounders.

Veteran experience. Parker just turned 29 and is the kind of veteran the team wanted when free agency began on March 16 but has so far struck on acquiring.

Pascal is 27 and has had some success, so maybe the Eagles feel they are fine with his veteran presence.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, though, reported that Philadelphia was a team that had contacted the Dolphins about Parker’s potential availability.

History. The Dolphins have a history of trading with the Eagles. There was last year’s deal that landed Philadelphia the Dolphins’ first-round pick and the one in 2016 that shipped Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to South Florida, the first of two trades that allowed the Eagles’ move all the way up to the No. 2 spot to take Carson Wentz.

Parker has suddenly become a spare part and the Dolphins are bereft of draft picks. They have just five now in this draft.

The Eagles could give them six, including two in the fifth round if that is the pick surrendered by Philly.

There is, however, a red flag with Parker:

Injuries. Since his 1,202-yard, nine-touchdown season in 2019, he has played in a combined 24 games the past two years and his production hasn’t come close to 2019.

In 10 games last season, he had just 40 catches for 515 yards and two touchdowns.

Parker was slightly better in 2020. In 14 games, he had 63 catches for 693 yards and four scores.

A fifth-round pick for that risk is well worth it.

Anything more and the Eagles should simply move along.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglestoday.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.