Parker likely to stick around
DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins are likely to pick up DeVante Parker’s fifth-year option.
Why? Because it makes too much sense not to.
Teams usually exercise the option in cases where the player is not a total bust. And despite what you may think about Parker, he’s not a bust — at least not yet.
If Parker’s fifth-year option is exercised, it will be for about $9.5 million. The Dolphins could have made this move official as early as Jan. 1, but have chosen to wait, and now must do so prior to May 3.
This money would be guaranteed for Parker only in the event of injury. Otherwise, Miami could walk away with no penalty. This is the same scenario Miami faced with tackle Ja’Wuan James, and the Dolphins picked up and kept his rights.
The way the fifth-year option is structured, it is in the best interest of the club. Parker’s cap hit this year is around $3.5 million, plac- ing him as the 60th-highest paid receiver in the league, according to Spotrac. If Parker were to fulfill his potentialthis season, stay healthy and maybe even make a Pro Bowl, it would have been nearsighted to not exercise the option to keep him on the roster for a fifth season.
Even if the Dolphi ns decided they could not come to a long-term extension, and wanted to trade him, at least they would retain his rights and the option to receive something in value for their former first-round pick.
Last season, only six of 32 eligible players failed to have their fifth-year options picked up: Greg Robinson (Rams), Sammy Watkins (Bills), Kyle Fuller (Bears), Calvin Pryor ( Jets), Marcus Smith (Eagles) and Teddy Bridgewater (Vikings).
Three players had already been released:Justin Gilbert (Browns), Johnny Manziel (Browns) and Dominique Easley (Rams). Twenty three players had their option picked up.
New look to uniforms: The team revealed its 2018 jerseys Thursday, and they will feature some subtle but significant tweaks. It’s not a full shift to the retro style they’ve worn twice a year for the last few seasons, but it’s a modest step in that direction.
Most noticeably, the numbers will be old-school block font and have a thicker orange outline. That’s a change from the narrow, more modern numbers Miami’s been wearing. The orange will be a darker shade, closer to the team’s original colors. The Dolphins also removed the “marine blue” outline on the numbers and helmet stripe.
Special honor: The Dolphins honored six players with one-day contracts so they could officially retire as members of the franchise: punter Brandon Fields, defensive tackle Paul Soliai, end/linebacker A.J. Duhe, defensive end Jeff Cross, offensive tackle Vernon Carey and receiver Chris Chambers.