Parks’ homecoming is a big chance to prove himself
In most markets, a long lucrative contract would make the day of just about any NFL free agent.
Then there is Will Parks, who agreed to a oneyear contract with the Eagles worth $1.6 million last week. Parks spent the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos playing in the considerable shadow of Chris Harris, the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. In two of those years, Harris teamed up with five-time Pro Bowler Aqib Talib.
“To be honest, this is a chance for me to prove myself to the whole league over again,” Parks said on a conference call Tuesday. “Every year is a oneyear deal. If you look at it that way, I think you’ll work harder every day, not get sidetracked. I’m not worried about it now.”
The Eagles added Parks after trading third- and fifth-round draft picks to the Detroit Lions for Darius Slay, another Pro Bowl player. Slay got a threeyear, $50 million pact from the Eagles.
While Parks wasn’t the apple of the Eagles’ eye — they also bid on cornerback Byron Jones, who agreed to a massive contract with the Miami Dolphins — they’ve seen enough tape to believe he can help a secondary in transition after safety Malcolm Jenkins was shown the door.
For Parks, the Eagles were a no-brainer. The 6-1, 194-pound product of Arizona starred at Germantown High and still has family in the area. There were too many plusses for Parks to say no to Philly.
“It was coming home, the scheme that they use, the way they use the players, the franchise history, the fans, the love of the city,” Parks said. “When you have a coach or a (defensive coordinator) that knows your strong suits and doesn’t want to limit you, that’s one of the biggest things. It was just a perfect situation.”
Parks was the defensive MVP of the Independence Bowl and on the watch list for the Maxwell Football Club’s Bednarik Award, given the nation’s top defensive player, in 2015.
At corner, Parks has played on the inside, outside and in the slot. He’s blitzed off the edge. The 2016 sixth-round pick appeared in 62 games with the Broncos, including 15 starts. He has four career interceptions, a two-point conversion and a father he’s converted from Cowboys to Eagles fan.
“My dad was a Cowboys fan,” Parks said. “I grew up in a Cowboys house and I grew up in an Eagles house. My mom is a diehard Eagles fan. I don’t know how he became one, but it is what it is. But he’s glad to be a Philadelphia fan now because I’m on the Eagles.”