NFC East news: Philly wide receiver retires before taking a snap, Nabers’ many traits impressed Giants
DeVante Parker retires from NFL at age 31 after signing one-year deal with Eagles this offseason – Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports
Parker retires before he ever took a snap for Philadelphia.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, but he will not be playing for Philly in 2024. Instead, Parker has decided to retire from football at the age of 31, the nine-year NFL veteran told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday night.
Parker said the time had come for him to spend more time with his family, and that he will take things slowly moving forward. “I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them,” Parker said, via ESPN. “I want to be there for them whenever I can.”
When asked what he will remember most about his NFL career, Parker mentioned his teammates.
“The camaraderie,” Parker said, via ESPN. “The brotherhood in the locker room on whichever team it was. Everyone always welcome me with open arms, and I appreciated them for that.
“I also appreciate the Dolphins for drafting me and giving me the opportunity. I always will have love for the Dolphins and their organization. And I want to thank all the teams, the Patriots and the Eagles, too. But the Dolphins were the first team, and I really want to thank them.”
Parker walks away from football having caught 402 passes for 5,660 yards and 27 touchdowns. His 402 receptions rank No. 38 since entering the league, and his 5,660 receiving yards rank No. 30.
Malik Nabers wants to ‘destroy you,’ and that’s why the Giants wanted him – Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic
Nabers’ mentality and skill certainly piqued the Giants’ interest.
Donald Fusilier saw all he needed to see.
Fifteen-year-old Malik Nabers was putting on a show during 7-on-7 tryouts, contorting his body mid-air to complete mind-bending catches above opponents’ heads.
But when another set of kids began to show up, Nabers ditched the group he had been playing with all morning to join the new crowd. Coaches shouted at him, asking what he was doing. Turns out he was headed over to play with kids his own age. The group he had been posterizing all morning was made up of 17- and 18-year-olds.
“He was dominating … terrorizing them,” said Fusilier, then the new coach for the Louisiana Bootleggers 7-on-7 squad.
“He was a very high competitor,” said Fusilier, now the offensive pass game coordinator/WR coach at Graceland University. “He was a big focal point not only in contributing to that team but to set the standard for the future for other kids that came behind.”
After selecting him sixth in the 2024 draft, the Giants will need Nabers’ confidence and competitiveness as they look to rally from a 6-11 finish last year. They are counting on their rookie wide receiver bringing out the best in incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones — and the offense as a whole. If the past is any indication, Nabers is up for the challenge.
“The competitiveness, some of the best (receivers) I’ve been around, they have that,” said [Giants’ GM] Schoen. “To me, it always goes back to grit, toughness, tenacity. You can’t coach that. You can’t teach that. I think this kid best illustrates it.”
Lions lose second key executive to Commanders as contract negotiator Brandon Sosna departs – Justin Rogers, The Detroit News
Washington has lured away another executive from Detroit.
Allen Park — The Detroit Lions are in the market for a new salary cap manager and contract negotiator.
On Monday, the Washington Commanders announced the hiring of Brandon Sosna as the team’s new senior vice president of football operations. He had served as the Lions senior director of football administration the past two years, where he took the lead on many of the team’s top contract negotiations, including new deals for Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Jared Goff this offseason.
General manager Brad Holmes openly praised Sosna’s importance to the organization during the league meetings in March.
“It’s a year-round, collaborative approach,” Holmes said. “It really is. We start on this during the season, in terms of planning and our process for free agency. But me and Sosna, we work side by side, man. With the communication, the players that we’re looking to acquire at all levels, starter-level and backup-level guys. We talk about there’s a Plan A, there’s a Plan B, a Plan C, and it’s just consistent communication.
Sosna isn’t the first executive the Commanders have poached from the Lions this offseason. The team also hired away longtime personnel leader Lance Newmark to serve as rookie general manager Adam Peters’ assistant GM.