Who are the most overpaid players on the New England Patriots?
The New England Patriots do not have a ton of big-time contracts on their roster, but are there still some players on the roster who are currently overpaid? The one thing I can give Bill Belichick credit for is largely staying away from the knee-jerk free agency moves.
The Patriots have always been modest spenders in free agency, and sometimes that works out for them, but other times it does not. The frugal mindset worked for years, even spilling into the in-house players taking cheaper deals to stay with the team and win. However, that seemed largely due to Tom Brady taking those cheaper deals because of his obsession with winning.
He's not here anymore, so perhaps the dynamic has changed a bit for the Patriots. Do they currently house any overpaid players? If they do, who are they, and how much do they make?
Who are the most overpaid players on the New England Patriots?
1. Hunter Henry, TE
Hunter Henry is currently an overpaid player. He signed with the New England Patriots before the 2021 season and is set to enter his third year with the team. He came over from the Los Angeles Chargers.
Henry's first year in New England was great. He had a solid connection with Mac Jones and caught 50 passes for 603 yards and nine touchdowns. In year two, though, his production dipped across the board. He caught nine less passes for 94 less yards and seven less touchdowns.
He's a solid tight end overall and is a decent receiver, but his contract is a bit rich, in my opinion. His average annual value of $12,500,000 ranks eighth in the NFL among tight ends The total value of his contract ranks ninth among tight ends. And his total guaranteed dollars ranks a whopping fourth among tight ends, ahead of Travis Kelce, Dawson Knox, TJ Hockenson, and Darren Waller.
I'm not saying Henry can't bounce back and live up to this deal, but man, he is being severely overpaid.
2. DeVante Parker, WR
DeVante Parker's recent extension was a bit shocking to see. The 30-year old wide receiver has not lived up to his first-round billing. The Miami Dolphins drafted him back in 2015 and Parker has only managed one season with at least 1,000 yards.
Parker was traded to the New England Patriots last year and managed a solid season, but far from anything resembling a WR1. He caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns. Apparently, that was enough for Bill Belichick to ink him to a three-year contract extension.
The total value of the contract, $30,500,000, ranks 27th among all wide receivers in the NFL. The average annual value of the deal, which is a hair over $10 million, ranks 27th in the NFL. While those numbers don't seem high, they are for a receiver who may end up in a WR3 role in 2023 and beyond.
He also turns 31 years old at the end of the season, which is a bit old for wide receivers. It is a bit of an overpay, but I kind of understand why they did it. Bill Belichick is clearly a bit desperate for help at wide receiver, and Parker can still be moderately productive in the NFL.
He's also someone who can contest for jump balls, which is an added bonus. However, he's being paid like a low-end WR1, which is far from the case.
To me, that's it. I don't think there are any more players on the roster that I think are overpaid. If anything, the New England Patriots have quite a few players that are underpaid, which is certainly not a bad thing.