The New England Patriots seem happy to see what Damiere Byrd has to offer with a prove-it deal during the 2020 offseason.

With the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, Byrd managed to put together a fairly productive season, considering he’d had difficulties making a 53-man roster since entering the league as a undrafted free agent in 2015. He has bounced around the NFL, with stops in Carolina and Arizona.

Byrd finished fourth in receiving yards behind receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and running back David Johnson for the Cardinals in 2019. Byrd had 32 catches for 359 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. He managed to stay above second-round pick Andy Isabella and veteran Pharoh Cooper on the depth chart.

Let’s break down Byrd’s deal with New England.

DURATION: One year
CASH: $1.52 million with $250,000 guaranteed in salary.
INTERESTING QUIRK? He has $600,000 tied up in bonuses.

Chances he makes the roster: 20%

New England has three players with solid standing at the receiver position: Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu. Past that, it’s anyone’s guess who makes the team. Jakobi Meyers is probably the fourth receiver. And Gunner Olszewski looks to be in the mix for the fifth (and likely final) spot. But Byrd will also be in competition with Marqise Lee, who seems like a strong competitor if he’s healthy. The Patriots didn’t add a receiver in the draft, but they signed UDFAs Will Hastings (who was Jarrett Stidham’s slot receiver at Auburn) and Jeff Thomas (who would’ve been drafted if not for character concerns). There’s something to like with each of them.

When Byrd first signed, he was a compelling projection. But the receiver position is crowded with a number of players with that same label.

What it means for Byrd

Byrd was the king of the slant route in Arizona’s offense. He did a little work with bubble screens and stop-routes. But that slant was his jam. Even with a limited route tree, you have to like that he managed 10 of his 32 catches on third down with a 76.9% catch rate — a positive sign of reliability. Byrd also has the speed (4.28-second 40-yard dash) to bust off a big play, but perhaps that’s because he often draws single coverage with that defender recognizing Byrd’s proclivity to catch the ball within 10 yards from the line of scrimmage. Even with the speed, he doesn’t seem to naturally create big plays.

Essentially, if Byrd wants to make the Patriots roster, he will have to prove he’s capable of more than he’s done in past destinations. He looks like he has the potential to be Phillip Dorsett in the offense, but surely, New England wants a little more than that. Otherwise, they would have re-signed Dorsett.

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