Patriots Lose 2020’s Biggest Deep Threat

The New England Patriots lost a big threat on their way to training camp. Head coach Bill Belichick won’t work with the same receiving group in 2021.

Damiere Byrd is no longer a Patriot. The 28-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday. He is making a move and New England won’t have him on the roster.

Chicago made an official announcement:

In 2020, the speedster caught career-high 47 passes for 604 yards. This was the most he has ever had in a regular-season. He caught one touchdown pass from Cam Newton. He also had an amazing over-the-shoulder catch.

Byrd signed a deal worth under $1 million. This is $700,000 less than the money he got from the Patriots in 2020.

Patriots lose valuable threat

Patriots coaches and Byrd’s teammates admit that he has an incredible route running and play recognition. One thing stands for sure. His speed is his greatest asset.

Cam Newton has nothing but words of praise for Byrd.

“I just wanted to appreciate his professionalism and his evolving of a player, a football player that is, and he’s just been great,” he said. “A guy who understands this offense, a guy who has been learning so much, a guy who has just taken an opportunity and tried to make the most of it. Like I said, I saw when Damiere first stepped in the locker room as a wide-eyed rookie not knowing who to kind of cling on to. But for him, the moment is never too big and every year he’s gotten better, and I think he has his best football still set ahead of him.”

Thomas Carannante from Musket Fire believes that the signing of Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor would be of great help for the Patriots.

“Though Byrd only signed a one-year deal — again, the Patriots could have done that, but their ample cap space allowed them to do more — it’s at least nice to see his success in Foxborough opened another team’s eyes. They helped one another out. The Patriots realized giving Newton two more skilled and mature versions of Byrd could help elevate the offense in an upcoming campaign that will have playoff-or-bust aspirations.”