Miami Dolphins

Dolphins' Dan Campbell: DeVante Parker is a 'flash player right now'

Published Oct. 22, 2015 12:15 p.m. ET

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DeVante Parker came into the NFL with high expectations as a first-round pick, but he has yet to make a significant impact for the Miami Dolphins. 

Much of his struggles can be attributed to his lack of time on the field in the offseason due to foot surgery. He's finally catching up to speed, but he is still somewhat behind where he needs to be. Still, the Dolphins don't want to rush him into playing time.

"No, not for me," head coach Dan Campbell said via James Walker of ESPN. "We all know what kind of player he is capable of being just by the talent level that he has, and we’re just trying to get him to become the football player that we believe he can be.

"I mentioned this last week -- he’s a flash player right now. As soon as those flashes start showing up a lot more often, that’s when you feel good about getting him on the field."

Over the past three games, Parker has seen his playing time dwindle. According to Evan Silva of Rotoworld, he's gone from playing 54 percent of the snaps in Week 3, to 35 percent in Week 4, and down to seven percent last week.

In his first five career games, Parker has caught just four passes for 49 yards. He's buried on a depth chart featuring Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews, Kenny Stills, and Greg Jennings. It won't be easy for Parker to crack the starting lineup any time soon. Fortunately, the Dolphins have enough depth at the position to let Parker learn and develop.

"It doesn’t mean he won’t be getting plays," Campbell said. "We’re going to try to work him in because he has a unique skill set himself. It’s a good problem to have. We’ve got some receivers that are playing good football right now."

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