New England Patriots Gameday: Damiere Byrd ascending to new heights
New England Patriots wide receiver Damiere Byrd is ascending due to the influence of Larry Fitzgerald.
One of the underrated free agent signings the New England Patriots made in the offseason was that of veteran wide receiver Damiere Byrd.
Due to his lack of overall production in the NFL, it didn’t seem so at the time, but it is panning out now as the season continues to move forward.
Already having a career year in his first season with the Patriots, Byrd is coming off his best game as a pro with a six-catch, 132-yard receiving performance against the Houston Texans in the team’s Week 11 loss. A bright spot all season long, Patriots receivers coach Mick Lombardi is not surprised at Byrd’s success in the offense given his work ethic.
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"“The way [Damiere] prepares, knowing he goes about his daily grind, understanding what he needs to do to produce and this is from the first day I had him in the spring virtually to now,” Lombardi said Friday, via Patriots.com. “He’s the same guy every single day, his consistency and mental toughness are an all-time high and I think he tries to prove that every day.”"
Coming into the season, Damiere Byrd was expected to be at best the team’s fourth wide receiver on the depth chart. But, giving an opt-out by Marqise Hill along with injuries suffered to both Julian Edelman and N’Keal Harry, Byrd has been Cam Newton’s most reliable receiver along with the recent emergence of Jakobi Meyers.
Can it continue?
Damiere Byrd and the Larry Fitzgerald influence
Going up against his former Sunday, Byrd surely hopes to rise. He also wants to continue to show off what he learned from future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who won’t be suiting up for the game between the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals due to Covid-19. However, his presence will still be out there on the field.
"“It was great, I learned a lot from Larry,” Byrd said of his time in Arizona. “How to be a professional and just how to be consistent as a receiver, day in and day out. I really cherish my time being able to learn from him and go under his wing.”"
As he has emerged as playmaker in the New England Patriots offense, you can just see the confidence and comfort within the offense building for Damiere Byrd. It seems all he needed was opportunity.
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Now with 32 catches for 469 yards and a touchdown with 6 games remaining in the season, it appears Damiere Byrd is now soaring his way to a bigger contract whether it be with the Patriots or another team.
Playing with and watching true professionals like Larry Fitzgerald and this season Julian Edelman can certainly help a talent like Byrd break out. It is good to see him doing that in a New England Patriots uniform.