FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In a uncommon commerce between AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots have acquired Miami Dolphins large receiver DeVante Parker and a 2022 fifth-round draft decide in trade for a 2023 third-round decide, a supply instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.
The Dolphins’ acquisition of Tyreek Hill and the free-agent signing of Cedrick Wilson Jr. made Parker expendable. Miami will now have two first-round picks, a second-rounder and two third-rounders within the 2023 NFL draft.
In the meantime, Parker may very well be a prime possibility for Patriots second-year quarterback Mac Jones, becoming a member of a receiving corps that features prime returnees Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.
The Patriots inherit the remaining two years of Parker’s contract, which requires him to earn base salaries of $5.65 million in 2022 and $5.7 million in 2023.
The Patriots expect to obtain a compensatory third-round decide in 2023 on account of shedding cornerback J.C. Jackson in free company.
Since Invoice Belichick turned head coach of the Patriots in 2000, that is solely the fifth commerce New England has made with the Dolphins. Probably the most notable got here in 2007 when the Patriots dealt second- and seventh-round picks to Miami in trade for receiver Wes Welker, who went on to set the franchise document for receptions (672).
Belichick is aware of Parker properly from having ready his groups to face him since 2015, when the Louisville alum entered the NFL as a first-round decide of the Dolphins.
“He’s got a very, very good skill set,” Belichick stated of Parker earlier than a recreation in opposition to the Dolphins in 2020. “He’s a big athlete that runs well, has good hands, good run-after-the-catch ability, and good quickness for his size. He presents a lot of problems on deep balls. He’s a big target on the end of routes in-cuts and crossing routes. He’s strong, can break tackles as a catcher or run player, so he attacks all three levels of the defense and can be productive at all three [receiver spots].”
The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Parker performed in 10 video games final season (eight begins) and totaled 40 receptions for 515 yards and two touchdowns.
Over his NFL profession, he has performed in 93 video games (64 begins), totaling 338 receptions for 4,727 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is the Dolphins’ sixth-leading receiver all time.
Parker’s breakout season got here in 2019, when he recorded 1,202 yards and 9 touchdowns on 72 catches. Nonetheless, his manufacturing was restricted by his well being over the following two seasons, through which he missed 9 mixed video games and recorded a complete of 1,308 receiving yards.
Because the Dolphins’ new teaching employees assembled a receiver room that specialised in creating separation and yards after the catch, Parker — historically a possession receiver — stood because the odd man out.
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.
