The New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins agreed to an inside-the-division trade on Saturday, completing a swap centered around veteran wideout DeVante Parker. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Dolphins will send Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick to New England for a 2023 third-round pick.
Patriots acquire DeVante Parker from Dolphins
Less than two weeks after acquiring All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins are sending Parker, a former first-round pick, to a division rival. The Patriots, who have little proven talent at wideout, acquire a solid veteran receiver to fill out their depth chart.
Let’s see how both parties faired in this trade.
Miami Dolphins
Nothing says “we’ve given up on a player” quite like trading that player to a division rival with a draft pick. The Dolphins are showing a couple of things with their trade of Parker: they don’t value the 2022 NFL Draft class or Parker at this point.
The Dolphins will now gear up for the 2023 draft stacked with assets, including two first-round picks and two third-round picks. For GM Chris Grier, adding veterans was the priority this offseason. Next year, he’ll focus on building on top of a presumed strong base with draft picks.
Grier has shown his lack of enthusiasm for the 2022 class throughout the past 12 months. He traded a 2022 first-round pick to the Eagles last offseason without knowing who he would select by trading up in the 2021 NFL Draft. He then traded the 29th overall pick — acquired last year from the San Francisco 49ers — to the Kansas City Chiefs to acquire Hill last month.
The Parker deal is just the latest sign of the Dolphins’ distaste for the 2022 class, which has been oversaturated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The writing was on the wall for Parker when the Dolphins traded for Hill and signed Cedrick Wilson Jr. Parker was a short-timer no matter what, but now the Dolphins have strategically beefed up their draft capital for next offseason with his departure.
The Dolphins will spend the Patriots’ pick in the final year of Parker’s deal and extend his value an additional four years with a rookie deal.
GRADE: B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots’ wideout depth chart was lacking a true top wideout. While Jakobi Meyers is an ascending talent, he needed a tag-team partner at the X position. Nelson Agholor, who had an up-and-down first season in New England, can now move into the slot.
Parker produced 40 catches for 515 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. He is two years removed from a career campaign, as he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2019.
Parker is Bill Belichick’s type of trade asset. He’s a seasoned vet who has worn out his welcome with his previous franchise, and he comes with a cheap salary with multiple years left on his contract. Parker has no guarantees left on the final two years of his contract and will make only $11.4 million over the next two seasons.
That’s a great price for Parker, plus the Patriots added a pick for this year’s draft in exchange for a 2023 asset. If Parker can stay healthy and regain the form of his previous years, the Patriots have added a strong cog for their passing game. That said, that “if” is a big one.
GRADE: C+