In the NFL, it’s rare for one team to trade a potential impact player to a division rival.
But that’s exactly what happened when the Dolphins agreed to send receiver DeVante Parker to the Patriots.
Miami selected Parker in the first round of the 2015 draft and he’d been productive for the franchise. But when the Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs, Parker became available.
The receiver told New England media on Thursday that he wanted to play for the Patriots when the possibility was presented to him.
“I chose to get traded here,” Parker said, via ESPN. “My agent [Jimmy Gould] hit me up, just telling me what the situation was, and the options I had for the teams to go to. The first on my list was the Patriots. I’m just excited we were able to get everything done.”
Parker is expected to become one of quarterback Mac Jones’ primary targets. After working out with the quarterback in Florida following the trade, Parker said Jones has a “nice arm on him.”
In 2021, Parker caught 40 passes for 515 yards with a pair of touchdowns in 10 games with eight starts. The Patriots’ leading receiver was Jakobi Meyers, who caught 83 passes for 866 yards with two TDs.
