Looking at the DeVante Parker Trade From a Patriots and Dolphins Perspective
As Michael Corleone would say: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”
As news of the New England Patriots’ acquiring wide receiver DeVante Parker sent shockwaves through Pats fandom Saturday, the other involved party, the Miami Dolphins, began to take stock of what it will mean to their franchise, in both their immediate and long-term plans.
In a rare intra-divisional trade, the Patriots will send a third-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft to the Dolphins, in exchange for Parker and a fifth-round selection in 2022.
For the Patriots, the move makes perfect sense. They gain the services of a true vertical presence on the perimeter; capable of winning his matchups both on the outside and downfield. At 6 feet 3, 219 pounds, the Louisville product has the size and the speed to instantly make an impact on the Patriots passing offense. He comes at a reasonable price, with base salaries of $5.65 million (2022) and $5.7 million (2023) in the two years remaining on his contract.
Seemingly, the Pats have found themselves the prototypical win-win.
However, what does it mean from the Dolphins perspective? And … does it change the trade’s overall impact on the Patriots?
Let’s take a look.
Impact on the Dolphins in 2022 and Beyond:
Throughout his time in Miami, Parker was considered one of the team’s top options at the position, if not the top option. Parker joined the Dolphins as the 14th overall selection in the 2015 draft. In his seven seasons with the Dolphins, Parker played 93 games (out of a possible 113) and had 338 receptions for 4,727 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Despite his share of memorable moments in Fins aqua and orange, Parker’s tenure in Miami may be remembered as much for injury woes as well as on-field accomplishments. In fact, his 2021 season was interrupted by hamstring and shoulder injuries, limiting the wideout to 10 games played.
Still, for a player of Parker’s prowess, a third-round draft selection seems to be a light return … even given his health history. Therefore, the primary benefit of this trade for Miami would appear to be financial, as outlined by SI Fan Nation All Dolphins publisher, and long-time Dolphins beat writer, Alain Poupart.
In his most recent analysis of the trade, Poupart wrote:
“Parker is scheduled to make $5.7 million in base salary each of the next two years, per overthecap.com, but the Dolphins will be on the hook for the $5.4 million remaining prorated portion of the signing bonus he got when he signed his latest contract in December 2019.
The terms of the trade make it difficult to look at this move as anything other than the Dolphins wanting to move on from Parker because they won't get any benefit from it in 2022 other than saving about $3.3 million of cap space.”
Poupart also addressed the draft compensation, which Miami both surrendered and acquired in the deal. Though the trade does not provide Miami with any immediate draft capital, he does point out the impressive haul that may await Miami in 2023.
“The trade also left them (Dolphins) with only four picks in the 2022 draft — one in the third round, one in the fourth, and two in the seventh. The Dolphins, however, are now scheduled to have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2023 draft — two in the first, one in the second and two in the third.”
“If Ya Can’t Beat ‘Em..” — Parker Has Performed Well vs. Patriots
In what might be the most "Belichickian" aspect of this trade, New England will now be employing a player who has typically performed well against them in the past. In 12 career games against the Pats, Parker has logged three 100-yard performances, two of which had season-ending playoff implications for them. In the 2015 season finale, Parker caught five passes for 106 yards with one touchdown to help Miami prevail, thus preventing the Patriots from capturing the top seed in the AFC. In 2019’s ending, Parker outdueled cornerback Stephon Gilmore to compile eight catches and 137 yards in a Dolphins victory. The loss ultimately cost the Patriots a first-round playoff bye in what would be Tom Brady’s last season with New England.
Success of that type logically caught the eye of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who will undoubtedly not miss having to factor Parker into his defensive game plan twice per year. In fact, prior to the Pats’ 2020 season opener, Belichick noted the problematic nature of having to defend the receiver, praising his ability to be productive in all areas of the field.
“He’s got a very, very good skill set. He’s a big athlete that runs well,” Belichick said. “Has good hands, good run after the catch ability, and good quickness for his size. So, he presents a lot of problems on deep balls. He’s a big target on the end of routes, in cuts and crossing routes, things like that. He’s strong and can break tackles as a catcher or run player … He attacks all three levels of the defense and can be productive at all three spots.”
Belichick’s words clearly express the respect he has for Parker’s abilities. While it is only fair to note that Miami is far from being devoid of big-play offensive weapons in 2022, Parker’s success against Belichick’s defenses will no longer be something on which the Dolphins may rely. As such, it becomes a win for New England.
History Repeating?
As previously stated, NFL trades within a division are rare, especially among rivals such as the Patriots and Dolphins. In fact, ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted that only four such moves had occurred during Bill Belichick’s tenure in New England, prior to the Pats’ acquisition of Parker on Saturday. In three of the five instances, New England received a wide receiver from Miami.
If lightning is to strike twice, New England is clearly hopeful it does so in the vein of acquiring Wes Welker, which the Pats did prior to the 2007 season. In his six year with New England, Welker became one of the most reliable and productive wideouts in Patriots history. He amassed 7,459 yards on 672 catches, with 37 touchdowns. He earned five 1,000-yard seasons, five Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro selections.
Needless to say, the trade was a resounding success for New England, and a nightmare for Miami. In fact, Poupart wrote about the slight fear which Fins fans may be feeling on their team’s decision to trade another receiver to their hated division rivals to the North.
“Dolphins fans likely look back in horror at how that trade played out — Welker in exchange for picks in the second and seventh rounds — because Welker became one of the greatest slot receivers in the NFL history after leaving Miami, though it should be noted he got the chance to catch passes from first Tom Brady and then Peyton Manning…The likelihood of Parker experiencing that kind of success in New England is extremely low, but then again the Dolphins really didn't get very much in return.”
Echoing Poupart’s sentiments, Dolphins fans are hoping that the Patriots return on their investment more closely resembles the November 2020 trade which sent receiver Isaiah Ford to the Pats in exchange for a seventh-round selection in 2022.
Ironically, Ford himself was a former seventh-round draft pick by the Dolphins in 2017. Arguably, his most productive game as a pro might just have coincidentally come against the Patriots. Ford notched seven catches for 54 yards against New England in December 2019, the same game in which Parker collected 137 yards receiving. While New England had envisioned using Ford in the slot, which is where he has primarily aligned with Miami, he never played a game for New England. He was waived by the Pats in December and re-signed with Miami shortly thereafter.
Final Analysis
While it is far too early to assess the success of Parker’s trade to New England, for either the Patriots or the Dolphins, there are reasons for optimism and concern for both sides. When healthy, Parker has the talent to become the Patriots’ top option at the position. His skill set provides the Pats with the perimeter presence which will add a new dimension to their receiving corps, as well as a bona fide pass catcher on the boundary for quarterback Mac Jones. Still, his injury history may give the Pats some pause before deciding to potentially part with wideouts Nelson Agholor or N’Keal Harry — or seek additional help at the position via free agency or the 2022 NFL draft.
For the Dolphins, the return will not be so immediate. However, the salary savings for 2022, along with the chance to bolster their 2023 draft class may be exactly what the doctor ordered for one of the most improved teams in the NFL.
At the very least, this season’s upcoming meetings between these two AFC East rivals just got a whole lot more interesting.
