While not unprecedented, the Dolphins and Patriots swinging an in-division trade involving an impact player came as a surprise to many.
So, how did DeVante Parker land in New England?
We already knew some of the details. Parker reportedly made it known that he wanted to join the Patriots, and the ever-mysterious Matt Patricia apparently played a key role in making the trade with Miami possible. However, while speaking with reporters Wednesday, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier offered new insight into the trade that sent a 2023 third-round pick to Miami while also giving a 2022 fifth-rounder to New England.
"You've seen over the years more teams doing inter-division trades," Grier told reporters. "Which, before, when I first started here, you'd never do that. I think the last time we did it was with our current receiver coach (Wes Welker) -- which didn't turn out well for us then.
"But I think, when you have an opportunity to right by the player and the organization, both sides feel good about it. ... Like I said, this was never anything where we planned to trade DeVante. ... Once we made the trade for Tyreek (Hill), we received multiple phone calls. I think most teams assumed that ... DeVante would be (available). Multiple teams called. The Patriots were the most aggressive. And, at the end of the day, worked with the agent, talked to DeVante, wanted to do right by him, too, as well. But getting that third-round pick was very important for us, and we were fine with this year or next year."
Parker, 29, was drafted 14th overall by the Dolphins in 2015. He went on to enjoy seven productive seasons in Miami, although injuries prevented him from living up to his pre-draft billing. The Louisville product's best season came in 2019 when he caught 72 balls for 1,202 yards with nine touchdowns while playing a full 16 games.
Parker is among a large group of Patriots players in New England this week for the start of the team's offseason program.
