In an offseason where pass-catchers have been flying around the league, another wide receiver is getting a new address. The Dolphins are sending DaVante Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Patriots for a 2023 third-rounder.
Trade terms, per source:
Patriots get WR DeVante Parker and a 2022 5th-round pick.
Dolphins get a 2023 third-round pick.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2022
Parker was limited to just 1o games in 2021, racking up 40 catches, 550 yards, and a pair of touchdowns for the Dolphins. Parker is just two years removed from a 1,200-yard season in 2019.
With the emergence of rookie Jaylen Waddle in 2021 and the addition of Cedrick Wilson in free agency, the fit for Parker in Miami dried up, and the Dolphins will move him to a division rival and send a 2022 fifth-rounder their way for just a future third-round pick. While that seems like something the Bears could have or should have been interested in, that’s a steep price for the draft pick-deprived Bears.
New England saw an opportunity to add a weapon to the arsenal of their second-year quarterback Mac Jones and they pounced, but at a cost too rich for my blood. Especially when you figure that the Browns landed Amari Cooper, a far superior receiver, for a fourth-rounder and a swap of sixth-rounders. Don’t forget, the Titans acquired Robert Woods this offseason for a 2023 sixth-rounder, making the Patriots’ decision to send a third-rounder to Miami for Parker a head-scratcher.
Sure, adding another weapon for Justin Fields in 2022 would be nice, but Ryan Poles would have been ill-advised to make a similar deal at that price. Parker is just two years removed from a career year in 2019, but there’s no doubt the Bears can draft a comparable or better receiver in the middle rounds themselves in 2023.