Patriots reportedly acquire Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker via trade

After not making any significant moves to bolster their wide receiver depth chart in free agency, the New England Patriots have added to the position group via trade. As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has acquired DeVante Parker from the Miami Dolphins.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, New England is sending a 2023 third-round selection to the Dolphins for Parker and a 2022 fifth-rounder.

Parker, 29, entered the league as a first-round draft pick by Miami in 2015. Spending his entire season thus far with the Dolphins, the Louisville product appeared in a combined 94 regular season and playoff games. Along the way, he caught 342 passes for 4,782 yards and 24 touchdowns.

However, the Dolphins’ recent investments at the wide receiver position pushed Parker down the depth chart and apparently made him expendable: Miami acquired Jaylen Waddle in the first round of the draft a year ago, signed Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency, and traded for Kansas City Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill earlier this offseason.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are adding a big-bodied presence — Parker is listed at 6-foot-3, 219 pounds — that is capable of making plays on the outside. The eighth-year man is expected to play a starter-level role alongside fellow New England wideouts Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers.