The Patriots’ latest wide receiver trade sent DeVante Parker from one AFC East team to another, but at least four teams from outside the division discussed acquiring the former first-round pick.
The Packers, Falcons and Texans engaged in talks with either the Dolphins or Parker’s agent about the veteran wide receiver, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the Cowboys resided in the mix as well (Twitter links).
Parker went to the Pats in a deal that sent the Dolphins a third-round pick, with Fowler adding talks between the rivals heated up on the pro-day circuit. The career-long Dolphin wanted to be dealt to the Patriots, per Fowler and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).
Dallas’ receiver room changed in March, when the team dealt Amari Cooper to Cleveland for little compensation — at least compared to what the Cowboys parted with to acquire Cooper — and let Cedrick Wilson Jr. defect to Miami. The Dolphins’ Wilson move and their Tyreek Hill blockbuster left Parker without a certain role in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. This led to the seven-year vet going on the trade block.
Green Bay joined Dallas in dealing its No. 1 wideout in March, sending Davante Adams to Las Vegas. Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Chiefs commitment leaves the Packers with little at receiver. The Falcons have seen their receiving corps gutted over the past 10 months, to the point they do not have a No. 1- or No. 2-caliber receiver on their roster. The Texans do not have much beyond Brandin Cooks at the position. And the oft-traded wideout is going into the final year of his Rams-constructed contract.
Parker is signed through the 2023 season and is on the Patriots’ books at $5.65MM and $5.7MM for the next two years. While the 29-year-old target has not been especially consistent, he has a 1,200-yard season on his resume (2019) and carried a contract that looks quite reasonable considering where Adams and Hill took the market last month.
I bet he is pissed that he couldn’t go to a QB that doesn’t suck.
Unless the Patriots offer was far and away better than the rest, seems like Parker had some say in where he went. I doubt the Dolphins were eager to trade him to the Patriots otherwise.
Guessing the offers were pretty similar but the Dolphins…attempting to accommodate Parker probably took a similar deal in order to send him to his prefered destination.
That and I’m guessing the Packers at least wanted to restructure his contract, add void years and Parker was likely just not interested. Given the Packers giant hole at WRer, I’d assume they were willing to give up a 3rd for Parker and a 5th. He’s the type of WRer who fits the Packers scheme.
The Falcons and Texans…no clue why they’d even be interested or he in them unless he’s from one of those two places or they were going to pay him…and obviously the Falcons don’t really have the money and the Texans are so bad…what’s the point/
Parker? Cuz’ the article says he wanted to be dealt to the Pats.
Some people have trouble reading, and also forming objective, non-hate-driven opinions.
Lol, because he was going to say he didn’t want to go from one noodle armed Alabama career back up to another… get out of here with that shat. He secretly wishes he could have gone to a team that’s in line to win something and not one that’s battling to stay out of third place in the AFCE.
Pats offer must have been significantly better than the others. I don’t recall him having the ability to have a say in where he could be traded. Did he have a no-trade clause?
Maybe…but again, I’d think the Packers would at least be willing to give up a 3rd for Parker and a 5th. In that case, the Pats 3rd would be more valuable, but they wouldn’t be helping a division rival with a guy who…probably will help their team out.