Squeezed out of the picture in Miami following the trade for Tyreek Hill and the signing of Cedrick Wilson, DeVante Parker requested the New England Patriots be his next destination.
The Dolphins acquiesced to his request.
"I chose to get traded here," Parker said Thursday, per ESPN. "My agent [Jimmy Gould] hit me up, just telling me what the situation was, and the options I had for the teams to go to. The first on my list was the Patriots. I'm just excited we were able to get everything done."
In the rare intradivision trade, the Dolphins sent Parker and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Patriots for a 2023 third-rounder.
The Dolphins didn't have to ship Parker to his preferred destination, given it was a division rival, but general manager Chris Grier said recently that he wanted to do right by the player.
Parker moves to Foxborough, where he's slated to be the X-receiver in Mac Jones' offense. In seven seasons in Miami after being a first-round pick in 2015, Parker generated 4,727 yards and 24 TDs on 338 catches.
He flashed playmaking potential, including a 1,202-yard, nine-TD 2019 campaign. But injuries and inconsistencies plagued the boundary receiver.
In New England, Parker fills the role of an outside target who can go get the pigskin, win on the second level and excel at back-shoulder catches. It's a smart flier for Bill Belichick, as Parker brings experience and talent to a position of need. He also has the flexibility and versatility the Pats love in their playmakers.
Parker already got in some throwing sessions with Jones since the April 2 trade went down.
"My impressions of Mac: He has a nice arm on him. He was zipping it," Parker said. "It was a great workout for all of us. It was good for me to come down and start throwing with him early, get the timing down. Mac is a good quarterback. The way he throws the ball, it's not tough. He throws a catchable ball. It's something I'm looking forward to during the season."
Parker joins Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor atop the Patriots depth chart. N'Keal Harry also remains on the roster.
