By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots have made a rare kind of trade, one with a division rival. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Pats have acquired wide receiver Isaiah Ford from the Miami Dolphins.
According to the NFL’s transaction wire, the Patriots sent a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Dolphins in exchange for Ford.
Ford, 24, originally came into the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2017. He’s played in all seven games for the Dolphins in 2020, catching 18 passes for 184 yards.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said last week on Ford: “[Isaiah’s] smart. He knows multiple positions. He’s where he’s supposed to be really a majority of the time. He’s dependable, he’s accountable, and he’s gotten open and made some plays in some critical situations.”
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Ford certainly sounds like the kind of player Bill Belichick would want to coach. He should have an opportunity to play immediately after injuries wracked the Patriots’ receiver depth chart. Julian Edelman is on injured reserve and N’Keal Harry has yet to clear the NFL’s concussion protocol as of Tuesday.
Ford could compete for playing time with another Isaiah, undrafted rookie wideout Isaiah Zuber. He reverted back to the practice squad after being elevated to the 53-man roster for the second time this season against the Bills. If the Patriots want to bring Zuber back up, they’ll have to sign him to the main roster and would need to pass him through waivers if they want to send him back to the practice squad.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, Ford adds an element of size at receiver that the Pats lost with Harry’s injury.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff or send him a nasty email at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.