New England acquired Miami receiver Isaiah Ford – who has a 2017 seventh-round pick with 41 career catches for 428 yards – for a seventh-round pick in 2022. Doug Murray/Associated Press
Compared to the rest of the NFL, the Patriots went wild at Tuesday’s dead silent trade deadline.
They completed all of … one deal.
The Pats acquired backup Dolphins wide receiver Isaiah Ford in exchange for a conditional 2022 sixth-round pick. Ford caught 18 passes for 184 yards and zero touchdowns in seven games with Miami this season. Primarily a slot receiver, he stands at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds.
It was the first trade executed between the division foes since 2007.
Back in September, Ford made two catches for 13 yards in the Dolphins’ season-opening loss at New England. The next week, he enjoyed a seven-catch performance against Buffalo, which tied his previous career high for catches set last year during a road upset of the Patriots. But since then, Ford has yet to amass more than 48 yards in a single game, buried deep on Miami’s depth chart.
Last week, Dolphins Coach Brian Flores, formerly a longtime Pats assistant, praised Ford as a reliable player with versatility, traits the team’s front office covets at every position.
“(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,” Flores said.
Ford has taken 92% of his snaps out of the slot this season, according to Pro Football Focus. He also carries a base salary of $750,000, roughly half of which will now transfer onto the Pats’ books. He is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next spring.
More immediately, Ford should provide competition in the Patriots wide receivers room, where Jakobi Meyers has recently emerged as the top option. Ford compares favorably to Meyers in body type and playing style. Damiere Byrd, Gunner Olszewski and N’Keal Harry – assuming Harry returns from a recent concussion – project to be the Pats’ other available wideouts on Monday night at the Jets.
Olszewski saw a career-high 42 snaps at Buffalo last weekend, but failed to record a catch. It’s likely Ford will siphon off some of his offensive snaps, as a more experienced receiver.
Ford entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2017. He ran a slow 4.61 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, but posted a competitive time in the 3-cone and respectable marks in the vertical jump and bench press. Ford is well-regarded for his body control and above average quickness for his height.
ESPN REPORTED Tuesday the Patriots are asking for a first-round pick and a player in any deal involving cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
No deal was made and the 30-yard-old cornerback – with a year and a half left on his contract – will stay in Foxborough.
Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said the team is taking a long-term approach to any upcoming transactions. New England is projected to carry the fourth-most cap space in the NFL next year, when the cap could drop by $23 million following substantial revenue loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic this season. That would amplify the Pats’ position next offseason, given fewer teams will be able to spend in free agency than originally projected pre-pandemic.
In fact, Belichick confirmed to a reporter that the Patriots are looking to preserve their cap space in 2021.
“That’s definitely an accurate perspective that you’ve identified,” he said. “When you’re looking at salary cap and players’ salaries and things like that, you can’t look at it in a short-term window. At some point, you have to take a longer look at things.”
MINUTES AFTER adding Ford via trade, the Patriots addressed another position of need by claiming former Titans DT Isaiah Mack off waivers.
To make room for Mack, the Pats placed rookie tight end Devin Asiasi on injured reserve. Asiasi missed last Sunday’s loss at Buffalo for personal reasons. He was a healthy scratch the week before against the 49ers.
Asiasi, who does not have a known injury and was a full participant in every practice last week, will miss a minimum of three games.
Mack was released Monday to make room for newly-acquired Tennessee cornerback Desmond King. The second-year space-eater appeared in six games for the Titans in a reserve role.
Mack provides precious depth at defensive tackle for the Pats, who have taken a beating there in recent weeks courtesy of the injury bug and opposing running games. Lawrence Guy went down with a shoulder injury during last weekend’s loss at Buffalo and did not return. Unsurprisingly the Bills, running against backups and practice-squad players, rushed for a season-high 190 yards.
Mack checks in at 6-foot-1 and 299 pounds. He recorded 1.5 sacks and eight tackles last season after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
He joins Guy, Byron Cowart, Adam Butler, Nick Thurman and Carl Davis on the depth chart.
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