Patriots acquire WR Ford from Dolphins in rare deal

Compared to the rest of the NFL, the New England 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 sixthround 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 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.