Miami Dolphins News & Rumors

Dolphins coach Adam Gase denies that the club is shopping wide receiver DeVante Parker. Sort of. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Shopping DeVante Parker]

“I know I haven’t called anybody,” Gase said (Twitter link via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com).

Gase has control over the Dolphins’ roster, so he certainly has say over whether the club will trade Parker between now and the Oct. 30 deadline. However, it’s unlikely that he is running point on any conversations involving the wide receiver. Gase’s comment could technically be true, but it’s probable that GM Chris Grier and executive Mike Tannenbaum have explored the idea with other teams.

The coach added that he spoke with Parker about trade speculation during training camp when it came up then. It’s not clear whether he’s revisited those conversations lately, but Gase would probably prefer to keep Parker’s focus on the field.

Parker, 25, has missed all but one game so far this season. There’s not much for Miami to showcase, but his trade value could improve with a strong performance against the Bears on Sunday.

The Dolphins might not get much for Parker in a trade, but the opportunity to escape Parker’s injury-guaranteed $9.387MM charge for 2019 may mean more to them at this point. Parker was once being groomed to be the Dolphins’ No. 1 wide receiver, but they could be willing to move him for a late draft pick in the next couple of weeks.

The Dolphins could be ready to give up on DeVante Parker. The club has talked to several teams about trading the wide receiver, according to Mike Lombardi of The Athletic (on Twitter). 

Parker has missed four of five possible games this season, so the Dolphins’ feelings of frustration with the 25-year-old are understandable. At the same time, Parker’s injury woes will obviously limit his trade value. A Parker deal would mean getting pennies on the dollar for the former first-round pick, but keeping him could put them in financial jeopardy next year. Parker’s fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury, so the club could be stuck with a $9.387MM cap charge in 2019 if he is unable to pass an offseason physical.

Parker has been somewhat productive at the pro level, but he hasn’t been all that efficient. In 2016, he caught 56 of his 87 targets for 744 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, however, he had just 57 catches off of 96 passes thrown his way for 670 yards and one TD. His struggles last year could be chalked up to playing without Ryan Tannehill, but his foot, hamstring, and ankle injuries loom as a larger concern. This year, a quad injury has shelved Parker for every game, save for the Dolphins’ Week 3 contest against the Raiders.

At one point in time, the Dolphins were concerned about their ability to lock both Parker and Jarvis Landry up in the long-term. Much has changed since then as Landry was shipped the Browns in a sign-and-trade and Parker no longer a candidate for a big money extension.