Patriots: Dolphins just punked Bill Belichick with Isaiah Ford move
By Adam Weinrib
The Miami Dolphins have re-signed Isaiah Ford after the Patriots traded a draft pick to get him? A few weeks ago? No words.
We simply hate to declare a punking whenever the Patriots and Bill Belichick’s leadership are involved, but unfortunately, we know a punking when we see one.
And surrendering an asset of any kind for a player who you swiftly give back to his former team anyway certainly qualifies.
Isaiah Ford became a New England Patriot just prior to the November deadline. In lieu of a big, sweeping acquisition, Bill Belichick instead decided to supplement the WR corps at the margins, bringing in Ford from his division-rival Dolphins for a conditional sixth-round pick.
A few weeks later, though, Ford had already proven himself expendable enough that he was worth eating a draft pick in order to cut loose in favor of fellow wideout Donte Moncrief. The expectation was, however random the process had been, that the Patriots would be able to get Ford back on their practice squad, though, and all would be well.
Well…nope! As of Tuesday afternoon, Ford is back on the Dolphins, his draft pick compensation becomes a seventh-rounder, and the Patriots have somehow surrendered both sides of a one-for-one trade.
WR Isaiah Ford, traded from the Dolphins to the Patriots at the deadline and recently waived, is expected to re-sign with the Dolphins' practice squad, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 8, 2020
A shot to continue developing with the team that drafted him.
Not sure what compelled Belichick to help out Brian Flores with even the most marginal draft pick, but as we all know, there are gems to be had at any draft slot. And Ford quite literally could not have done less in New England.
Framing Ford as a victim of Moncrief’s unexpected success is fine, but the goal here should be keeping someone you liked enough to acquire mere weeks ago away from the team you acquired him from. At any cost.
Belichick somehow managed to take a flyer on an inter-division player he was curious about, then let that player seamlessly walk back to his old home, draft pick in pocket.
There was a thought he could re-sign with the Patriots' practice squad. https://t.co/ezspdOAhpq
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) December 8, 2020
Unless Ford was among the league’s most corrosive short-term presences, this looks like a coach who usually dominates at the margins instead getting outfoxed at them.