Patriots: 3 players that had no business making the final 2021 roster

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 19: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks to Mac Jones #10 against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half of the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 35-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 19: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks to Mac Jones #10 against the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half of the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 19, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Patriots defeated the Eagles 35-0. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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N'Keal Harry, Patriots
PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 17: N’Keal Harry #15 of the New England Patriots  (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

1. WR N’Keal Harry

Harry was the talk of the town in training camp for all of the wrong reasons, as he requested a trade from New England after two years of ineffective play and having to witness Belichick spend money on upgrades at wide receiver like Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.

Harry, at best, will be the third or fourth wide receiver on a team that will run a ton of two tight end sets and lean on the contributions of a standout young running back in Damien Harris. An ailment that landed him on injured reserve and will likely sideline him for a month won’t help him improve much.

Will Patriots WR N’Keal Harry have a big role this season?

The Patriots and Harry need to part ways at this point, as a fresh start could help the Pats give more snaps to preseason standout Kristian Wilkerson while letting the former first-rounder try his luck in a different offensive scheme. Even Jakobi Meyers looked like a better option than the former first-round pick.

Harry was given plenty of opportunities to show what he can do with both Newton and Jones at quarterback, but he saw players like Wilkerson routinely get targeted more. The Harry era in New England is speeding towards its end, making it even more surprising that he is still on the team.