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Patriots: Why does New England insist on keeping N’Keal Harry?

By Jerry Trotta

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 24: N'Keal Harry #1 of the New England Patriots makes a catch over Javelin Guidry #40 of the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 24: N'Keal Harry #1 of the New England Patriots makes a catch over Javelin Guidry #40 of the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of the game at Gillette Stadium on October 24, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots were one of numerous NFL teams that opted against striking any deals before Tuesday’s trade deadline, so it’d be a little draconian to slam them too much for being passive in a dormant market.

Having said that, we don’t fault fans who have gripes with the front office for not rearranging the team’s receiving corps.

We would’ve been open to adding somebody like Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, or DeVante Parker — pretty much anyone that could’ve added a vertical threat to the passing game, which is averaging just 7.4 yards per attempt.

Entering the 2019 draft, N’Keal Harry was viewed as a big-bodied receiver who can go out and make a big play on any given snap.

Unfortunately, Harry hasn’t come close to living up to his first-round billing, and we can’t help but wonder why he’s still on the team.

On Wednesday, the third-year pro was asked whether he’s content with how the trade deadline played out. Here’s what he said:

Why are the Patriots insistent on keeping N’Keal Harry?

Very enthusiastic!

We’re just getting a weird vibe by all of this. It’s like the Patriots are stringing Harry along in case of emergency when everyone knows this relationship likely isn’t going to last beyond his rookie contract, which expires after 2022, if not sooner.

Of course, Harry requested a trade during training camp, where he was the team’s breakout player. However, a shoulder injury sustained in the preseason derailed any chance he had of being dealt and the Patriots kept him.

Since returning to the fold in Week 4, Harry has played just 34.4% of the snaps. The 23-year-old is buried on the depth chart behind Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers. In terms of the target pecking order, Harry is also lagging behind Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and even Brandon Bolden.

See what we’re saying? It wasn’t until Bourne dropped a touchdown and committed a costly fumble in the third quarter against the Chargers this past weekend that Harry was finally given an increased role. To his credit, he made the most of his opportunities, making a pair of crucial catches in crunch time.

The standards for Harry have dropped so low that we’re calling a two-catch, 30-yard performance his best game of the season. Those 30 yards now account for nearly 40% of his receiving yards for the entire campaign (five games).

Nobody knows what the future holds for Harry, but our guess is that it won’t be in New England. Assuming he isn’t back next season, the decision to keep him around beyond Tuesday’s deadline will go down as a huge mistake … kind of like drafting him with the last pick of the first round three years ago.

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