5 Patriots who won’t be back with the team next season
1. WR N’Keal Harry
How much can we truly say here? N’Keal Harry was a healthy scratch in Week 17. Drama engulfed him in the offseason when he requested a trade. It didn’t help the Patriots brought in a number of pass catchers that effortlessly lapped him this year.
Harry finished the regular season with 12 catches for 184 yards in 12 games. He’s been unable to develop a rapport with three different starting quarterbacks since making his NFL debut. He’s continuously had trouble getting separation against opposing defensive backs. He’s had trouble catching the ball (his drop against the Bills in Week 16 proved to be beyond costly).
Throw in another injury (due to another dropped pass on a diving play in the preseason) that didn’t see him activated until Week 4, and it’s largely been a disaster for Harry during his time in New England. He’d been labeled a bust much earlier in his career, and it’s hard to argue with it now. Harry’s been unable to even carve out a role as a secondary option in the passing game.
It’s not entirely his fault, but he’s done himself no favors and has been unable to shine when he’s had plentiful opportunities. Julian Edelman out-performed him in 2020 despite playing in eight fewer games.
At the moment, New England has no leg to stand on in trade talks, but we wouldn’t be surprised if another team was willing to part with a seventh-rounder for the former Arizona State star. It’s either late-round draft pick compensation or saving $1.2 million against the cap (it sounds cheap, but why pay for a guy who isn’t playing?).
This past season was the final straw for Harry’s time with the Patriots. No more offensive skill position players in the first round, please.
