N'Keal Harry Requests Trade From Patriots Through His Agent
BOSTON (CBS) -- N'Keal Harry wants out of New England. The wide receiver requested a trade through his agent on Tuesday.
"For the past several months, I have been working in cooperation with the Patriots behind the scenes to put a plan in place to allow N'Keal to thrive in New England," said Jamal Tooson, via NFL Media's Mike Garfolo. "Through two seasons, he has 86 targets, which obviously hasn't met the expectations the Patriots and N'Keal had when they drafted a dominant downfield threat who was virtually unstoppable at the point of attack in college. Following numerous conversations with the Patriots, I believe it's time for a fresh start and best for both parties if N'Keal moves on before the start of training camp. That's why I have informed the Patriots today I am formally requesting a trade on behalf of my client.
"N'Keal understands a key ingredient to production is opportunity. He will continue to work hard to develop and refine his craft after missing a large portion of his rookie year to injury. His draft-day expectations for his NFL career have not changed. We are confident success is just around the corner for him and will aggressively pursue it," added Tooson.
The Patriots drafted Harry out of Arizona State with the No. 32 overall pick in 2019. He started his rookie season on IR with an ankle injury that he suffered during the preseason, and finished the year with just 12 receptions and two touchdowns over seven games. He played in 14 games in his second NFL season in 2020, finishing with 33 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns on 57 targets.
The opportunity that Harry and Tooson are hoping for likely won't come in New England anymore, after the Patriots signed receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne via free agency, not to mention tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. In addition to Agholor and Bourne, the Pats also have Jakobi Meyers, and Gunner Olszewski ahead of Harry on their wide receiver depth chart. Veteran Marvin Hall and seventh-round pick Tre Nixon are also in the mix to catch passes during camp and the preseason.
With the targets likely going elsewhere in 2021, the Harry camp would now like a fresh start somewhere outside of New England.
