N’Keal is N’Gone

JohnnyTheBone

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If the refs didn't steal that TD from him in the Chiefs game back in 2019, his trajectory might have been totally different. What a screwjob.
 

Nator

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I will always think that the trajectory of his Patriots career was forever changed by that botched out of bounds call against KC in 2019. If he scores that TD, the game is totally different, the Pats might have held onto a 1st round bye, and maybe Brady would have started to trust him more.

Edit: JTB used less words than I did.
 

axx

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Why would the Bears agree to this? It says 670k of N'Keal's contract is guaranteed for 2022.
 

mauf

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Why would the Bears agree to this? It says 670k of N'Keal's contract is guaranteed for 2022.
They get a look at a guy who was considered a first-round talent three years ago. They’re only on the hook for $700k if he doesn’t make the team out of camp. And the current front office is going to be on the street by 2024 if the team doesn’t turn around by then, so they don’t care all that much about the pick.

I wouldn’t have done the deal in their shoes, but it’s not like they’re crazy.
 
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Bergs

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I love me some BB, but good lord was that an awful draft pick.
 

axx

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I’m just glad the Pats didn’t have to send a 7th round pick to Chicago for the Bears to take him. He was horrible.
I'm surprised the Bears didn't make the Pats send $700k. (Can you even do that?)
 

Super Nomario

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I will always think that the trajectory of his Patriots career was forever changed by that botched out of bounds call against KC in 2019. If he scores that TD, the game is totally different, the Pats might have held onto a 1st round bye, and maybe Brady would have started to trust him more.

Edit: JTB used less words than I did.
This is wild. We saw like 35 N'Keal games after this moment and he sucked. Why would Brady trust him more for scoring on a schemed play that had nothing to do with the issues he had (route-running, separation)? Also, Brady's trust wasn't the issue. Brady threw Harry the ball when he was out there. The problem is, bad things happen when N'Keal gets targets.
 

Shelterdog

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This is wild. We saw like 35 N'Keal games after this moment and he sucked. Why would Brady trust him more for scoring on a schemed play that had nothing to do with the issues he had (route-running, separation)? Also, Brady's trust wasn't the issue. Brady threw Harry the ball when he was out there. The problem is, bad things happen when N'Keal gets targets.
Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.

The fact that he had no success with three very different QBs (Brady Newton Mac-n-Cheese) suggests that it's not in his head--he's just a guy with some physical gifts who could make it work in college but never improve on his weak spots or improve his craft to the point he'd be a competent NFL player.
 

tims4wins

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Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.

The fact that he had no success with three very different QBs (Brady Newton Mac-n-Cheese) suggests that it's not in his head--he's just a guy with some physical gifts who could make it work in college but never improve on his weak spots or improve his craft to the point he'd be a competent NFL player.
I think there's another argument. We've been over this before. He got injured in the preseason his rookie year. He ended up missing a ton of time. I don't think the KC play would have changed anything for his outlook. But had he not gone on IR, I think there is a universe where his career trajectory is drastically different. He had a couple catches early in his first preseason game (at Detroit) where I distinctly remember thinking "yep, we got Anquan Boldin 2.0"
 

lexrageorge

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I think there's another argument. We've been over this before. He got injured in the preseason his rookie year. He ended up missing a ton of time. I don't think the KC play would have changed anything for his outlook. But had he not gone on IR, I think there is a universe where his career trajectory is drastically different. He had a couple catches early in his first preseason game (at Detroit) where I distinctly remember thinking "yep, we got Anquan Boldin 2.0"
Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.
 

tims4wins

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Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.
This is all true, but you could make the argument that missing time his rookie year was more detrimental. I mean, I doubt he would have ended up as an All Pro receiver if he didn't get hurt (and I agree the injury situation was weird). But I think the injury hurt his trajectory a hell of a lot more than the KC non-TD did.
 

Super Nomario

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Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.
Yeah, going on IR was a red flag. They've kept dinged up rookies on the roster if they thought they would be able to help soon - Dobson and Mitchell both got hurt in preseason, for instance. Harry going on IR was a sign to me that they realized early on that he just stunk.
 

rodderick

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I think if you're good enough, you find playing time, even if you're hampered by something initially. N'Keal had the opportunity of a fresh start with three different QBs and did jack shit. That's a very high level of suck.
 

tims4wins

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Yeah, going on IR was a red flag. They've kept dinged up rookies on the roster if they thought they would be able to help soon - Dobson and Mitchell both got hurt in preseason, for instance. Harry going on IR was a sign to me that they realized early on that he just stunk.
If that is the case, why did they give him so many targets initially when he returned? Just playing devil's advocate here.

Edit: it wasn't as many as I remembered. 24 in 7 games. Carry on.
 

Super Nomario

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If that is the case, why did they give him so many targets initially when he returned? Just playing devil's advocate here.

Edit: it wasn't as many as I remembered. 24 in 7 games. Carry on.
He also could have come back for the Baltimore game when he first returned and they left him inactive. He wound up playing a lot in Weeks 11 and 12 when Dorsett got hurt, but then his playing time went back down - that TD that wasn't vs KC was one of only two snaps he played that game! Finally the last four weeks he played a lot, got a decent amount of targets, and was awful.
 

RIrooter09

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Good blocker.

That's all I've got.
What was the old line about Varitek when he was cooked? "Occupying space is generally the last skill to deteriorate?" Unfortunately that was N'Keal's only skill at the NFL level.
 

54thMA

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Good blocker.

That's all I've got.
Sad to see him go.

I'll never forget that block he threw in the Seattle game back in 2020.

Or was it the Buffalo game in Buffalo 2021?

I'll have to go through the highlight reel from all of his achievements, this could take awhile.

What a complete and utter bust.

Shocked they conned the Bears into giving up any draft capitol for him.
 

8slim

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Good blocker.

That's all I've got.
His blocking was also wildly overrated.

What a disaster that pick turned out to be. The real "what could have been" question is to ask what happens in 2019 (and beyond) if Brady had a dynamic rookie WR to throw to that season?
 

Ferm Sheller

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List of people who have worn #1 for the Patriots since I've been following them in order of their contribution/value to the organization:

1. John Smith
2. Tony Franklin
3. The Pat Patriot mascot
4. Cam Newton
5. N'Keal Harry
 

BigSoxFan

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Just am incredibly happy that he’s gone. The highlight videos fooled me and he showed very early on that he wasn’t an NFL WR. I hope the scout who recommended him has a reduced role.
 

Bongorific

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Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.

The fact that he had no success with three very different QBs (Brady Newton Mac-n-Cheese) suggests that it's not in his head--he's just a guy with some physical gifts who could make it work in college but never improve on his weak spots or improve his craft to the point he'd be a competent NFL player.
This here says it all.
 

GB5

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Such a strange unproductive run here. Looked great in exhibition game #1 against Detroit, hurts his leg and misses a ton of time his first year.

Great week #2 at Seattle then disappears.

In his last ditch he seems to have a great final camp, then injuries himself dropping a wide open deep ball agsinst the Giants in the preseason.

Misses the opener and never gets on track.
 

Ferm Sheller

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Looks like N'Keal suffered a bad leg injury.

View: https://twitter.com/Schrock_And_Awe/status/1555960280613634050?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1555960280613634050%7Ctwgr%5E256a2291d73efb06e89a4505008a88463b878055%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yahoo.com%2Fsports%2Fbears-wr-n-keal-harry-170501322.html


Bears practice just wrapped up. --Teven Jenkins returned for first time since 7/27. Didn't take any team reps. Some light individual reps --N'Keal Harry was helped off after suffering what looked to be a significant leg injury --No Kyler, Velus or Pringle today