New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry has formally requested a trade. After two disappointing seasons, the former first-round pick apparently believes that he has not been used to his strengths and a change of scenery could fix his career. Only time will tell if that is actually the case, but there could be a few teams interested in taking a flier on the ASU product.
Statement from #Patriots WR N’Keal Harry’s agent Jamal Tooson, who has formally requested a trade for the 2019 first-round pick. pic.twitter.com/3xdJbbar28
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 6, 2021
Five Potential N’Keal Harry Trade Destinations
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens spent the vast majority of the offseason trying to improve the wide receiver position. While they have added a few bodies, they didn’t manage to land a proven star at the position. Sammy Watkins is a fine depth receiver and Rashod Bateman has plenty of promise, but there still isn’t much in terms of proven commodities. N’Keal Harry is anything but a safe bet to succeed but, since there are no more proven options on the market, Baltimore could be interested in sending a late-round pick for New England on the off chance Harry can still salvage his career.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have three great receiving options in George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel. However, they still need to replace the departed Kendrick Bourne, and both Kittle and Samuel are coming off of some pretty serious injuries. The team should be in the market for more wide receiver depth, although it’s fair to wonder if they’d be willing to give up even more draft capital. After moving heaven and earth to get Trey Lance, San Francisco might not want to trade any more picks, even if it is just a Day 3 selection.
[pickup_prop id=”8926″]
Atlanta Falcons
Chances are, the Atlanta Falcons will not be competing for anything any time soon. Matt Ryan is still a good quarterback, but he’s starting to show signs of slowing down. The defense is a wreck, and the offense doesn’t have too much outside of Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts. The Falcons should be interested in adding as much young talent as possible, and Harry is still a young player. Entering his age-24 season, there is a chance that he can still figure it out with more time in the league.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and absolutely nobody else of note in their passing attack. Say what you will about Jameis Winston, but his aggressive style of play tends to bring out the best in his wide receivers. The New Orleans Saints have cleared up their salary cap situation, which means that they should be able to afford Harry and his relatively modest contract. It also doesn’t hurt that Bill Belichick and Sean Payton have a long working history together, and that could help facilitate a trade.
I have attached a screenshot of the salary cap consequences of a N'Keal Harry trade. pic.twitter.com/bBbMbPxvo7
— Miguel Benzan Patriots Cap Space is 10,078,880 (@patscap) July 6, 2021
Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of bird teams that probably won’t compete in 2021, the Philadelphia Eagles are in a bit of a rough situation. The wide receiver depth chart doesn’t have a single proven commodity, as Jalen Reagor failed to impress as a rookie. DeVonta Smith could very well turn into a good player, but he has yet to play an NFL snap. Philadelphia should devote 2021 to figuring out just how good Jalen Hurts can be, and the best way to do that is by giving him the best supporting cast possible.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
