The New England Patriots brought two wide receivers in for free agent visits Thursday, and both left with contracts.
Shortly after news broke that Bruce Ellington had agreed to a one-year contract with the Patriots, NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported the team was signing Maurice Harris, as well.
Harris, who went undrafted out of Cal in 2016, spent the last three years with the Washington Redskins. He played sparingly as a rookie and NFL sophomore but took on a greater role in 2018, catching 28 passes on 47 targets for 304 yards in 12 games.
A large chunk of that production came during a Week 9 blowout loss to the Atlanta Falcons, during which Harris caught 10 of 12 targets from quarterback Alex Smith for a career-high 124 yards.
The 26-year-old also made headlines the previous season when he laid out to haul in a one-handed touchdown catch — the only score of his NFL career to date.
At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Harris immediately becomes the tallest member of the Patriots’ receiving corps, which lost big-bodied Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency. (Josh Gordon, who also stands 6-foot-3, currently is suspended.)
Despite his height, Harris frequently lines up in the slot, doing so on 45 percent of his offensive snaps for Washington last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked second among Redskins receivers in snaps played (45.3 percent) behind Josh Doctson, but the team declined to tender him this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Patriots also reportedly signed former New York Jets safety Terrence Brooks, tight end Matt LaCosse and defensive tackle Mike Pennel on Thursday.
