N’Keal Harry and Bill Belichick remain on good terms in the wake of the third-year wide receiver’s public trade request.
“N’Keal and I have talked about it,” Belichick said before Monday’s training camp practice. “We had a good conversation. We have a good relationship, so I’m not going to get into all that.”
Harry’s request came before his third Patriots training camp. The 2019 first-round draft pick has caught just 45 passes on 81 targets for 414 yards and four touchdowns at the NFL level — numbers dwarfed by several other members of his draft class (A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, etc.).
In a statement, Harry’s agent, Jamal Toosan, blamed that subpar production on a lack of opportunities. Touches will be tough to come by for Harry this season with Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith all seemingly above him in New England’s pecking order.
Asked last week whether he’d been happy if he still was with the Patriots at the start of the season, Harry replied: “Absolutely.”
“I’m a Patriot right now,” he said. “I’m very OK with being a Patriot.”
Harry said he spent the offseason working on his agility, believing he was playing too stiff during his first two NFL seasons. Belichick praised the 23-year-old’s conditioning.
“I think N’Keal, like really all the other players that are out there, (is) working hard,” Belichick said. “They’re improving. … N’Keal’s in good condition. He’s working hard. Just keep taking it day by day, and as the competition unfolds, see how things stack up everywhere. Not just with him, but all the way across the board. It’s really the same for everybody.”
