Why Did N’Keal Harry Flop In New England? Many Blame Josh McDaniels
Chicago Bears fans are always excited to see their team make a trade. That was especially true when they saw it was a wide receiver. However, their skepticism kept things from getting out of control when they saw it was N’Keal Harry. The 6’4 former 1st round pick was a beast at Arizona State but floundered for three years with the New England Patriots. Most experts have already written him off as a bust. That tends to happen when you can’t surpass 600 yards in three seasons.
Everybody can see what this is. It’s a shot in the dark. GM Ryan Poles took a calculated risk on a 24-year-old kid who remains physically gifted. Maybe a fresh start elsewhere might do him good. Still, it leaves the lingering question that will follow Harry to Chicago. Why did he fail in New England? The easy explanation is he wasn’t mature enough. He lacked the work ethic necessary to better himself once he got to the NFL. Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus heard exactly that from some sources close to the situation.
Not everybody, though.
Others believe much of the blame falls at the feet of former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Nobody disputes the man is an offensive wizard. However, he also doesn’t have the most outstanding reputation for developing young receivers. Since 2006, his first year as their coordinator, the Patriots have drafted 15 wide receivers. Only one of them became a proven starter with the team. That was Julian Edelman, and it didn’t happen until his fifth season.
Some believe Harry was destined to fail with the Patriots before he even stepped inside Gillette Stadium. The Patriots’ system is notoriously difficult to learn. One source believes it’s the most difficult offense to pick up in the NFL.
“Just picking up the system that has been in place for 20 years and the type of routes and adjustments,” a league source said. “Sometimes they just need to get the best damn players the ball and not be cute.”
It isn’t a coincidence that only veteran receivers seemed to thrive in New England.
They have a far better understanding when it comes to running routes and can handle the high demands McDaniels had for his system. It also didn’t help the Patriots lacked patience when it came to making mistakes.
Two sources noted that McDaniels holds his players to a high standard, and if mistakes lead to a demotion, it can take a while to get back in favor.
“New England is a tough place for young players, not just because of the terminology, but it’s because if you mess up, you’re out,” one source said. “They’ll pull you out of the game.”
Harry got off to a difficult start as a rookie, missing the first half of the season on Injured Reserve. Then in 2020, Tom Brady left. New England became embroiled in quarterback hell with past-his-prime Cam Newton and career backups Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer throwing the ball. Somewhere around midseason, he was demoted and never seemed to factor heavily into game plans after that.
N’Keal Harry will get a legitimate chance to reinvent himself.
Luke Getsy is a former wide receivers coach. He speaks the language of that position. So he understands what it takes to help bring along a younger player. He did that for Davante Adams, Marques Valdez-Scantling, and Allen Lazard in Green Bay. Lazard especially seemed to blossom once Getsy arrived in 2019. He plays a similar style to Harry, utilizing size, body control, and strength to box out defenders.
He isn’t the only such case. The wide-zone offense Getsy is installing has a long history of helping bigger receivers find success. Ed McCaffrey proved it in Denver with Broncos. Kevin Walter proved it in Houston for the Texans. Josh Reynolds proved it in Los Angeles with the Rams. This offense can make good use of somebody like N’Keal Harry. McDaniels might be a genius, but his coaching style is far from immune to flaws.