@NESN on Twitter Patriots rookie receiver N'Keal Harry has had a full workload at minicamp.
Less than a day after the New England Patriots officially released Josh Gordon from injured reserve, they got a replacement for the deep threat in the form of rookie receiver N’Keal Harry.
Selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Harry missed the first half of his rookie season with an ankle injury suffered during a preseason game that landed him on injured reserve. On Saturday, just before the team took off to Baltimore, Harry was officially activated off injured reserve.
More offense for the #Patriots: They are activating rookie WR N’Keal Harry off Injured Reserve, source said. The first-rounder fits into a remade receiver group.
Harry had been practicing for the past two weeks as he worked his way back from his injury and into the fold, but still has some catching up to do in terms of getting acclimated to the speed and caliber of NFL play.
Before any official announcements had been made, the move had been hinted at by quarterback Tom Brady and further validated with Harry packing his travel bag in the locker room on Friday afternoon.
Patriots WR N’Keal Harry has a travel bag packed in front of his locker.
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Brady Is Excited
Brady hasn’t gotten the chance to work Harry in a game situation yet this season, but the two shared reps in the early part of training camp back in late July.
With Harry’s return to football looming, the 42-year-old quarterback is excited to get to work with his newest receiver. But Brady knows Harry will need to put in an impressive body of work to get himself up to speed.
At his weekly press conference, Brady expanded on just how much ground Harry has to make up:
“He’s missed a lot of football. He’s got to go out there and earn it, earn the trust. Just try and work at it every day. It’s going to be up to him to put the effort in every day. It’s good to have him out there.”
Tom #Brady on likely return of N’Keal Harry. More from TB12 @nbc10boston 4,5&6.
Teammate and receiving partner Julian Edelman also commented on Harry’s potential return in Baltimore, noting the benefit of having a young talent like Harry back in the fold.
Edelman on N’Keal Harry: “He’s a young guy. He’s got a lot of ground to make up. The game’s going to be completely different than practice. But, you know, he’s got a good attitude and he works hard. Looking forward to seeing him out soon.”
Where Does Harry Fit?
With so many veterans above him on the depth chart, Harry will have to earn his playing time by making plays when he is given snaps. He’s behind fellow rookies Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski in terms of NFL experience, though his skill set is among the best in the current NFL rookie class.
During Bill Belichick’s Friday morning press conference, he hinted at a possible use for Harry outside of simply his offensive role. Belichick appears to be preparing to use Harry on special teams upon his return.
Harry did feature in the return game during his collegiate career at Arizona State. Last season, he earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the week of October 29 after a 92-yard punt return touchdown in which he switched fields and broke a tackle at his own goal-line.
The Patriots have been using Brandon Bolden as their primary kick returner, but perhaps a switch to using Harry in that role is on the horizon.
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