A month ago, N’Keal Harry told the world he wanted out of New England.
On July 6, his agent, Jamal Tooson, took a behind-the-scenes collaboration public by releasing a statement that revealed he’d been working with the Patriots to trade his client and suggested some of the blame for Harry’s struggles belonged to the team. The tweet was an unusual move that seemed to undercut the Pats’ remaining leverage in trade talks. And perhaps create an awkward environment for Harry when he would report training camp in a few short weeks.
To clear the air, Patriots coach Bill Belichick spoke with his former first-round pick.
“N’Keal and I have talked about it,” Belichick said Monday morning. “We had a good conversation, we have a good relationship, so I’m not going to get into all that.”
Belichick wouldn’t addressed Harry’s comments last week that indicated he may have softened his trade demands. Harry said he was “very OK” being a Patriot, though he otherwise deflected questions about his future. Through four training camp practices, the 23-year-old has been steady and sure-handed in team drills, a change from previous summers.
“N’Keal’s in good condition, he’s working hard,” Belichick said. “We’ll keep taking it day by day, and as the competition unfolds, see how things stack up; not just with him, but it’s really the same for everybody.”
Through two seasons, Harry’s totaled 45 catches for 414 yards and started 15 of 22 games. This offseason, the Patriots signed free-agent wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, who, along with Jakobi Meyers, project to start ahead of Harry this season.
