Eagles work out Patriots' former first-round pick
As the Philadelphia Eagles opened camp on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the team has worked out former Bears wide receiver N’Keal Harry.
You’d be forgiven if you didn’t know Harry spent last season in Chicago. An ankle injury limited him to just seven catches for 119 yards in seven games with the Bears. Harry is better known as a Patriot, but his numbers weren’t great with them either.
New England took Harry with their first-round pick, 32nd overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. In three years with the team, he had 57 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns.
He was traded to Chicago for a seventh-round pick in 2022 but failed to make a difference on a Bears team that saw tight end Cole Kmet lead all receivers with 544 yards.
Do the Eagles have serious interest in the 25-year-old receiver, or are they simply looking for trading camp bodies? Philadelphia recently signed veteran wide receiver and MVP of the USFL Championship Game, Deon Cain to a contract and also worked out JaVonta Payton who played for two XFL teams last year.
NFL rosters can hold up to 90 players in training camp, so there’s no risk in bringing in players like Cain, Payton and Harry. Payton almost made the team last offseason and spent time on Philadelphia’s practice squad in 2022.
Ultimately, Harry would be a longshot to make the team’s 53-man roster but could see significant playing time in preseason games. Philadelphia knows exactly what they have in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both finished as top-ten receivers in 2022 with 18 touchdowns combined. Neither should see much, if any action this preseason.
The No. 3 receiver position could be up for grabs but is likely Quez Watkins’ to lose as he battles former Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus. But Philadelphia chose not to re-sign Zach Pascal this year, so perhaps Harry would fit as the team’s No. 4 receiver.
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