Had precisely the same thought.And I will use even fewer words:
I agree.
Justin Fields needs someone to throw toWhy would the Bears agree to this? It says 670k of N'Keal's contract is guaranteed for 2022.
They get a look at a guy who was considered a first-round talent three years ago. They’re only on the hook for $700k if he doesn’t make the team out of camp. And the current front office is going to be on the street by 2024 if the team doesn’t turn around by then, so they don’t care all that much about the pick.Why would the Bears agree to this? It says 670k of N'Keal's contract is guaranteed for 2022.
Let the sweet $700K cap savings comfort you tonight. I'm going to sleep like a baby.7th round pick two years out; that’s like a 9th round pick in this past draft, right?
I'm surprised the Bears didn't make the Pats send $700k. (Can you even do that?)I’m just glad the Pats didn’t have to send a 7th round pick to Chicago for the Bears to take him. He was horrible.
I’m just now reading this thread and thought you should know that this made me shoot vanilla ice cream out my nose. Well done.In song
They are going to convert him to a tight end, he goes to the pro bowl, and is Super Bowl MVP.Why would the Bears agree to this? It says 670k of N'Keal's contract is guaranteed for 2022.
Yeah. That post may be best part of the Harry experience.I’m just now reading this thread and thought you should know that this made me shoot vanilla ice cream out my nose. Well done.
This is wild. We saw like 35 N'Keal games after this moment and he sucked. Why would Brady trust him more for scoring on a schemed play that had nothing to do with the issues he had (route-running, separation)? Also, Brady's trust wasn't the issue. Brady threw Harry the ball when he was out there. The problem is, bad things happen when N'Keal gets targets.I will always think that the trajectory of his Patriots career was forever changed by that botched out of bounds call against KC in 2019. If he scores that TD, the game is totally different, the Pats might have held onto a 1st round bye, and maybe Brady would have started to trust him more.
Edit: JTB used less words than I did.
Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.This is wild. We saw like 35 N'Keal games after this moment and he sucked. Why would Brady trust him more for scoring on a schemed play that had nothing to do with the issues he had (route-running, separation)? Also, Brady's trust wasn't the issue. Brady threw Harry the ball when he was out there. The problem is, bad things happen when N'Keal gets targets.
I think there's another argument. We've been over this before. He got injured in the preseason his rookie year. He ended up missing a ton of time. I don't think the KC play would have changed anything for his outlook. But had he not gone on IR, I think there is a universe where his career trajectory is drastically different. He had a couple catches early in his first preseason game (at Detroit) where I distinctly remember thinking "yep, we got Anquan Boldin 2.0"Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.
The fact that he had no success with three very different QBs (Brady Newton Mac-n-Cheese) suggests that it's not in his head--he's just a guy with some physical gifts who could make it work in college but never improve on his weak spots or improve his craft to the point he'd be a competent NFL player.
Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.I think there's another argument. We've been over this before. He got injured in the preseason his rookie year. He ended up missing a ton of time. I don't think the KC play would have changed anything for his outlook. But had he not gone on IR, I think there is a universe where his career trajectory is drastically different. He had a couple catches early in his first preseason game (at Detroit) where I distinctly remember thinking "yep, we got Anquan Boldin 2.0"
This is all true, but you could make the argument that missing time his rookie year was more detrimental. I mean, I doubt he would have ended up as an All Pro receiver if he didn't get hurt (and I agree the injury situation was weird). But I think the injury hurt his trajectory a hell of a lot more than the KC non-TD did.Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.
Yeah, going on IR was a red flag. They've kept dinged up rookies on the roster if they thought they would be able to help soon - Dobson and Mitchell both got hurt in preseason, for instance. Harry going on IR was a sign to me that they realized early on that he just stunk.Except he has had multiple opportunities since that early IR stint. And as SN has noted in the past, the entire IR stint was a bit weird: he got hurt, then came back and was a full participant in practice, then went on IR the first chance the team could stash him there without losing him for the year. Outside of blocking, there is zero evidence he is any good.
If that is the case, why did they give him so many targets initially when he returned? Just playing devil's advocate here.Yeah, going on IR was a red flag. They've kept dinged up rookies on the roster if they thought they would be able to help soon - Dobson and Mitchell both got hurt in preseason, for instance. Harry going on IR was a sign to me that they realized early on that he just stunk.
He also could have come back for the Baltimore game when he first returned and they left him inactive. He wound up playing a lot in Weeks 11 and 12 when Dorsett got hurt, but then his playing time went back down - that TD that wasn't vs KC was one of only two snaps he played that game! Finally the last four weeks he played a lot, got a decent amount of targets, and was awful.If that is the case, why did they give him so many targets initially when he returned? Just playing devil's advocate here.
Edit: it wasn't as many as I remembered. 24 in 7 games. Carry on.
What was the old line about Varitek when he was cooked? "Occupying space is generally the last skill to deteriorate?" Unfortunately that was N'Keal's only skill at the NFL level.Good blocker.
That's all I've got.
Sad to see him go.Good blocker.
That's all I've got.
His blocking was also wildly overrated.Good blocker.
That's all I've got.
That "scout" is still very much a part of the organization.Just am incredibly happy that he’s gone. The highlight videos fooled me and he showed very early on that he wasn’t an NFL WR. I hope the scout who recommended him has a reduced role.
This here says it all.Right. The only argument that things might have been different somehow for N'Keal--an implausible one I'll add--is that something so through him off playing for the Pats that he was just uncomfortable, overthinking everything, not confident, and if only he'd been in a more encouraging environment he'd have let it all hang out.
The fact that he had no success with three very different QBs (Brady Newton Mac-n-Cheese) suggests that it's not in his head--he's just a guy with some physical gifts who could make it work in college but never improve on his weak spots or improve his craft to the point he'd be a competent NFL player.
Coincidentally they were both thumbs.The pass was high and wide. Harry only got two fingers on it.