Why N’Keal Harry and Sony Michel will likely both be gone by the trade deadline

Wideout N’Keal Harry could be on his way out of Foxborough after requesting his release from the Patriots, and running back Sony Michel might not be too far behind.

The revolving door of players in and out of the New England Patriots organization is normal for a team still searching for an identity after the golden era with Tom Brady at quarterback. No, change isn’t always easy, but it’s an inevitability coach Bill Belichick knows all too well. And it’s one N’Keal Harry and Sony Michel will soon learn, too.

News broke of Harry’s agent, Jamal Tooson, requesting a trade from the Patriots on Tuesday afternoon. The statement released, via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, claimed expectations hadn’t been met for both sides with Harry receiving a grand total of 86 targets in his first two seasons with the team.

Never mind the fact that Harry hasn’t been able to create separation on the field. According to Pro Football Focus, he has only been open on 25.5 percent of his single-coverage targets, which is 99th of a possible 100 players. Never mind him not being the physically imposing receiver that can just challenge defenders at the high point and snatch passes away like stealing a third grader’s lunch. Does anyone remember all of the Anquan Boldin comparisons?

Yikes.

There really is no running from the fact that Harry simply failed to live up to the lofty expectations in New England.

Obviously, some of the onus for that falls directly on the shoulders of Belichick for drafting him in the first-round over other options like DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. He knocked it out of the park when scooping up Jakobi Meyers from the leftover pile of undrafted rookies, but the decision to use a first-round pick on Harry is a stinker that won’t wash away anytime soon, especially if Brown and Metcalf continue on their trajectory as superstars.

But we’re talking Mr. Fantastic levels of reaching if we are to assume the lack of targets is someone else’s fault. Harry has played with two former league MVPs as quarterbacks with Brady and Cam Newton. Longtime Patriots star receiver Julian Edelman was nearing the end of his career, and the receiving corps was a barren wasteland. The fact that Harry wasn’t able to stand out from that group looks bad—really, really bad.

The opportunities were clearly there, but in the end, Harry got outplayed by others on the roster, including Meyers.

Now, Tooson does make a great point that an amicable split could prove beneficial to both sides. The Patriots could get something out of the failed marriage and move on with life, while Harry would have a chance to potentially rewrite the narrative on his professional career elsewhere.

Tooson would obviously rather get that done before giving the Patriots a chance to cut his client during training camp. But who in their right mind would trade for a player already on the bubble to even make the team this summer?

Yeah, good luck with that one.

One player teams should look to trade for, however, is Patriots running back Sony Michel. The former first-round pick has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, but he’s still a talented playmaker capable of adding significant value to an offensive backfield.

If the Patriots weren’t so loaded at running back, the suggestion here would be to hold on for dear life, especially if the return price is good. But the offense appears to be trending in the direction of Damien Harris and James White. The team also likes what they have in J.J. Taylor, and they just spent a fourth-round pick on the human science experiment out of Oklahoma, Rhamondre Stevenson. There’s only one football and too many mouths to feed.

The Patriots also declined Michel’s fifth-year option on his rookie contract, effectively making him an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Why not get something in return for him?

Michel was crucial in the Patriots’ last championship run when he set the rookie postseason record with six touchdowns, including scoring the only touchdown at Super Bowl LIII. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think he couldn’t once again excel as the leading rusher on another team. We’re talking about a player that was less than 100 yards away from posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons right out of the gates.

Unlike Harry, the Patriots should have no problems moving Michel for something, but both will be gone by the trade deadline. Mark those words.

It’s as inevitable as the sun rises and sets over the great city of Foxborough—the imperial fleet in her backyard, marching to the beat of the same sleeveless, hoodie-wearing coach.

[listicle id=107148]