Patriots Notebook: N’Keal Harry Injury Update, Webster Gets a Workout and More
The New England Patriots continue to march closer to the start of the 2021 NFL Season. However, the Pats continue to make news throughout the league. From an update on a key injury, to giving a workout to a familiar face,, here are the latest Pats news and notes, courtesy of the Patriot Maven Notebook:
N’Keal Harry Injury Update
Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry has had quite the eventful week.
On Friday evening, it was reported that the Pats 2019 first rounder had avoided serious injury, as well as a potential prolonged absence from the field, after suffering a shoulder injury in Thursday’s preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Harry landed awkwardly on his left shoulder after making a diving attempt to haul in a ‘would-be’ touchdown pass from quarterback Mac Jones. Despite being seen wearing a sling after the game, Harry reportedly had no structural damage was expected to heal with rest.
However, on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided an addendum to Harry’s injury situation. Rapoport indicated that the 23-year-old will miss four weeks, and thus is expected to miss the Patriots’ season-opener.
Harry’s performance during training camp has been widely praised. He has looked sharp, strong and engaged. While known for his ability to make physical, contested catches, Harry has increased his speed and seems to be running routes with greater efficiency. Still, the Pats wideout has yet to demonstrate his success in a game setting.
Whether he has done enough to convince the Patriots of his worthiness of a roster spot is still a matter of conjecture. Given his status with the team, as well as his camp performance, it is unlikely that he will be cut. It is noteworthy that Harry had requested a trade from New England prior to the start of camp. With the news of his shoulder injury keeping him out of action beyond the start of the regular season, finding a trade partner for Harry’s services might become more complicated.
Webster Gets a Workout
Might the Patriots be welcoming back a familiar face?
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, New England hosted free-agent defensive back Ken Webster for a workout on Friday.
The 25-year-old was New England’s final selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, taken in the seventh round at No. 252 overall. The Patriots waived Webster at the conclusion of the preseason. He was then claimed by the Miami Dolphins, with whom he remained throughout the 2019 season. Webster joined the San Francisco 49ers’ in September 2020. After finishing last season on injured reserve, the 5-foot-11, 200-pound cornerback was waived Monday by San Francisco after re-signing with the team on a one-year contract in January.
Through 17 career games and five starts, Webster has compiled 25 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. While he has demonstrated impressive speed, Webster does bring some versatility to the table. He participated in 150 snaps on special teams in 2020 with the 49ers.
Running Over Philly
While some Philly hot-takers bask in the glory of winning the snaps in joint practices, the Patriots were the team that performed when it mattered last week…during the game.
Albeit preseason, The Patriots offense put on an impressive show in the City of Brotherly Love. New England finished Thursday’s 35-0 shutout of the Eagles having compiled 31 first downs and 486 total yards. Perhaps the most impressive part of those stats was that 207 of those yards came courtesy of the rushing attack. Second-year running back J.J. Taylor led the team with 93 yards, rushing on 12 carries for a 7.8-yard average. Rookie Rhamondre Stevenson carried the ball 15 times for 66 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
This appears to be a continuing trend for the Pats offense. In 2020, New England had two 200-yard games; the first with 217 yards [Week 1 vs. Miami] and the second with 250 yards [Week 3 vs. Las Vegas.] Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have rushed for at least 200 yards rushing 16 times.
Air Kraft makes another Special Delivery
While the Patriots may not be traveling this weekend, one of their aircrafts will once again be at work for a charitable cause.
As first reported by CBS Boston, an airplane owned by the New England Patriots traveled to Haiti on Saturday. The purpose of the flight was to deliver supplies and medical equipment after a devastating earthquake hit the country last week.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,000 people and left over 12,000 hospitalized. It is estimated that more than 600,000 people are in need of medical and logistical assistance.
When not in use by the Patriots, the Boeing 767 has previously been used for humanitarian efforts. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the plane was used to deliver 1.2 million protective masks to Massachusetts hospitals and healthcare facilities. It also delivered 500,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to El Salvador in May 2021.
Last Chance to Watch Pats Practices
On Wednesday, August 25 and Thursday, August 26, the Patriots will host joint practices with the New York Giants at the Gillette Stadium practice fields. Practices will begin at 10:00 am each day, and are open to the public. These will be the final two days for fans to watch training camp practices this season.
