New England Patriots rookie receiver N'Keal Harry is going to have his work cut out for him. The Patriots took him in the first round of April's draft, but that doesn't mean he's going to be handed everything.
Harry will have to fight for every scrap of playing time, and earn the trust of the Patriots' leaders. To see what Harry has in store for him, Nick Underhill of The Athletic spoke to three former Patriots receivers who didn't pan out. They had some solid advice, and a lot of it revolved around earning the trust of Tom Brady.
“You keep your mouth shut, do what you’re asked to do and just understand it’s a new journey,” said P.K. Sam, a 2004 fifth round draft pick who didn't last long. “You go from a superstar in your college to back on the bottom, which he won’t because he was a high draft pick, but still. He has to learn the ropes. Just keep your mouth shut, keep your body healthy, and everything will work out.”
“Some people say Brady’s an asshole, and he can be at times – everybody can be an asshole at times,” said Chad Jackson, a second round pick back in 2006 who flamed out quickly with the Pats. “The guy wants perfection. He wants everything done right. I’m sure he makes his mistakes too, but it’s not like everybody else.”
“It can take a toll on players when they first get there. They throw a lot at you. Coming in, being a rookie or something like that, but my opinion, just me, you got your bottom organizations, and you got your top organizations. I think I should have started at the bottom before I jumped right into the fire,” he continued.
Underhill also spoke to Chad ‘Ochocinco' Johnson, who spent the last days of his career with New England. Although Johnson didn't spend too much time with the Patriots, he had a lot of thoughts.
“Once I understood the playbook in its entirety, and then I was able to take over on the field because I didn’t have to think,” Johnson said. “I was able to play fast and then came the personality, and I was able to let go. So, the faster he becomes one with the playbook and understands it like the back of his hand, the easier everything will become.”
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