Patriots wideout N’Keal Harry requests trade; could Chiefs be interested?

According to his agent, the third-year NFL veteran wants a change of scenery.

According to his agent, Jamal Tooson, New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry has formally requested that the Patriots trade him to another team.

“For the past several months, I have been working in cooperation with the Patriots behind the scenes to put a plan in place to allow N’Keal to thrive in New England,” Tooson said in a statement obtained by NFL Network’s Mike Garfaolo. “Through two seasons, he has 86 targets, which obviously hasn’t met the expectations the Patriots and N’Keal had when they drafted a dominant downfield threat who was virtually unstoppable at the point of attack in college. Following numerous conversations with the Patriots, I believe it’s time for a fresh start and best for both parties if N’Keal moves on before the start of training camp. That’s why I have informed the Patriots today I am formally requesting a trade on behalf of my client.”

Harry, 23, was taken by the Patriots in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. Would the Patriots be willing to trade Harry — whose current rookie deal will cost another team just $3.3 million over the next two seasons? And if so, could the Kansas City Chiefs be interested?

Harry — who is 6 feet 4 and 225 pounds — certainly fits the physical mold Kansas City has sought in a wide receiver after Sammy Watkins departed in free agency. As a former first-round pick who hasn’t stuck with his first team — over two seasons in New England, he’s had just 45 receptions for 414 yards and four touchdowns (one of them against the Chiefs) — his circumstances are also similar to other players Kansas City general manager Brett Veach has pursued.

But would the Chiefs be willing to pay what the Patriots might want in exchange for Harry, whose contract will leave $4.1 million in dead money for them to absorb? That remains to be seen.

As always, much will depend on an unknown factor: how did Veach evaluate Harry before the 2019 draft — in which the Chiefs had no first-round pick and then selected wide receiver Mecole Hardman in the second round?

If Harry were a player Veach would have loved to get, the odds are pretty good that Kansas City’s GM has already been on the phone.

What do you think?