Patriots’ 53-man roster projection: Yes, N’Keal Harry still makes the team

The New England Patriots have a few complications to normalize ahead of training camp. Bill Belichick has more drama than is typical for the coach.

In one case, he’s got a star cornerback in Stephon Gilmore, who is unhappy with his contract. Gilmore’s problem: He’s only making $7.2 million in new money in 2021. The Patriots’ problem: He’s tolling $16.2 million on the salary cap in 2021. The 30-year-old is due more money, but the Patriots have to decide how, exactly, they’ll mitigate risk in the process of giving him a raise.

And then there’s N’Keal Harry, a former first-round pick who is turning into one of the worst busts of Belichick’s tenure in New England. Harry demanded a trade, which was bold considering how little leverage he has to be telling his team what to do.

I’m going to go out on a limb: I say both players end up on the Patriots. Let’s dive into those decisions — and so many more — in this edition of the 53-man roster projection.

Quarterback (3): Cam Newton, Mac Jones, Jarrett Stidham

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If Jones beats out Newton, then what? I could see a scenario where Newton wants to move on in hopes of winning another job elsewhere. That would leave the Patriots with Jones, Stidham and Brian Hoyer. But in this case, let's imagine Newton wins the job. At that point, Hoyer is expendable, with Jones and Stidham playing at a higher level.

Running back (5): Damien Harris, James White, Sony Michel, Rhamondre Stevenson, Jakob Johnson

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Maybe the Patriots don't have an elite RB1 (especially not in fantasy football terms), but they have a nice array of complementary players. Harris and Michel will play early downs, with Harris probably getting some work in the passing game. White will be the reliable pass-catcher that he's always been. Stevenson, a rookie, is likely to get work in the red zone, where he can bruise between the tackles and, sneakily, contribute as a pass-catcher.

Tight end (4): Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene

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I'll be totally honest: Keene did not appear to be a player worthy of an NFL roster spot during organized team activities and minicamp. I entertained bumping him off the roster in favor of a receiver, but he's a player they traded up for in the third round. He's also a player Belichick acknowledged would need development, so it's easy to give up on Keene in an offseason when the Patriots paid big money for Henry and Smith. But the Patriots give the Virginia Tech product a second chance in 2021.

Receiver (5): Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, N'Keal Harry, Gunner Olszewski

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The fact that Harry wants out is precisely why he won't leave. At least, that's what I'll posit for this 53-man roster. Harry might have been worth a fourth- or fifth-round pick prior to demanding a trade. Now that his demands are out, New England is looking at a conditional sixth-rounder. If they took that, they'd lose on two fronts. Harry, if he makes the team, could be more valuable than a sixth-rounder in 2022. And by openly negotiating his way of the team, Belichick loses authority. I don't see that happening. Instead, there's probably a scenario where Belichick sits Harry down and convinces him that New England is the best place for him (which may or may not be true). So he stays as a big-bodied red-zone threat behind versatile receivers Agholor, Meyers and Bourne.

Offensive line (8): Isaiah Wynn, Michael Onwenu, David Andrews, Shaq Mason, Trent Brown, Ted Karras, Justin Herron, Marcus Martin

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The Patriots have a solid group of starters, but if keeping Keene, Johnson (the fullback) and Harry, New England would have to go light with depth. Karras, a starting-caliber guard and center, helps galvanize the interior in the event of injury. Herron is a playable tackle. Martin is another guard. It's not perfect, especially not at tackle. But it's still pretty darn good when looking around the NFL at the shoddily constructed lines.

Safety (4): Devin McCourty, Adrian Philips, Kyle Dugger, Cody Davis

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If you're looking for Jalen Mills, he's in the cornerback group. I don't know that he'll spend more time there than at safety. But for now, that's where I have him landing. The top three -- McCourty, Phillip and Dugger -- will all make the roster. Davis brings value on special teams, so if another player can match that value, while bringing more on defense, he could bump Davis.

Cornerback (5): Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones, Jalen Mills, Myles Bryant

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If the Patriots don't have Gilmore in this group, they'll have problems. That's why New England will likely figure out a way to make Gilmore happy before the start of 2021. He's not going to love the deal he gets -- but he'll be happy enough to play hard. And that's what New England will need if they're going to make the playoffs. As for Joejuan Williams, a 2019 second-round pick, it's hard to see where he fits into this year's roster. The rangy defensive back simply hasn't excelled in any role New England gives him.

Outside linebacker (5): Kyle Van Noy, Matt Judon, Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, Ronnie Perkins

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Van Noy will likely jump between outside and inside linebacker, but let's place him in this group -- for now. The whole group is a lock to make the team, barring a trade. The only player I could imagine moving is Winovich, who has some similarities in his game to Uche and Perkins. New England might be able to flip Winovich for another starting-caliber player at a different position.

Inside linebacker (3): Dont'a Hightower, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Anfernee Jennings

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Hightower, of course, is a lock to make the roster. Even after a year away, he has not lost a step. But Bentley and Jennings are far from a sure thing. Bentley simply looked too slow in the middle of New England's unimpressive run defense. Jennings looked lost and barely played. It's possible the Patriots bump one or both players off the roster in favor of Raekwon McMillan or a player at a different position. (A quick note: I imagine Cameron McGrone will spend the season on injured reserve.)

Defensive line (6): Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, Christian Barmore, Henry Anderson, Akeem Spence

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The locks appear to be Godchaux, Guy, Wise and Barmore. That leaves Anderson, who is due a decent amount of money if he can make the team, and Spence to fend off Montravious Adams, Carl Davis and Byron Cowart, among others. Belichick is going to want this group to help him stop the run -- Godchaux, in particular, was the biggest financial free agency investment to help them do just that.

Specialists (5): Nick Folk, Jake Bailey, Joe Cardona, Justin Bethel, Matthew Slater

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The Patriots retain arguably the best two gunners in the NFL. Bailey and Cardona have not legitimate competition. Folk, meanwhile, has just rookie Quinn Nordin to beat out after Roberto Aguayo got cut. Nordin may have a powerful leg, but his accuracy is very inconsistent.

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