Reggie Wayne has seen receivers enter the NFL and struggle with the significant challenges the league presents, particularly when that pass-catcher is joining an offense that features one of the most cerebral quarterbacks in the NFL.
Wayne remembers how hard it was getting used to Peyton Manning. So he cautioned: Be patient with the New England Patriots’ first-round draft choice, N’Keal Harry. It’s hard to keep up mentally with the Tom Brady, who Harry will partner with, and Manning, who Wayne played with.
“I think you have to pump your breaks a little bit on N’Keal Harry, and understand it’s going to be a process, and give him a year or so before he can actually go out there and play fast,” Wayne said on NFL Network this week.
Harry joined the Patriots after three strong seasons at Arizona State University. In his final college season, he managed 73 catches for 1,088 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, while his coaches moved him around the formation to practically every position in the offense. Even so, Harry may find the challenges of the NFL significant.
“I’ve always said that it’s going to take a year, maybe a year and a half,” Wayne said, “before you can adjust to the speed and what’s going on for an NFL football team, especially for a quarterback like Tom Brady.”
Wayne explained that when he was in the huddle with Manning, the quarterback would call two plays for the team, with the option of playing either one on the following snap. But then when he ran to the line of scrimmage, Manning audibled into an entirely different play. That forced Wayne, who had been processing the other two plays, to remember his assignment on this new play.
“What’s the route depth on this one? Am I hot when this safety or linebacker comes? Now all of the sudden, ‘Set, hut,’ and the ball is snapped,” Wayne said. “Now all of the sudden, the safety is blitzing. I’m wondering if I’m the hot guy on this. There’s so much thinking going on when you’ve got a quarterback like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.”
Brady is notoriously challenging to please, and Harry has said he’s ready for it. But perhaps Wayne, whose stint in New England was short-lived, is right to urge Patriots fans to take a patient approach.
