Harry’s fresh start hits snag
The fresh start N’Keal Harry was looking for after landing in Chicago turned sour on Saturday.
The former Patriots first-round pick suffered an ankle injury that ESPN reported as “severe.”
The 24-year-old wide receiver went down on the first play of team drills. Linebacker Nicholas Morrow tackled Harry, who appeared to roll his ankle and had to be helped off the field, according to ESPN.
The Bears were waiting for further evaluation and no determination has been made on how long Harry will be out.
“I just saw him come down,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said via ESPN. “I saw the play and I don’t really know much from there. We’re obviously going to do the evaluation and then once I get that, we can get it back to you. And if it’s longer situation, we’ll let you know what it is. If it’s day-by-day, we’ll say that, too.”
Harry was traded to Chicago in July for a 2023 seventh-round pick, just four years after he was taken with the 32nd pick. Harry played in 33 games over three seasons in New England, totaling 57 receptions for 598 yards and four touchdowns.
Harry was competing for a starting spot in a wide receiver group that includes Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, and rookie Velus Jones Jr.
Dangers of dehydration
Dehydration is one of the biggest concerns during football camps in the summer, and the New York Giants saw its effects on new center Jon Feliciano.
On the second day of practice July 28, Feliciano developed severe dehydration after a practice without pads. The 30-yearold had experienced it before while playing at the University of Miami, so he knew what was happening.
Feliciano jumped into a cold tub and planned to get an IV immediately.
“I’m kind of a hard stick sometimes and then, [they] missed me a few times,” Feliciano said Sunday while discussing the incident with reporters for the first time. “And then after that, I started profusely sweating. And then, I just started full-body cramping. Good times.”
The eight-year veteran said he wasn’t scared.
“Imagine your muscles just — especially my legs, mostly — cramped up just like that [a fist] for a while,” Feliciano admitted, adding he did a lot of screaming.
While not hospitalized, Feliciano was dehydrated over the next four days and not back at practice until Aug. 3, and that was on a limited basis. He complained every day and was not happy when was limited to 20 plays Friday when the team practiced in front of fans in MetLife Stadium.
Feliciano is considered a major piece of the new offensive line. The former Buffalo Bill veteran was signed as a free agent in the offseason and the team is counting on him to replace Nick Gates at center.
Hunt demands trade
Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s rushing leader in 2017, demanded a trade after the team denied the 27-year-old’s request for a longterm contract extension, holding himself out of team drills Friday and Saturday in protest but rejoining on Sunday.
“We are working, there is no distraction,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said on the practice field. “I understand there are things that happen that certainly get attention, and that’s OK . . . This is normal. This is NFL football, as far as I know.”
Stefanski declined to answer questions specifically about Hunt.
Hunt is in the final season of a two-year, $12 million extension signed in 2020. If the Cleveland-area native is on the active roster for all 17 games, he will earn $6.25 million this season.