Analysis: WRs Bruce Ellington, Maurice Harris bring diverse skill sets to Patriots' passing game

The Patriots added a pair of wide receivers Thursday in Bruce Ellington and Maurice Harris who could add depth to the New England passing game in a variety of ways.

Let's take a look at what both could bring to the Patriots.

Ellington is a 5-foot-9, 196-pounder who has been in the league for four seasons, and has 79 catches for 769 yards and five touchdowns in his career. He reminds me (and some other folks) of a Keshawn Martin-type when it comes to his skill set. One thing that should serve him well is his background in Houston — he spent 2017 and part of the 2018 season with the Texans, and his time in a Bill O’Brien offense should allow him to get up to speed relatively quickly.

Another thing in his favor? He’s routinely lined up at several different spots on the field. Last year with the Lions and Texans, the bulk of his work was in the slot, but he was also split wide, and with Detroit, he was in the backfield. The Patriots love guys who can be a pre-snap wildcard, and based on his history, Ellington should fit nicely. From his time in Houston.



This play from 2014 when he was with the Niners is a good example of what he can do when utilized properly. If it clicks for him, I'd expect to see this one used in 2019.



The Patriots have always treasured receivers and defensive backs who have short-area quickness, and earlier in his career, he certainly has plenty of that. (His 3-cone time as a collegian was comparable to Julian Edelman.)

However, when he played the second half of last season with the Lions, he didn’t seem to have the same sort of burst. Whether it was injury or scheme or bad blocking, it looked like he left yards on the field. Like here:



To be fair, this one was on the Detroit guard, but still, Dante Fowler, Jr., reads it and makes the play.



There were times where he was clearly cognizant of coverages and matchups, and was able to make some smart plays. This is the best case scenario with Ellington.



This is a good example of knowing coverages and field awareness.





Another thing to keep in mind with Ellington is that he put up really impressive numbers as a punt and kick returner in 2014 and 2015 with the Niners — he averaged 7.7 yards per return in 42 chances as a punt returner, and 25.6 yards per return in 50 kick return attempts. Without Cordarrelle Patterson, he could be in line to provide a boost in the return game.

Ultimately, this is a guy who is smart, has nice hands, positional versatility, and special teams value. If he can regain some of the explosiveness he seemed to lose last year in Detroit, he has the potential to be the latest on a long line of make-you-miss guys in the New England offense.

Hands stand out with Harris

Meanwhile, Harris is a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who has been with the Redskins for the last three seasons. In his career, he has 40 catches for 432 yards and a touchdown the last three years with Washington. Last year was the best of his career, with 28 catches on 47 targets for 304 yards. Harris is predominantly a slot presence — Pro Football Focus had him taking 49 percent of his offensive snaps out of the slot last season.

Something to like about Harris? He hasn’t necessarily had a ton of work over his three years in the league, but when he gets his hands on a ball, he holds on to it. PFF had him with just one drop in three seasons. There’s not a lot of volume there, and the catch rate isn’t Amendola-esque. Honestly, you can probably blame a part of his lack of production on Washington’s instability at quarterback last year — the Redskins had four different guys start at quarterback in 2018.

But when a passer puts the ball in his neighborhood, he catches it. That includes showing a really nice level of fight for 50-50 balls. This is perhaps the finest catch of his career, a one-handed grab that went for a touchdown against the Vikings in 2017.



You want to see him at his absolute best over a full 60 minutes, flip on the Washington-Atlanta game last year where he had a career-best 10 catches on 12 targets for 124 yards.



Nice open-field running after the catch.





The other thing worth noting on Harris? For a New England slot receiver, he’s big. He is capable of playing on the outside a bit, but the Patriots have always gone a little smaller when it comes to their slot guys. Consequently, that’s probably why he doesn’t have that same sort of post-catch burst we’ve seen over the years from the likes of Troy Brown, Wes Welker and the rest. But I’m curious to see how — if at all — his size in the slot could change things when it comes to the passing game.

When it comes to Harris, ultimately, this appears to be a case of buying low on a guy who showed flashes of promise in 2018. In his two-plus years with Washington, there were times where he completely fell off the radar screen. There were times where he was impressive. But his size, dependability, and physicality in the slot could bring a unique dimension to a passing game that could use some more depth.