5 reasons N’Keal Harry trade was smart for Chicago Bears

3. N’Keal Harry’s salary and team control

The Chicago Bears are essentially trading for Harry on a one-year deal. Still, he is on his rookie salary, and the New England Patriots already gave him a bonus.

So, from the Chicago Bears’ perspective, he is on the books for $1.872M. That comes with $674K guaranteed, so there is a decent chance that the team will keep him on the 53-man roster. If he does bust in training camp, they will lose the $674K in dead salary.

David Moore, Tajae Sharpe, and Dante Pettis all signed deals with $895K, and all three got none guaranteed. So, Harry making more than them and having a dead hit does it make it more likely that he will stick.

Still, at the price, it is hard to beat. If it is a massive mistake, the most it will cost is $674K, which is quite livable. If he does work out, he will only cost under $2M. Beyond that, while he is a free agent, if he does find a connection with Justin Fields and does have success after his hard times, you would think he would sign back to Chicago on a semi-friendly deal. Beyond that, his market will not explode in just one season after the start to his career.

So, the Chicago Bears get a cheap look at Harry for one year. If he succeeds, they have a 25-year-old with an up-and-coming quarterback. If he does not, it costs less than the Bears gave Nathan Peterman.