Monday, February 11, 2013
Harvin on the move?
By Tim Kavanagh
For some time now, there's seemingly been friction between WR/returner Percy Harvin and the Minnesota Vikings, the cause of which hasn't immediately been evident. As a result, some have speculated that he could be traded, though the return on that transaction for the Vikings would likely not be as strong as having the playmaker on the field. Things may have changed, however.
According to Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune, the Vikings will be actively looking into trading the Florida product: "When the Vikings head back to the Combine next week, you can bet they'll cast a few Harvin-baited hooks into the waters and see if there are any nibbles. And with the 24-year-old playmaker heading into the final year of his rookie deal, now may be a practical time to pull the trigger."
So who would be interested? It's easier to make a list of teams that wouldn't be interested in the player that seemingly has the ability to score every time he touches the ball. Sure, the interpersonal friction aspect of Harvin's time in the NFL is a red flag, but talent typically trumps such matters.
One team on which to keep an eye: the New England Patriots, in the opinion of Judd Zulgad of 1500 ESPN Radio. The Pats don't have a wealth of draft capital this offseason for a change, but Bill Belichick has taken risks on players with some character concerns in the past, sometimes to great success; it may be worth one of the Pats' four draft picks to see if they can pull the best out of Harvin, especially in light of the fact that Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Brandon Lloyd may all be gone this offseason.
In a column for ESPN Insider, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus examined some possible trade destinations. In addition to the Patriots, Monson lists the Falcons, 49ers, Chiefs, Jaguars and Dolphins.
Here's ESPN AFC East blogger James Walker with his take on Harvin-to-the-Pats, and Monson on the bottom line in assessing all the different trade scenarios:
James Walker
Patriots interested in Harvin?"The Vikings are reportedly looking to trade Harvin, who has tremendous ability but had issues with coaches in the past. Wes Welker is New England’s priority to re-sign. Only if talks break down there could Harvin be a stronger possibility."
Sam Monson
Who's interested in Harvin?"Teams rarely trade a player of transcendent talent like Percy Harvin, and when they do, you know there are issues to be resolved. A new contract will go some way towards appeasing him, but Harvin is a player that would benefit from a strong locker room, and leadership. If a team can do that and grab him for a second round pick however, they might have one of the steals of the decade."
