Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Harvin and the 49ers
By Tim Kavanagh
A typically slow week of the NFL offseason got a boost when it was reported that the Minnesota Vikings are set to put mercurial WR Percy Harvin on the trading block and see what kind of offers they can generate at the scouting combine.
The New England Patriots have been the team most strongly linked to an acquisition of Harvin, thanks to the idea that they were high on him coming out of college, and that one of Bill Belichick's close associates at the NCAA level is Urban Meyer, who was Harvin's coach at Florida. But another team that has emerged as a speculative destination is San Francisco. The basis of this speculation is the fact that the Niners need a secondary WR target behind Michael Crabtree and they have a wealth of draft picks available for trading purposes -- 12 as of now, with additional compensatory picks likely on the way, as well as anything they're able to get in exchange for QB Alex Smith.
In addition, the 49ers are helmed by HC Jim Harbaugh and OC Greg Roman, who have tailored one of the NFL's most effective offenses around the unique skill sets of their offensive players. A versatile weapon like Harvin could function as the Swiss Army knife, making a dangerous air and ground attack that much more difficult to stop. Lastly, the Niners have not been afraid to take risks on players that have been difficult to work with in other NFL destinations, and they have a strong nucleus of veterans on both sides of the ball to aid in the psychological aspects of having Harvin on the roster.
