Bill Belichick loves Percy Harvin. So will the Patriots make a move for him?
One of the off-season storylines floating around the NFL is the future of Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Percy Harvin. Though he isn't a free agent, the Vikings are still apparently ready to trade him away. And one potential landing spot could be the New England Patriots.
NFL.com has recently reported of the history between the Receiver and Bill Belichick, who courted him during his college career, as Harvin explains.
The Patriots had the 23rd pick of the 2009 draft, and the Vikings drafted Harvin at 22. Which means the Patriots might have been 1 pick away from having Harvin. Figures.
-A side note, looking back on that draft, what a shocker. We traded the 23rd to the Baltimore Ravens for the 26th and 162nd picks. They took T Michael Oher. We then traded the 26th and 162nd to the Green Bay Packers, for a 2nd and 2 3rds. The Packers took Clay Matthews at 26, while we drafted Darius Butler and, after more trading, Brandon Tate.
So, take that in. I could sacrifice those two guys, plus the guys we got from future trading, for Clay Matthews, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. We had 12 picks in that draft, and only Sebastian Vollmer and Julian Edelman have been effective players from it.
What were we talking about? Oh, Percy Harvin.
Percy Harvin on paper seems like a great fit for the Patriots. Mostly for his versatility. He's an explosive special teams player, a good receiver (He made Christian Ponder seem pretty competent), and he made plays at Running Back for the Vikings in 2012. Sounds like Belichick's dream player on offense. He sounds like he could fill in a hole left by Wes Welker. He might not be as consistent in the slot as Welker, but he'd probably thrive in the Patriots offense, which probably uses screen plays better than any NFL team.
But I don't want him. Not yet anyway. Firstly, as I said before, he's not a free agent. We'd need to trade for him. And with a lack of draft picks at our disposal, I don't think it would be wise to invest those picks in Harvin. Besides, the Vikings are insistent that he's staying. and if he does stay, we should grab him next season when he is a free agent.
Harvin has a problem with staying healthy also. He has previously had several migraine issues, which have prevented him playing a lot for the Vikings. He was also only able to play for half of the 2012 season before being put on IR for a "severely sprained ankle". If Harvin were to become the next Welker, he would certainly have to get healthier.
The guy also seems to have some character issues. He often seems to be at odds with the Vikings, and he appears to believe he should be earning as much money as the likes of Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. No Percy, you're not that good yet.
So, in my view, the Patriots should stay away from Percy Harvin for now. Let's see if he can play a full season at Minnesota to prove he can do it, not just from a health stand point, but a mental stand point. Then when his contract runs out next season, make a move for him then.
Should we make a move for Harvin? Let us know by commenting below,
Or via Twitter @PatriotsLife and @BrendanAnnely
NFL.com has recently reported of the history between the Receiver and Bill Belichick, who courted him during his college career, as Harvin explains.
"I'm real familiar with (Belichick)," Harvin said. "He came down a bunch of times to talk to me, talk to the (Gators) team, talk to (quarterback Tim) Tebow. I've heard a lot of things (about the 2009 draft). I think if Minnesota had passed, they would have taken me."
Harvin continued: "(The Patriots) looked at me for special teams play. They thought I could make an impact there right away. They thought I could play slot receiver. We just kind of got to know each other."
-A side note, looking back on that draft, what a shocker. We traded the 23rd to the Baltimore Ravens for the 26th and 162nd picks. They took T Michael Oher. We then traded the 26th and 162nd to the Green Bay Packers, for a 2nd and 2 3rds. The Packers took Clay Matthews at 26, while we drafted Darius Butler and, after more trading, Brandon Tate.
So, take that in. I could sacrifice those two guys, plus the guys we got from future trading, for Clay Matthews, one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. We had 12 picks in that draft, and only Sebastian Vollmer and Julian Edelman have been effective players from it.
What were we talking about? Oh, Percy Harvin.
Percy Harvin on paper seems like a great fit for the Patriots. Mostly for his versatility. He's an explosive special teams player, a good receiver (He made Christian Ponder seem pretty competent), and he made plays at Running Back for the Vikings in 2012. Sounds like Belichick's dream player on offense. He sounds like he could fill in a hole left by Wes Welker. He might not be as consistent in the slot as Welker, but he'd probably thrive in the Patriots offense, which probably uses screen plays better than any NFL team.
But I don't want him. Not yet anyway. Firstly, as I said before, he's not a free agent. We'd need to trade for him. And with a lack of draft picks at our disposal, I don't think it would be wise to invest those picks in Harvin. Besides, the Vikings are insistent that he's staying. and if he does stay, we should grab him next season when he is a free agent.
The guy also seems to have some character issues. He often seems to be at odds with the Vikings, and he appears to believe he should be earning as much money as the likes of Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. No Percy, you're not that good yet.
So, in my view, the Patriots should stay away from Percy Harvin for now. Let's see if he can play a full season at Minnesota to prove he can do it, not just from a health stand point, but a mental stand point. Then when his contract runs out next season, make a move for him then.
Should we make a move for Harvin? Let us know by commenting below,
Or via Twitter @PatriotsLife and @BrendanAnnely
