For a moment or two, Percy Harvin was regarded as one of the more unique offensive weapons in the NFL. But that moment has passed, and currently he’s a guy without a contract looking for a team. He might be going back to the Buffalo Bills, or perhaps joining the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens link seems to be speculation, and not some inside knowledge, but considering how limited they are in cap space and them being on the lookout for deals and especially wide receivers who can help jump start something of a stagnant (and mostly injured last season) offense, Harvin should be on some of their shortlists.
Harvin played only five teams for the Bills last season, meaning he’s missed 36 games in the last four seasons. He managed 19 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown combined with a little bit of rushing (5 carries) and kickoff returning, but it’s safe to say that the $6 million, one-year deal the Bills signed with him didn’t result in what they expected out of him.
The two years left on his deal were voided, as expected, and now it’s about bringing him back for less money, unless Harvin, who has played for the Seahawks, Jets and Bills in the last three years, finds somewhere better to be. His ability is still there, although he’s not as quick or fast as before, and the injury concerns could eventually make it difficult for him to find a deal with plenty of guaranteed money.
Harvin forced his way out of Minnesota in 2013, landing him in Seattle. He played just one regular season game for the Seahawks that season, but he did plenty for them in the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos, with two rushes for 45 yards and an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Harvin played five more games for the Seahawks in 2014 before getting traded to the Jets, where he didn’t do much.
Besides injuries, the way Harvin got kicked out of Seattle might tell a thing or two about his personality, with rumors about his locker room altercations and his knack for sitting himself and not returning to the field depending on his mood. When the Seahawks brought him over, they signed him on a six-year, $67 million deal, including $25.5 million in guaranteed money. The Jets cut him the moment they had the chance.
In seven NFL seasons, Harvin has 22 touchdowns as a receiver, five as a rusher and five more on kick returns. But him being a special missions kind of player and not your every down kind of receiver often makes it difficult to involve him and get him into a rhythm, making it difficult to gauge his value to a team, especially when he isn’t the blinding-speed kind of guy he was three years ago.