Monday, March 11, 2013

Minnesota Vikings Teeter on Edge of Another Disastrous Moment in Team History

Several media outlets are reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms of a trade that would send their only legitimate wide-receiver, Percy Harvin, to the already talent-laden Seattle Seahawks, pending a physical.

No matter the return, the Vikings stand to be the overwhelming losers in this deal, forfeiting a player that was vital to their offense in 2012 and a player nearly impossible to stop when used even in the Vikings' one-yard passing system.

Any fair return on Harvin would have to net the Vikings at least three first-round draft picks and a capable starter from a team likely to be selecting closer to the beginning of round two than the middle of round one for the next several years.  Given the Vikings' absolute mishandling of Harvin's situation, there is little chance that Minnesota will realize such a return, however.

Even were the Vikings to receive numerous high draft choices and a starter for Harvin, however, the deal would be worse for Minnesota than the Randy Moss trade to the Raiders--which netted the Vikings a top-ten pick that they then wasted--and second only to the Herschel Walker deal that gutted the team for years after.

In trading Harvin, the Vikings would be removing from their roster the one true complement to Adrian Peterson.  Already suffering at wide receiver, the Vikings would only complicate their predicament.

The only possible Harvin trade scenario that will play well for the Vikings--on and off the field--is if the Vikings sign both Wes Welker and Mike Wallace, receive from Seattle a starting linebacker or cornerback, and use their two first-round picks and second-round pick to select a defensive tackle, linebacker, and cornerback.  And, still, the Vikings would enter the 2013 season without clarity at the quarterback position.  Receiving Matt Flynn and his enormous contract in return for Harvin would be but one more blot on what almost certainly will otherwise be an awful deal already.

For those who prefer to see good in all that is, there is the anticipation of being able to see how a properly functioning coaching staff utilizes a great running back and a great combo receiver/back.  Just a guess that Seattle might find a way to keep Harvin and Marshawn Lynch on the field at the same time.

Up Next:  Does Free-Agency Matter for this Squad?

2 comments:

Childress of A Lesser God said...

I love Harvin as a player, but this is one of the few times that I generally side with the team.

I agree that the Vikings mishandled the situation, but only in one sense: they should have sought to extend his contract before last season started. That might have headed-off the problem - but:

Harvin is a malcontent with anger management issues. The Vikings chose him while he was slipping down draft boards, were patient with him through his migranes, a on-field seizure, and various disagreements the coaching staff, and used him in numerous ways to make him a star. For that, he should have been grateful. But, he went the opposite direction. (Some say this started with his three week stint with Moss as his mentor, but who knows.)

By all accounts, Leslie Frazier is well respected by his players. To my knowledge, only Harvin had a personality conflict with the coach.

Frazier - emboldened by winning 10 games without a functional passing game, only an average defense, and without Harvin for the most part - decided that he did not want or need the hassle Harvin created. And Harvin wanted out, apparently for both financial and philosophical differences. The sad fact of the NFL is that a player has the leverage to force his way out of an organization through complaints, hold outs, etc.

I'm frankly surprised that the team was even able to get a 1st round pick for Harvin under the circumstances. It was all but clear that he was not going to be a Viking next season. Seattle must have been concerned about other suitors.

This is certainly a bad situation. Harvin is a great player and I would be beside myself if he was traded under different circumstances. However, this was an obvious result.

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