Reaction To The Jets Trading For Percy Harvin

Several reports have mentioned that Percy Harvin‘s anger issues played a large role in the Seahawks decision to trade him to the Jets in return for a conditional mid-round pick.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network points to the fact that Harvin was not easy to deal with in the Seahawks’ locker room.

“This is one they’ve been considering for some time for a couple reasons,” Rapoport said. “One, in the locker room, Percy Harvin, as we all know, is certainly not the easiest player to deal with.”

“Plus, on the field, he’s a player you have to game-plan for every single game,” Rapoport said. “He’s not like any other player, he’s a slot receiver, he’s a running back, he’s all sorts of things. And for offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, getting him involved in the game was something that was not always easy.“

• Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk mentions that there was stress between Harvin and QB Russell Wilson as Wilson reportedly feeling “too much pressure to get the ball to Harvin.“
• A team source tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that: “It was time for a change. It’s that simple. We got a good deal. He’s happy, we’re happy. Percy didn’t want to be here. We accommodated him.”
• Jason Cole of the Bleacher Report has been hearing since March that Seattle’s locker room has been “oddly tense.“
• ESPN’s Adam Caplan has spoken to personnel executives around the league that told him the Seahawks wanted Harvin off roster and we’re willing to take a cap hit to move on without him.
• Lance Zierlein of TheSidelineView.com has been told that “Harvin’s anger issues are just too much to deal with and he could single handedly bring down team chemistry.”
• Zierlein adds that Harvin has a history of confrontations with teammates, which continued in Seattle and even led to Harvin punching Golden Tate during Super Bowl week.

As for the Jets, sources around the league seem to think that New York did not do all that well in this trade.

• Florio believes this trade could be a “hail mary” move from Jets GM John Idzik to his and HC Rex Ryan’s jobs this year.
• Zierlein received this text from one of his source’s regarding the Jets: “Seattle just suckered the Jets. That GM is clueless.”
• Another source tells Zierlein that the “Jets didn’t do their homework.“
• Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes that Jets are an “odd destination” for Harvin given that they are currently in last place.
• Rich Cimini writes that the Harvin trade is a “desperation move” by the Jets.

It’s worth mentioning that Idzik comes from the Seahawks and is obviously has a relationship with Seattle GM John Schneider.

The trade itself is certainly a big surprise as there weren’t any reports that even hinted at the Seahawks shopping Harvin around the league. According to reports, Seattle had been talking to teams for several weeks before agreeing to a trade with the Jets.

New York really needs some help at receiver and although Harvin is set to make $41 million over the next four years, there are no future guarantees remaining in his contract, which means the Jets can move on next year or negotiate a new contract.

Jason La Canfora is hearing that the conditional draft the Seahawks will receive in return for Harvin could be a fourth-round pick that can become a second-round selection based on his performance.

The problem with trades in the NFL is that it’s hard to bring a guy in and get him acclimated in such a short period of time. New York will have an extra four days to get Percy up to speed after playing last night, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be any more effective for the Jets this season.

It will be interesting to not only see how he looks in the Jets’ offense, but whether they elect to keep him next year.

Harvin, 26, has caught 22 passes for 133 yards receiving and contributed another 92 yards rushing and a touchdown over the course of five games this season.