Percy Harvin, the oft-injured, well-traveled, free-agent wide receiver says he wants to continue his NFL career in 2016 following knee and hip injuries that limited him to just five games with the Buffalo Bills in 2015. The New York Giants could use more playmakers on offense, particularly at wide receiver opposite Odell Beckham Jr. Should the Giants consider the 27-year-old Harvin?
The view here is no. Harvin's talent is undeniable, but the Giants have spent the offseason trying to move away from players like this. Meaning, talented players who simply don't play often enough. Geoff Schwartz, Will Beatty, Jon Beason, Prince Amukamara are all examples of that.
Harvin, a 2009 first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, has not played a full season since 2011. He played nine games for the Vikings in 2012, one plus the Super Bowl for the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, a combined total of 13 for the Seahawks and New York Jets in 2014 and just five last season.
Harvin is a talented player. He has never had a 1,000-yard receiving season, but he can be used to catch the ball, run it, and to return kickoffs. In addition to his injuries, though, Harvin has had a checkered career filled with incidents that have led him to become somewhat of an NFL vagabond. If he does not rejoin the Bills, he will play in 2016 for his fifth team in five seasons.
Yahoo Sports Shutdown Corner took a look at Harvin's "weird" career, and had this to say:
Percy Harvin wants to play again, and there are reportedly teams interested in him. On one hand that makes sense: He's a dynamic talent and when he's right, he is a great difference maker. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all why a team would be eager to bring him into their locker room.
From Yahoo, Harvin's career includes:
- Fights with coaches Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier in Minnesota.
- Fistfights with teammates Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate in Seattle
- Eight non-descript games with the Jets
- An odd season with the Bills
Sure, Harvin would add talent to the wide receiver position. In all probability, though, he wouldn't be worth the trouble.
Agree or disagree, Giants fans?