Harvin's Return

The return on the Minnesota Vikings trade of receiver Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks isn't complete. The Seahawks third round pick next year will do that but some of the return is in the bank. So far, the Vikings have added Florida St. cornerback Xavier Rhodes taken with the first round pick obtained from Seattle. With the seventh round pick, the Vikings selected North Carolina guard Travis Bond. Those picks and the third next year aren't the only benefit to the Vikings. Harvin was in line for a significant increase in pay. Not having to pay him opened up some cash for the addition of former Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings in free agency. The Vikings certainly wouldn't have Jennings on the roster if they had Harvin.

 Percy Harvin is a fantastic football player. He's one of the most dangerous players in the league with the ball in his hands. He will be missed in Minnesota. He was also becoming a problem in Minnesota. He didn't seem happy. I think that a lot of the drama was media created but it was clear that there were some issues. The Vikings pretty much had no choice but to trade him. Seen in that light, anything that the team received was a nice return. I think that first and seventh round picks in 2013 and a third in 2014 are a real nice return. It's actually more than the New York Jets received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for cornerback Darrelle Revis. Rhodes has the size, speed, talent, and ball skills to be a dominant corner. It's one of the toughest positions to learn and to play. Rhodes is expected to start immediately and make a real impact as soon. Bond may be a seventh round pick but he's an intriguing seventh round pick. He has unique size for a guard in that he's nearly 6'6" and 320 lbs. That's unusually tall for a guard. He played at a high level in the ACC for four years. He might have been a higher pick if he hadn't plodded along at about 370 lbs prior to his senior season. The Vikings are in need of improved guard play so Bond has an opportunity. Being able to add Jennings to offset the loss of Harvin at receiver was huge. 

Harvin's incredible effort and excitement on the field made him a fan favorite. He'll be greatly missed. There's no denying that. Without the respective players having played a single down with their new teams it's no real stretch to say that this trade could be a win-win for both the Vikings and the Seahawks. That doesn't happen often so it's nice to see when it does.