A bombshell in the form of a Percy Harvin trade has hit the NFL entering a pivotal Week 7 slate, as one of the game's marquee receivers was dealt from the Seattle Seahawks to the New York Jets.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports dropped the shocking news that needed a second tweet just to confirm:
BREAKING: The JETS have just agreed with Seattle to a trade sending WR Percy Harvin to NY for conditional pick. FOX SPORTS has learned.
- Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 17, 2014
Again, I'm reporting The JETS have just agreed with Seattle to a trade sending WR Percy Harvin to NY for conditional pick
- Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 17, 2014
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that the Seahawks will only be getting a mid-round pick in the deal, and also added it wasn't something that came together overnight:
The #Jets have traded for #Seahawks WR Percy Harvin, source confirms (as @JayGlazer reported). Compensation is conditional mid-rounder
- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 17, 2014
To say the news came as a surprise would be putting it mildly. The sixth-year pro didn't flourish quite as expected through five regular-season games with 225 total yards and one touchdown, and was especially ineffective with three yards on six touches against the Cowboys.
But the coaches weren't wavering from him, and even expressed a need to get him the ball more in deep passing situations as recently as Thursday, per Seattle Times Jayson Jenks.
Still, the news had NFL media such as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio unsure what to make of Glazer's report:
Jay Glazer's Twitter account was not hacked. He is reporting that the Seahawks have traded Percy Harvin to the Jets.
- ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 17, 2014
ESPN's Adam Schefter added more:
Seahawks fans who welcomed the return of the NFL's third highest-paid receiver might not be too happy off the bat, but losing his massive salary could end up being a blessing in disguise with a Russell Wilson deal on the horizon as SB Nation's Brian Floyd noted:
So that's where the Russell Wilson money will come from
- Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) October 17, 2014
But looking the business side of things doesn't make saying goodbye to teammates any easier, as Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril wished Harvin a fond farewell:
Running back Marshawn Lynch was a bit more candid in his reaction, which Newsday's Kimberley A. Martin captured:
Even non-Seahawks were shocked by the move. The Detroit Lions' Eric Ebron discussed it on Twitter:
They Traded Percy ?? 😒 SMH
- Eric Ebron (@Ebron85) October 17, 2014
Harvin's championship pedigree will be one of many things missed in Seattle, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report noted:
In 9 years of college and NFL, Harvin has helped win three championships and now is with his fourth team.
- Jason Cole (@JasonPhilCole) October 17, 2014
As CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora pondered, it didn't seem as if the deal was forced by Harvin but rather by the team after thinking he didn't fit the offense like expected:
Odd that Harvin wasn't on field much at all in crunch time of last game and didn't seem to fit for whatever reason. He did not seek a trade
- Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) October 17, 2014
Of course, there are abundant reasons for Seahawks fans not to worry after winning the Super Bowl without Harvin for most of the season and playoffs. Put that in contrast of the 1-6 Jets team that he now joins, and SB Nation's Spencer Hall was feeling apologetic for the star wideout:
Percy doesn't deserve that.
- Spencer Hall (@edsbs) October 17, 2014
The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre summed up what Jets fans are initially thinking after seeing the deal:
Knee jerk Percy Harvin reaction: Rex, you want a weapon? Here's one. Now go win 8 of 9 get to the playoffs.
- Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) October 17, 2014
The big knock on New York's offense over recent years is the lack of explosive weapons, but with Harvin joining Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley and their duo of impact backs, Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon doesn't see that as a valid excuse anymore:
Harvin, Decker, Kerley, Ivory, CJ?K... Put up or shut up time for geno
- Ian Kenyon (@IanKenyonNFL) October 17, 2014
But with the Seahawks' sterling reputation and the fact he's really the most explosive player other than Wilson on their offense, The Cauldron's Andy Glockner wondered if something was wrong with Harvin:
Seattle is trading Percy Harvin to the Jets. That immediately tells me that something's very wrong with Percy Harvin.
- Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) October 17, 2014
Brock Huard of ESPN echoed that sentiment:
About that Percy Harvin risk...Know for a fact that the WR room had issues, & must've reached a point that even Pete was unwilling to manage
- Brock Huard (@BrockESPN) October 17, 2014
Reports like one from Rapoport indeed surfaced issues, as Around the NFL noted:
ESPN Stats and Info uncovered some numbers that back up the belief that Harvin isn't currently the player that he was in Minnesota:
With the Jets now having lost six straight games and both Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik receiving plenty of blame, Lawyer Milloy saw Friday's deal as a desperate move:
With all the losing @Jets GM John Idzik & Rex had to make some kind of power move to get that heat off their Butts. @Percy_Harvin tho! 😡
- Lawyer Milloy (@LawyerMilloy) October 17, 2014
The 26-year-old was able to get his championship ring in his one-plus season with Seattle, and he came back in 2013 just in time to make an impact in the Super Bowl. But it's hard to say he won't be remembered largely by the ineffectiveness he showed as the team's marquee receiver.
Anyone who has seen Harvin in space, however, knows just how much of an impact he can bring to an offense when utilized correctly. And as he heads to a 1-6 Jets team that ranks dead last with 185 passing yards per game, there's no doubt many in the Big Apple will be counting on his early-career prowess to return.
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