REPORT: Percy Harvin’s First Name Is “Percy”

Did you know that Percy Harvin is unpredictable and seems to be unhappy?  Did you know he would like to get a contract extension?  Did you know he would like to make a lot more money than he makes right now?  Did you know he might be traded?  Did you know he could end up holding out?

For some odd reason, these possibilities are once again being regurgitated by almost every major news outlet around, and it is starting to get very annoying because nobody is really adding anything to the conversation that we didn’t already know two months ago.

So, consider this a sort of public service announcement I guess: Try not to sweat all the “reports” coming out, as they are simply being written to create a sense of imminent drama that won’t come to fruition for about another month at the earliest.

Still, let’s review the different ways this could possibly play out:

TRADE:  Yes, the Vikings trading Percy Harvin seems like a very good possibility, if they can someone to meet their demands.  Vikings fans should temper their expectations, however, as Miami only received two third round picks in return for Brandon Marshall.  I’m not saying the Vikings won’t get more for Harvin, but the trade package is likely to underwhelm a good portion of the fan base.

PAY:  Harvin is a game changer, without a doubt, and likely wants to be paid like the MVP candidate that he was in the first half of 2012.  His agent, Joel Segal, managed to get five years and $42.5 million for Pierre Garcon during last year’s free agency spending spree.  The Vikings have more leverage with Harvin, because he has one more year on his contract and two years of franchise tag eligibility, but he is also a far superior talent to Garcon.  I would expect him to sign a deal in excess of $55 million (5 years) with at least $25 million guaranteed.

Dig In:  The Vikings may have actually gained some leverage when Harvin recently received a pay bump for next season, because he stands to lose more money if he holds out.  Harvin could hold out until week 10 without seeing his contract year toll, but the Vikings may not mind that so much.  Harvin is the type of player that you almost expect to only play a partial season anyways, and they could have him for the second half of the season this year, and possibly a playoff run, by letting him lose as many game checks as he wants through the first half.  Don’t underestimate the leverage the Vikings have.  They could simply franchise him in 2014 and deal him away at that point.

UPDATE:  As some of our great Twitter followers have pointed out, Harvin’s first name is actually “William.”  So… The situation regarding our smart ass headlines is fluid.

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