Percy Harvin won’t help your team
Percy Harvin’s contract with the Buffalo Bills has been voided, and so has his shot of having a meaningful role in the NFL.
Add wide receiver Percy Harvin to the list of 2016 unrestricted free agents.
The Buffalo Bills voided his contract this week after Harvin played only one season with the team. He managed to play only five games, catching 19 passes for 218 yards and 1 score. Not exactly the career revival that Buffalo hoped Harvin would have.
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Now Percy Harvin, once one of the premier athletes in the league, is out of a job. Since entering the league in 2009 he’s played for four different teams, and for much of that time he was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. Marvin made his name rushing, receiving, and returning, and he’s been able to score in each aspect of the game.
Harvin hasn’t topped 500 receiving yards since 2012, and has scored only 3 total touchdowns in the last three seasons. There was a day when he was arguably the fastest player in the NFL though, and in 2011 he totaled over 1,300 yards and 8 touchdowns from scrimmage, and lead the league in kick-rerun touchdowns and yards per return. Only a few short seasons later, the question is not whether Harvin is the league’s fastest player but whether he will ever play again.
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He was relatively healthy his rookie season after recovering from an ankle injury at the end of his college career, but he struggled through various illnesses and migraines in his second year. 2011 would be his most healthy season, but his body would quickly turn against him, as he’s missed considerable time with ankle, hip, and knee injuries every year since.
Along with these injuries comes Harvin’s history of causing drama on teams. He’s been involved in a number of fights with teammates and coaches, some occurring on national television. He tested positive for marijuana both at the University of Florida and the NFL Combine, and there are reports of him failing to comply with coach instructions. These troubles go all the way back to high-school, where he was suspended on multiple occasions and ultimately banned from competition by his school’s sports association for a fight in a basketball game. (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini)
Now Harvin is looking for another job, and attached to his resume comes the long list of injuries and sideline/practice altercations. At one point he had a skill set that may have made him worth the trouble, but he hasn’t shown an ability to stay on the field, much less contribute in a meaningful way. Buffalo Bills owner Doug Whaley said Harvin isn’t interested in playing if he can’t play at a high level:
"“He is a proud guy,” said Whaley (via Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News), “He’s used to performing at a certain standard. If he can’t perform at that standard, I think that’s where his indecision is: ‘Can I and do I want to be less than the Percy Harvin everybody has seen.'”"
The problem is, the Percy Harvin everybody has seen may not exist anymore. The 39 regular season games Harvin has missed in his seven year career suggest a player who’e body is not capable of holding up under the stress of an NFL season. Harvin’s game has always involved speed, quickness, and shiftiness, and that puts his joins under a lot of stress. These joints (ankles, hips, and knees) are precisely the places Harvin has suffered the most injuries.
The Bills have expressed some interested in re-signing Harvin for less than his original contract had been worth, but if the two can’t agree on a deal then I don’t expect Harvin to find another job. Whether he finds a job with Buffalo or someone else, I don’t expect him to have a meaningful role on any team. Buffalo voiding his contract suggests that they are at best hesitant about giving Harvin another shot after a very disappointing 2015.
They need a solid No. 2 receiver opposite Sammy Watkins, and relying on Harvin to play this role clearly hasn’t panned out. The Bills need to find someone they can rely on to play week-in and week-out and that just isn’t Percy Harvin.
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Sadly, Harvin’s temperament and injuries have ruined his excellent talent, and may have cost him his career. With teams limited to 53 players on an active roster, Harvin simply isn’t worth the risk when there are countless young prospects that deserve a shot to develop into elite talents. I’d much rather my team sign a speedy undrafted free agent wide receiver than waste a roster spot on a player that will only cause drama and get injured.
If your team is looking into signing the former University of Florida star as a free agent: beware. Percy Harvin’s career is over, and he’ll bring nothing but disappointment to any franchise he joins.