You hopefully read about Harvin’s time in Seattle, now we got 2 Q&As about Harvin’s time in Minnesota. First up to dish the dirt on him, we have Eric Thompson, lead Writer for Daily Norseman (www.dailynorseman.com). After the 2nd Harvin photo, we then have the boys at PJ Diaries to dish more dirt on Percy and make some funny jokes. Enjoy and tell a friend.
1) What were the pros and cons to Harvin’s game?
Harvin is still one of the best pure athletes in the NFL. He’s incredibly quick, incredibly strong (especially for his size), and has excellent instincts with the ball in his hands. Harvin is a threat to score from anywhere on the field and can change the game with one dynamic play. His talent isn’t limited to one position on the field.
That said, his dynamic abilities don’t make him a traditional wide receiver. He hasn’t been a deep ball threat in the passing game even with his high-end speed. He doesn’t win a lot of battles for the ball in the air. And I know attitude and demeanor aren’t technically part of one’s “game”, but in Harvin’s case I feel as though they have to be listed as cons because they directly affect how much he sees the field. There’s a reason why someone with such talent is already on his fourth team by age 26. He has been incredibly volatile in every NFL stop so far while not being incredibly durable; it’s a very dangerous combination.
2) A lot is made about Harvin’s speed, but I noticed his YPC in Minnesota hovered around 10-12 yards which doesn’t seem much, why was that?
I would look more at his yards after catch than his yards per catch–Harvin averaged over 6 yards after catch his first four years in the league. He got the ball near the line of scrimmage more often than not in Minnesota. Some of it was due to conservative play calling; some of it was due to poor quarterback play. After starting his career with Brett Favre, Harvin has endured the likes of Joe Webb, Tarvaris Jackson, Christian Ponder, and Donovan McNabb. Sometimes the only way of getting Harvin the ball was to give it to him early and hope he would do most of the work with the ball already in his hands.
3) As an offensive coordinator, how would you use Harvin? He seems very dynamic and not your traditional WR.
As I have already hinted at, using Harvin as a traditional wide receiver isn’t playing to the best of his abilities. Keeping defenses on their toes by constantly accounting for where Harvin is lining up is important. Basically use Harvin a lot like Urban Meyer used him in Florida. Jet sweeps, basic hand offs, direct snaps, quick slants, and screen passes should all be in play. The more ways that you show Harvin can hurt a defense, the more time that defense will have to spend preparing for it.
4) Why did you guys end up trading him?
How long do you have? I’ll give you the CliffsNotes version in two basic reasons. First, he had worn out his welcome in Minnesota in just about every way imaginable; second, the Seahawks made the deal pretty sweet for the Vikings. I would say it was more of an accumulation of things that triggered the trade rather than one event. Whether it was the alleged weight room incident with former head coach Brad Childress, the constant questionable playing status due to various injuries, or the other behind-the-scenes-rumblings you’d hear from time to time, the Vikings organization had finally had enough. Harvin’s play on the field (and price tag after his rookie deal) didn’t outweigh the corresponding risks off the field.
5) Why do you think he had such better years in Minnesota than in Seattle?
Probably because he came into the league with so much to prove and had such an amazing rookie year in Minnesota. The Vikings were a heartbeat away from the Super Bowl that season, which kept Harvin engaged and ambitious. When the team started going south, so did his attitude. Of course that doesn’t explain why Harvin was such a pill on a front-running Seahawks team, but perhaps he already felt entitled and “above it all” by the time he came to Seattle. The more you try to figure out Percy Harvin, the less you end up understanding.
6) Anything you wanna add?
Good luck with Harvin in Buffalo. Because if his past few stops have been any indication, you’re gonna need it. If Harvin can play nice and stay healthy, the Bills will have an incredible weapon on offense. If not, be glad Buffalo only signed him to a one-year deal.
1) What were the pros and cons to Harvin’s game?
Pros? He’s real damn good. He plays hard as hell and is faster than Jimmy John’s. He’s pretty versatile, too. I’ll never forget his rookie year playing with Brett Favre where he made a play against the Packers, splitting three defenders, taking a hit, bouncing off, and running it in for a long touchdown. He’d do that plus return kicks, and run out of the backfield. When Percy is on, he’s a pure joy.
Of course, he’s a huge shit bag, too. He’s injured a lot (migraines, plus probably playing too hard as hell), and is a petulant child that is always fighting for what he wants. He ran himself out of Minnesota and Seattle because he was a head case. I don’t imagine he’s all of a sudden going to turn himself around in Buffalo.
2) A lot is made about Harvin’s speed, but I noticed his YPC in Minnesota hovered around 10-12 yards which doesn’t seem much, why was that?
Eh, I’d have to go dig back through the crates, but as alluded to before, I think some of it was in how they used him, particularly his versatility. He’d catch a receiver screen a yard out and try to run down a sideline, but would get under 10 yards. Occasionally he’d bust one, or the defense would look for it and then he’d go over the top. He’s not going to be a traditional speedy deep threat because he doesn’t have the size for it. His “speed” is a bit more once it’s in his hands, and often you just have to get it to him in the easiest way possible and let him make something out of nothing.
3) What were some of the effective ways he was used in Minnesota?
My pants were always super tight when he would line up in the backfield with Adrian Peterson. Defenses didn’t have any idea what to do then. He’d roll out to the flats or just straight up take a hand off and fly. Sometimes he’d circle back over the middle and get lost in the defense. That happened less after his rookie year and people realized he was legit, but getting him in space was always key.
4) Why did you guys end up trading him?
Because rumor has it he was throwing weights at coaches, and because he threatened to punch then-Head Coach Brad Childress in his dumb fat face during practice one time. Not that anyone would have blamed Percy for that. He was also unreliable during the week, with his migraines causing him to miss practice, but always ready to go on game day. That pissed coaches off though, who needed to have control over all their players even though THIS player proved he could crush it on game day without all the coaching BS. It was total political BS, and Vikings fans having their sensitive emotions hurt because Percy probably smoked weed behind the scenes. Real stupid.
5) Why do you think he had such better years in Minnesota than in Seattle?
I didn’t pay that close of attention to him in Seattle, but I think he was injured most of the time there. His first season he played two games I think, one against the Vikings (they killed us) and then again in the Super Bowl. Way to earn that ring! I think after that the Seahawks probably realized they didn’t need him to push them over the hump, and his typical basket case behavior probably started up, so they probably said screw it, we don’t need to force him the ball, and then traded him. No big secret, I just don’t think they needed him as much as the Vikings did.
6) Can he be a more traditional route runner who can run more down field routes?
I think so. He’s a good receiver, and I’m not sure if he’s become more “disciplined” over the last 2-3 years in route running or not, but in his best days with the Vikings he found his way down field in good one-on-one situations. He’ll never out-jump someone for a deep ball, but he can use his speed and crafty footwork to get open otherwise.
7) Since you watched Matt Cassel play, how do you think he’d work with someone like Harvin?
Ha, I don’t know. Cassel can dump the ball of to him I guess, but any quarterback should be able to do that. Even EJ Manuel. Christian Ponder couldn’t, I suppose, but he doesn’t count.
8) Anything else to add?
I love Percy Harvin as a football player unconditionally. He’s a total shit head, I get that, but I’m not a fan that wants my football players to be heroes. I want them to maybe have shanked someone, or smoked a little weed mid-week. As long as they show up on game day and booty-blast the other team, I’m excited as hell for them. And that’s what Percy can do, when he wants. If the Bills have a good showing early and get Percy the ball and let him be him, and forget about his baggage, you’ll enjoy the hell out of him.
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