Percy Harvin is trying to make an NFL comeback, and even though the Vikings added some wide receivers in the draft, it’d be nice to have Harvin back.
The Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson and K.J. Osborn with two of their 15 picks in 2020. Also, Minnesota signed some wide receivers as undrafted free agents, like Quartney Davis, who could come in and possibly work their way up the depth chart.
Not only that, but Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said recently that the team has no intent of signing Harvin.
However, the position is still in flux and Harvin has his downsides, but he also could have value. Here’s the case for the Vikings signing him:
Harvin probably wouldn’t require a huge contract
If Harvin is serious about getting back into the NFL, he has to be realistic. The wide receiver and return man has been out of the league since 2016. His skill set is going to be hard to determine.
Also, Harvin already came out of retirement to sign with the Bills, where he wasn’t consistently on the field, and didn’t seem like his old self. If that’s the version of Harvin teams are getting, he’ll have to sign with a team that’s a good fit, as opposed to one that would give him more money just to take a flyer on a flashy wide receiver.
Former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs sent out cryptic tweets and eventually was traded from Minnesota, so this Vikings team isn’t for everyone. However, I think if Harvin jelled with the team on a personal level, then he could fit in on the field as well.
The wide receiver position group is a mystery right now
Adam Thielen has shown that he can be a dependable wide receiver for Kirk Cousins, but other than that, there are not many surefire starters at wide receiver.
Hopefully, Jefferson can come in and fill out the wide receiver two position, but there’s still the third wide receiver spot. The Vikings will probably play Jefferson in the slot at times, but it would help to have a player who could come in and play there if the team wanted to move Jefferson out wide.
Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe have both had their moments, but Harvin’s ceiling is definitely higher. Osborn and Davis could very well come in and see playing time, but like Jefferson, those two are rookies and may need some time to adjust to the NFL.
The Vikings don’t have time for players to adjust since they’re not rebuilding. The team could use a wide receiver with a high ceiling, who, at worst, is a waste of a cheap contract. The way the wide receiver position looks right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harvin was at least able to earn playing time early on in the year.
He could always play special teams
OK, let’s say Jefferson, Osborn and Davis are all good in their first years. Not only that, let’s also say that Johnson, Beebe and Tajae Sharpe get better and Kirk Cousins has a great year.
If that all happens, Harvin probably wouldn’t be needed on offense, but he could still provide a role for Minnesota. Harvin has proved to be a dangerous return man at times in his NFL career. Letting him take kickoffs and the occasional punt return for the team would add a different, more exciting dimension to Minnesota’s special teams.
Harvin has 4,127 career yards on regular season kickoffs for an average of 27.2 yards per return. He also had five kickoff returns for touchdowns in the regular season. Sure, he could return to the NFL and not be as good as he once was, but it’s worth giving him a shot, and imagine if he was able to rekindle some of his old returning ability?
Harvin is only 31
I’d be a lot more worried if Harvin was already in his late 30s, but it seemed like the wide receiver’s time in the NFL ended a little too early.
He’s young enough where he might have the physical traits he once did. He’s also old enough where he could be a nice presence in what is a very young wide receiver corps.
The offense will miss Diggs’ explosiveness
I think it’s unlikely the Vikings will be able to 100% replace Diggs’ production with just one wide receiver.
Diggs had some versatility. The Vikings occasionally drew up a jet sweep for him, and sometimes he would even try to throw the ball out of it. It wasn’t exactly the crux of the Vikings’ offense, but plays like that force opposing teams to have to prepare for one more thing in practice that week.
I think Harvin has a similar versatility. He can line up in the backfield. He was also solid at getting the ball in space and making plays when he was with Minnesota.
Harvin might not be what he used to be, but he could still add value to the Vikings — whether that be in the passing game, on unique play calls or in the return game. I think with the way the offseason looks right now, the Vikings could use Harvin, especially after Diggs’ departure.
