Minnesota Vikings News: Possible Trade Destinations for Percy Harvin
The Vikings were one of the NFL's worst teams last season. Now, one of their best players wants out of Minnesota.
The Associated Press is reporting that Percy Harvin has requested a trade. The wide receiver expressed his level of unhappiness with the team on Tuesday at minicamp, saying he wanted certain issues to be addressed before training camp began.
There has been speculation that Harvin wants to restructure his contract, but that has not been confirmed. He is set to make $915,000 this year.
Now, it appears that Harvin would rather be moved than work things out with the Vikings.
Harvin was Minnesota's best wide receiver, by far, in 2011. He caught 87 balls for 967 yards and six touchdowns. All three marks were at least twice as much as the next Viking.
The wide out was the Viking's number one draft pick in 2009, and has been a consistent performer for Minnesota since entering the league. His production has increased every year. He even ran for 345 yards a season ago.
Despite his request, there have been no reports of Minnesota looking to move Harvin at this point. However, if the two sides can't resolve their issues, the team could give in and trade him.
Here are the three most likely trade destinations for Percy Harvin:
St. Louis Rams
The Rams are in desperate need of a quality wide receiver.
Their best receiver from a year ago, Brandon Lloyd, is no longer with the team. They failed to draft a wide out in the first round of the draft, and need to surround quarterback Sam Bradford with some more reliable options. St. Louis finished the league 30th in passing offense a year ago.
They drafted Brian Quick in the second round, and signed free agent Steve Smith, but neither of those players can be relied upon for quality production in 2012.
Harvin would instantly become the best receiver on St. Louis, and the Rams have what it takes to make a trade happen. They have two first round picks in 2013, and could send one to Minnesota for Harvin without sacrificing next year's draft.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos showed that they are dedicated to winning a Super Bowl in the near future with their signing of Peyton Manning in the offseason.
When healthy, Manning is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, he doesn't have much talent around him on his new team.
Denver has some good young players, but no proven entities in the receiving corps. The Broncos top two targets, Erick Decker and Demaryius Thomas, have yet to even have a 700-yard season in the league. The team reunited Manning with Brandon Stokley, but he hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2004.
Harvin would greatly upgrade the Broncos offensive attack. Denver didn't have a first round pick in this year's draft, and would likely have to send a high selection to Minnesota in order to get the wide out. But the move to bring in Manning shows that Denver wants to win now, and they might be willing to part with a future pick so they can get Harvin.
Houston Texans
The Texans may have a top flight quarterback and wide receiver in Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, but they are in need of another offensive weapon.
Houston is one of the best teams in the AFC, and sports one of the NFL's best defenses. They could use a better number two option behind Johnson to solidify their position as a Super Bowl Contender.
Johnson has had his injury problems in the past few years, missing 12 total regular season games in 2010 and 2011. After him, Houston is pretty weak at the position. They lost Jacoby Jones to the Ravens, and didn't address the need until the fourth round of the draft.
A trade to acquire Harvin would give the Texans one of the best one-two punches in the league, as well as some insurance, in case Johnson misses a few games.
Sending Harvin to Houston would make them a favorite to win the Super Bowl, and the Texans would likely consider pulling the trigger on such a deal.
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