:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9514287/155482250.0.jpg)
The Seattle Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin, sending a 2013 first round pick, seventh round pick, and 2014 mid-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the star athlete that some argue has an attitude problem. Stop. Rewind...
.melborp edutitta na sah eugra emos taht eteltha rats eht rof sgnikiV atosenniM eht ot kcip dnuor-dim 4102 dna ,kcip dnuor thneves ,kcip dnuor tsrif 3102 a gnidnes ,nivraH ycreP rof dedart skwahaeS elttaeS ehT
Okay, playback.
The Seattle Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin- STOP! Rewind. -nivraH ycerP rof dedart skwahaeS elttaeS ehT - Okay, enhance and playback.
The Seattle Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin.
Enhance.
The Seattle Seahawks traded for Percy Harvin.
Enhance.
The Seattle Sehawks traded for Percy Harvin.
Okay can you zoom in here and give higher resolution.
PERCY HARVIN
Okay, and here:
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Can you bring them together?
PERCY HARVIN AND THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Holy shit boss, I think I've solved the case. The Seattle Seahawks have traded for Percy Harvin.
There is a lot of thought that goes into every NFL transaction that takes place outside of Cleveland. It wasn't purely in heart that John Schneider and Pete Carroll decided to forego the first round of the 2013 NFL draft and allocate a significant portion of their salary cap over the next several years in an effort to acquire Harvin. They took into account his four years in the NFL, his production, his arguments with the staff in Minnesota, his attitude, his teammates, the cost it takes to acquire him, and the risk involved in trading away three potential players and millions of guaranteed dollars for a guy that only played in nine games last year.
He only played in nine games partly because of injury, and partly because head coach Leslie Frazier and Harvin simply do not get along. Not getting along with head coaches is one of the biggest sins in the NFL. Terrell Owens was as talented as anyone in the league, but he never seemed to get along with authority figures and he also never won a ring. I'm not comparing Harvin to Owens, but citing an example of when it can go wrong. There are so many things to consider with Percy Harvin but for today I'm asking you to do one little thing.
Ignore that shit and focus on the important aspect of today's news:
The Seattle Sehawks traded for Percy Harvin.
I love the financial aspect of the game and the salary cap experts who can tell us the best plan of action with certain players and contracts. I love the NFL draft and thinking about what prospects will turn into good players and bad and the process behind it is so very fascinating. But sort of like what has been discussed recently on advanced stats and the place of stats in sports, can we just stop and focus on one thing for just a second: When it comes to football, Harvin is really f###ing good.
Exhibit A:
Oh my goodness, oh my damn, oh my goodness, we goin' HAM.
Oh my goodness, oh my damn, Percy Harvin, is goin' HAM.
The speed, the moves, so quick on feet, Harvin's cuts are so crispity.
What all that adds up to is a player that led the NFL in missed tackles forced last year (22) despite missing seven games. His 8.7 yards after catch was also the top figure in the NFL. You can give Harvin high-percentage passes (caught 73% of targets) near the line of scrimmage and then watch him do the rest (7.80 yards per target). That's not just a good quality to have in the NFL, it's so damn unique that a team never looks to find their Harvin. You either have him or you don't.
The Seahawks have him.
Line him up in the backfield. Give him a direct snap. Put him in the slot. Put him outside. Down five with 1:00 left and receiving a punt? Harvin. 4th-and-4 in the red zone with a must-convert in the fourth quarter? Harvin. It's Harvin out here for a pimp? Harvin.
When you're weighing the positives and negatives today of acquiring Harvin, all I ask is that you look at one stat very closely and try to focus on that for at least a little while before you think of anything else: The Seahawks have themselves 1 Percy Harvin.
That's one more than the rest of the NFL combined.