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Report: Patriots ‘have always liked’ Percy Harvin

Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Percy Harvin (16) runs against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Percy Harvin (16) runs against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

PFT recently suggested that the New England Patriots might be a good fit for potential free agent Percy Harvin, and the idea has since gained some support. Is it a good one?

Percy Harvin is still a wideout for the New York Jets, but the team could reduce the price they paid for him by releasing him before March 19, when the sixth-round pick the team sent to the Seattle Seahawks for Harvin would then escalate to a fourth-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

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Given the rebuilding status of the Jets, it’s hard to tell what plans the team has for Harvin, but Pro Football Talk has at least one idea for him if the team does in fact move on from him. They suggest Harvin visit the Island of Misfit Toys that is the New England Patriots organization, which remains impervious to character concerns affecting the product on the field.

CSN New England concurs, per Chris Gasper and Gary Tanguay, who discussed the possibility on Arbella Early Edition.

“Sure, he’s 26-years-old, he’s a dynamic guy when he can stay healthy,” said Gasper. “They’ve always liked this guy. They would’ve taken him in the 2009 draft. Minnesota took him one pick ahead of them at 23 and then they traded out.”

The bit about the draft is one of the worst kept secrets from that draft, and it’s also what people pointed to when they expressed surprise during the season when the Seattle Seahawks traded Harvin to the New York Jets seemingly out of the blue.

Of course, that’s all idle speculation unless the Jets do something with Harvin before March 19, which wouldn’t entirely make sense, in truth. For one, the Jets have plenty salary cap room to absorb Harvin’s big salary this season. For another, releasing Harvin essentially means the Jets gave up a sixth-round pick for a few games out of Harvin in a lost season, which equates to roughly nothing.

Percy Harvin is set to count at least $10 million against the salary cap for the next four seasons though so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the team could opt to release him and avoid future cap hell.

If the New York Jets do move on from Harvin and release him, expect the New England Patriots to at least bring Harvin in for some talks in one of their patented cheap, short-term deals with a talented cast-off.

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