As we reach the first day of August, only 12 of the NFL's 32 first-round draft picks have been signed by their teams. As we all know, Vikings' WR Percy Harvin is not one of those 12. The 22nd pick this past April, Harvin has had his share of drama already this off-season, and he's missed the Vikings' first day of Training Camp already. Considering that the players that were drafted at #21 (Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack) and #23 (Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher) have already signed their deals, one would think that it wouldn't be a terribly arduous task to get a deal done for the former Gator speedster.
Yes, one would think that. Of course, if one thought that, one would be wrong, apparently. According to Pro Football Talk
As we understand it, the Vikes have big plans for Harvin in 2009 -- and Harvin knows it. And in the immediate aftermath of the Brett Favre fiasco, signing Harvin would help to change the atmosphere in Mankato -- and Harvin knows it.
Through it all, Childress is embarking on the most important season of his coaching career -- and Harvin knows it.
So even with the high and the low of the slotting system set by the contracts paid to the players drafted just before and just after the 22nd pick, Harvin is in a position to put his thumb on the scale -- and the Vikings know it.
If this is really what's happening. . .man, I hardly have the words.
What Percy Harvin and his agent, Joel Segal, need to realize is that the most important thing for Percy Harvin right now is to get Percy Harvin's ass into camp and let him start getting worked into the offense. Does Harvin have Top 10 talent? He sure does. Guess what? So did a certain wide receiver the Vikings drafted in the early 20s of a draft in the late 90s. What was the guy's name again? Reggie. . .Ronald. . .Randy! That's it! Randy Moss! Remember that guy? Remember when he held out of Training Camp as a rookie?
Yeah, neither do I. . .probably because it never happened. He did that whole crazy "go out and prove it on the field" thing, and all he got for it was a contract that made him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history when his rookie deal was up.
So, Harvin and Segal need to pull their heads out and get this done. The floor and ceiling have been set in this case by Oher and Mack. Harvin shouldn't get a deal that exceeds Mack's, and he and Segel shouldn't expect to.
Hopefully there will be lots of good stuff from Mankato today. Whatever it is, we'll have it right here. Have a good Saturday, ladies and gentlemen!