Vikings willing to trade Percy Harvin, according to report

Harvin has said he wants a new contract that pays him upwards of $10 million per season and could potentially hold out. That stance made Harvin a popular name in trade rumors, but the Vikings are standing by their statement that they do not plan to trade their star receiver. Harvin is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2013 season, and even if he elects not to hold out he could still be viewed as a trade option for the Vikings, who will be unlikely able to re-sign him next year.

Last season Harvin caught 62 passes for 677 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 96 rushing yards on 22 carries and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. His season was limited to just nine games due to injuries. Harvin is due to make $2.9 million in 2013 with bonuses that could raise his salary to $4.03 million.

In 2012 Harvin was limited to just nine games and injuries have been a concern throughout his career. Still, when he was on the field he was productive with 62 receptions for 677 yards and three touchdowns. Harvin also contributed in the running game, with 22 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown, and as a return man, he averaged 35.9 yards per kickoff return with one touchdown.

Harvin is scheduled to make $2.9 million with bonuses that could raise his contract to $4.03 million in 2013. He is seeking a raise to over $10 million per year, a high number for a receiver with Harvin’s durability concerns. If no new contract is reached, Harvin is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2013 season.

While Spielman may say he has no intent to trade Harvin, imagining a scenario in which Harvin holds out in order to get a new contract isn’t hard to do. He has already stated that he wants a contract that would pay him an average of more than $10 million per season, and that’s something the Vikings are unlikely to do. He’ll be a free agent following the 2013 season, and the Vikings may not be willing or able to sign him to the kind of money he’s looking for. If that’s the case, a trade would actually make more sense than letting him leave, in which case, the Vikings would get nothing. Saying that he doesn’t want to trade Harvin just keeps the ball in Spielman’s court and lets him keep any leverage that he has.

Harvin is due to be paid $2.9 million in 2013 and could earn a total of $4.03 million with bonuses. Trading him could be a good move, especially since Harvin has been somewhat outspoken about his displeasure with the Vikings offense.

Unfortunately for Harvin, it appears he’ll be hard-pressed to reach such a deal.

Johnson signed an eight-year, $150 million dollar deal last May. Johnson was excellent in 2011, catching 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns. The 1,000-plus yard season was Johnson’s third in his career, and third in his last four seasons.

According to Ian Rapoport, Minnesota is likely to only fetch a third-round draft pick for its talent, mostly because of his repeated injury concerns. Harvin has all the tools of greatness, but he hasn’t been healthy on a consistent basis.

Last season, Harvin only played in nine games but put up terrific numbers in that limited action, catching 62 passes for 677 yards and scoring four touchdowns, including one on a kick return.

Daily Norseman, SB Nation’s Vikings blog, has been covering the Harvin situation closely. The latest update: He is reportedly going to holdout from all offseason activities until he gets a new contract. Considering how tired Minnesota is of Harvin’s issues -- a positive drug test before the draft in 2009, injury woes, a verbal altercation with head coach Leslie Frazier during the 2012 season -- a holdout could be the final move that pushes the Vikings over the edge. Several teams could try to get in on the Harvin action, and several writers from around SB Nation’s NFL network are weighing in on the possibilities.