Percy Harvin rumors: Vikings GM has ‘no intent’ to trade WR

“We have no intent of trading Percy Harvin,” the Vikings’ general manager told reporters Friday via ESPN1500. “Percy Harvin is under contract and we expect him, just like all of our players under contract, to be here. He is a very good football player, but he knows what he does for our football team.”

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.

Harvin played in just nine games and finished the 2012 season with 62 receptions for 677 yards and three touchdowns. He added 96 rushing yards on 22 carries and another touchdown. He also returned one kickoff for a touchdown. In his career he has 3,302 receiving yards, 20 touchdown receptions, 683 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns and five kickoff returns for touchdowns.

While he’s obviously talented, $10 million per season may be a bit of a stretch for a receiver who has failed to reach 1,000 yards in any of his four seasons in the NFL.