It is all but certain that the Minnesota Vikings are going to love to trade Percy Harvin the second a good offer comes along. The young receiver has had multiple falling outs with the team and according to WCCO Minneapolis, is no longer wanted as part of the Vikings organization. Rumors that the New England Patriots will look towards the slot receiver first arose and now the San Francisco 49ers have been listed as a possible owners of Harvin.
Looking at the 49ers current roster, it is obvious they will need help in the offensive end of the game. An aging Randy Moss proved relatively useless this season. Young Michael Crabtree is a player to build off of, but San Francisco will need another receiver to matchup next to him. Ted Ginn, Jr. will be a free agent and unlikely to return to the team after proving to be a liability in the return and passing game. With quarterback Colin Kaepernick well on his way to becoming an elite quarterback of the league, having Harvin as an offensive weapon works well for the 49ers. Harvin has 62 receptions for 677 yards and three touchdowns in 2012 before a torn ligament ended his season on the IR list.
Minnesota will likely only be able to ask for draft picks in return for Harvin and the off-the-field baggage he comes with. San Francisco is loaded with draft picks this season. In the 2013 NFL draft, San Fran has 14 picks, including the No. 31 overall pick and three third round picks. That would set up Minnesota to build around MVP Adrian Peterson.
Harvin's contract is a big hurdle towards his chances to play for the 49ers. In the last year of his contract, he will likely ask for a contract extension around $10 million, which San Francisco would have a hard time paying. Both Crabtree and Kaepernick still have two years left on their rookie contracts along with several veterans signed to big deals. There is also the locker room issues holding him back. Harvin had spats with both head coaches, Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier. He has also shown to to be slightly injury prone with both ankle and migraine issues that have clouded his elite playing abilities.
Signing Harvin is risky but a team could end up benefiting big time if he can get his behavior issues under control. If the 49ers want young players to build around, Harvin is the perfect fit for the system.