Potential Jets: Percy Harvin

The Jets are sorely in need of playmakers. Trade rumors are swirling around the dynamic Percy Harvin from Minnesota. Gang Green tried to trade back into the first round in 2009 after taking Mark Sanchez to grab him. Should the Jets jump in now?

The Jets absolutely need somebody like Harvin. He is the kind of explosive homerun hitter this team does not have. He is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Harvin leaves few yards on the field. He had one of the lowest drop rates in the league, catching 62 of 63 catchable balls according to Pro Football Focus. He caught 76.5% of passes thrown in his direction. He also had the fourth highest yards gained per route run of players who appeared in at least 25% of their team's pass plays and caused the most missed tackles for a wide receiver.

He is fast and elusive. Harvin is not a traditional deep threat. He's probably too small to be a great vertical threat on the outside at 5'11" and 185 pounds, and the Vikings did not use him in that way. He is a guy who is a playmaker you can move all over the field from the backfield to the slot to create mismatches. You get him the ball in space, and watch him go to work.

It's clear the Jets need a Harvin type player, but they should stay out of the Harvin sweepstakes. The reasoning in simple. He is going to command a huge contract in a year. The Jets have too many big contracts now. They don't need to add another. They also would have to give up at least one Draft pick that figures to be a good one. This team is not one player away. It should use its picks to find gamebreakers who will be more cost-effective. Grabbing Harvin would be winning the back pages in the spring but leave less resources to fill other holes just as pressing. Harvin is the kind of guy you go after if you want to win now and think he can put you over the top. Trading for expensive players is usually bad business for rebuilding teams. He also has a fairly extensive injury history, which is room for pause.