In one of the bigger midseason acquisitions in recent memory, the Seattle Seahawks (3-2) have agreed to trade wide receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick, which will range from a second to a fourth round selection, ESPN reported.
The Seahawks traded first and seventh round picks to acquire Harvin from the Minnesota Vikings last year. Harvin appeared in just one regular season game for Seattle last season due to injuries.
After a promising Week 1 this year, Harvin has been largely ineffective so far this season. Through five games this year, Harvin has only 22 receptions for 133 yards, and 11 carries for 92 yards. After averaging nearly 12 yards per reception in four seasons with the Vikings, Harvin is averaging a measly six yards per catch.
The speedy receiver was brought into Seattle to give quarterback Russell Wilson a dynamic weapon in the passing game. However, the pairing never lived up to the hype. Seattle will have paid Harvin $18.25 million for 10 largely disappointing games.
The New York Jets (1-6), with the addition of Harvin, have revamped their wide receiving core after signing Eric Decker in the off-season. With quarterback Geno Smith struggling this year, the Jets are surely hoping that Harvin will improve a passing offense that ranks last in the NFL.
Many NFL observers have speculated that coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik's jobs are on the line. With the Jets largely out of AFC East contention, this trade could be an attempt to cool an increasingly hot seat.
New York has roughly $21 million in cap space, and will now absorb the remainder of Harvin's $11 million in guaranteed money. However, Harvin does not have any guaranteed money beyond this season, making this a relatively low risk move for New York.
