Receiver Percy Harvin is set to make his New York Jets debut this weekend against the Buffalo Bills after being traded from the Seattle Seahawks last week. But after averaging just 6.6 touches per game and 6.0 yards per reception in a disappointing fantasy campaign with Seattle this season, owners want to know what they can expect from Harvin with his new team.
Percy Harvin will return kickoffs, maybe punts, will have small role on offense, per Ryan. Unrealistic to expect him to play 50 snaps. #nyj
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) October 22, 2014
The more opportunities Harvin has to touch the ball, the better. Giving him return duties is a welcome sign for fantasy owners. But as ESPN's Rich Cimini notes, it's unrealistic to expect Harvin to play a considerable amount. He did just get into town last week, after all.
New York offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg surely will draw up plays for Harvin as he continues to get more comfortable in this new offense. The explosive receiver will most likely receive a mixture of receptions and rushing attempts. The hope is that New York also utilizes Harvin in their downfield passing game more than Seattle did.
Cimini weighed in on Harvin's role beyond just this week.
"Bringing Harvin into the fold at this point in the season, asking him to learn an offense on the fly and develop a rapport with [Geno] Smith, is a too-little, too-late move," Cimini wrote. "Eric believes Harvin's presence will take some pressure off Smith, because he can take a short, high-percentage throw and break it for 40 or 50 yards. That's a fine theory. The Seattle Seahawks felt the same way, except the longest of Harvin's 22 receptions was only 33 yards. The Seahawks didn't know how to use Harvin and gave up. Why should we believe the Jets will be any different? Smith spoke highly of Harvin's 'dynamic' ability - that's the new favorite word in the Jets' locker room - but he stopped short of making any bold predictions. 'This isn't video games,' he said, meaning that integrating Harvin into the offense will take longer than popping a disc into a Playstation."
