INQUISITR.COM / Sports

NFL Rumors: Percy Harvin Among Wide Receivers Who Could Remain Unemployed

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 11:19 PST, Mar 12, 2016

Percy Harvin headlines a list of wide receivers that could remain unemployed throughout much of the off-season, a SB Nation reported on Saturday.

Joining Percy Harvin as other wide receivers who may remain free agents until the summer include former New Orleans veteran Marques Colston and multi-team athletes Anquan Boldin and Andre Johnson. Several reports offered speculation that the market for wide receivers this season has been soft, and veterans with questions surrounding them are not in demand.

Despite a significant increase in salary cap generating cash flow for some teams this season, spending large sums on veteran wide receivers often is unwise, warns The Republican‘s Kevin Duffy. While some of the large free-agent contract wide receivers — such as Percy Harvin — have signed over the last four years have been worthwhile, most are not, according to the writer.

Even with money to burn, the NFL franchises looking to add depth at wide receiver are choosing to do so with less-known athletes than the likes of Percy Harvin or Anquan Boldin. Kansas City recently filled some of their pass-catching depth issues by adding Rod Streater from the rival Oakland Raiders on a one-year deal for an undisclosed amount. Streater — while more productive in 2015 than Harvin — would command far less than Percy would in a stronger wide receiver market.

The Cincinnati Bengals could certainly use some help at wide receiver after losing Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones in free agency, the Bengals’ website reported Friday. ESPN reported that Sanu joined the Atlanta Falcons with a five-year, $32.5 million contract. Meanwhile, Marvin Jones went north, signing with the Detroit Lions for $40 million over five years Pro Football Talk reported.

Despite their obvious need, the Cincinnati Bengals and Percy Harvin have not been mentioned in any rumors together. The article suggested that adding wide receivers in free agency could prevent the team from receiving compensatory picks in the 2017 draft. The report also indicated the Bengals are expected to add pass catchers through next month’s draft, as their history under Marvin Lewis shows.

The Buffalo Bills — the team that voided his contract in February — could eventually re-sign Percy Harvin, but it seems unlikely. The reason the team voided his three-year deal was the salary impact the final two years had for a player projected to be the third option on a run-first team. The Buffalo Bills had less than $5 million remaining in salary cap space when the team decided not to match Chris Hogan’s contract with the New England Patriots this off-season, ESPN reported.

Buffalo’s management has discussed Percy Harvin rejoining the team, even as the Bills voided his contract to avoid paying the wide receiver $9 million this season.

“We’ll talk to him, see where he is and hopefully he comes back,” General Manager Doug Whaley told a local newspaper in February.

If Buffalo is looking to add a veteran wide receiver — like Percy Harvin — to the team, rumors suggest the NFL franchise will do so after the first week of free agency. As planned, the Bills were quiet during the first week because of a lack of salary cap space.

“After that first week, when all the big money guys get their big contracts, there’s that second wave of free agents. That’s where we’re going to concentrate this year.”

Injuries have hampered Percy Harvin, a University of Florida product that looked promising from the start. His best season came in 2011 when Harvin caught 87 passes for 967 yards and six touchdowns. Since leaving the Minnesota Vikings after the 2012 season, Percy has only played in 19 games with three different teams due to knee and hip issues.

What do you think about rumors of veteran wide receivers like Percy Harvin potentially remaining unemployed going into the season? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]

Share this article: NFL Rumors: Percy Harvin Among Wide Receivers Who Could Remain Unemployed
Cincinnati Bengals
More from Inquisitr