Vikings Message Board.Com

VikingLord wrote:Generally speaking, Spielman has done a good job, but I didn't understand the timing of the Harvin trade and still don't, and I'm equally afraid that now that Jenkins is in the fold Spielman will focus on other positions in the draft.

I almost gagged on my coffee. I hope you mean Jennings, not Jenkins.

VikingLord wrote:Was it? I think Spielman was quoted as saying he had not sought out any trade partners for Harvin prior to the Seahawks calling and offering him a deal he couldn't pass up.

Seattle may have called him rather than vice versa but that doesn't mean the Vikes didn't let it be known in league circles that they were open to trade offers. Regardless of who instigated talks, if the Vikings really wanted to keep Harvin, that would have been an easy deal to pass up. All things considered, I think they got good value in return but it wasn't an impossible-to-turn-down trade offer for a player like Harvin if things were healthy between the Vikes and Percy.

And as far as why wait, I tried to explain that above. The Vikings drafted Harvin. They had him under contract. Unless he had to go, why not let the draft play out and that situation evolve a bit more?

Because it wasn't likely to evolve in the Vikings favor.

This trade is only good for the Vikes if Spielman turns those picks into good players.

That's true, of course, but I think trading a proven commodity in his athletic prime for picks and doing it right as the league year was about to begin tells us what we need to know about the Vikings true assessment of what had to happen. They clearly felt they should trade Harvin and get the best deal they could get in return.

Unless Harvin absolutely had to go, and I'm not convinced that was the case based on everyone's public statements since the trade, I still think the Vikings were better served by being patient with Harvin, or at the very least waiting until after the draft to decide what was the best course of action.

All I can say is actions sometimes speak louder than words and to me, the Vikings actions in this case tell it all. They had months to be patient with Harvin, to talk to him and his representatives and get a good feel for the situation. They traded him for draft picks at the first good opportunity. That speaks volumes.

Eli wrote: I almost gagged on my coffee. I hope you mean Jennings, not Jenkins.

I'm still coming out of bad WR detox... Definitely meant "Jennings".

Mothman wrote: All I can say is actions sometimes speak louder than words and to me, the Vikings actions in this case tell it all. They had months to be patient with Harvin, to talk to him and his representatives and get a good feel for the situation. They traded him for draft picks at the first good opportunity. That speaks volumes.

I'm just struggling with the Vikings shipping one of their best young players, but I think mansquatch and you are spot-on in your assessments. Teams don't ship their best players under any conditions without good reason, and the Vikings must have had that good reason no matter what is being said in public.

Here's hoping Spielman comes up big with that 25th pick...

VikingLord wrote: I'm just struggling with the Vikings shipping one of their best young players, but I think mansquatch and you are spot-on in your assessments. Teams don't ship their best players under any conditions without good reason, and the Vikings must have had that good reason no matter what is being said in public.

I understand the struggle. It's a drag to lose a player as talented as Harvin in his prime.

I had to laugh at your "bad WR detox." line above! I think we may all need a 12 step program to get over that.

Here's hoping Spielman comes up big with that 25th pick...

Maybe he'll draft a nose tackle...

... oh, you didn't mean "big" quite so literally, did you?

He needs to make that pick count and hopefully, he can do likewise with the (3rd round?) pick they get in next year's draft. The 7th rounder is obviously less likely to yield a good player but you never know.

I'm hoping Speilman can "hit" on at least the first 2 or 3 picks the Vikes make in this draft. If he can, it may really accelerate this team's growth.

VikingLord wrote:I'm just struggling with the Vikings shipping one of their best young players, but I think mansquatch and you are spot-on in your assessments. Teams don't ship their best players under any conditions without good reason, and the Vikings must have had that good reason no matter what is being said in public.

Listen, Edward, I'm right there with you on this. I've been a huge fan of Percy Harvin's abilities since he played for the Florida Gators. I was thrilled when the Vikings drafted him and I loved watching him play for our team.

When the Vikings traded Harvin, I was livid. I felt and still believe that spoiled brat or not, Harvin is a playmaker first and foremost. The guy is a lightning bolt for the offense and a threat to score any time he touches the ball as a receiver, running back, or kick returner. Harvin wasn't just a rookie in 2009, he was rookie of the year. He hasn't just scored TDs returning kicks, he's scored the most TDs as a kick returner in the entire NFL since 2009.

That said, there's one thing that trumps all the accolades (and I think might explain the Vikings position) and that is it appears as if Harvin wanted the trade. It's almost as if Harvin showed up one day in Spielman's office with his bags packed. Anyway, both Harvin and Frazier have revealed a great deal of respect for each other, and both have implied that the trade is better for both Harvin and the Vikings. Frazier seemed to emphasize that in a recent interview, and he did it without taking shots at Harvin. I mean, I can't really blame the team for trading a player, any player, that doesn't want to play for them.

losperros wrote: I mean, I can't really blame the team for trading a player, any player, that doesn't want to play for them.

That's my attitude, Craig. Harvin forced the Vikings hand, once another team offered significant value for the guy.

If you want to criticize the Vikings, criticize them for failing to manage Harvin's feelings better. Maybe they are to blame on that score, maybe not (I tend to think the latter, but that is speculation on my part). Without more information as to what really happened, I will admit that there is at least a theoretical possibility that the Vikes could have done more to keep him happy from the beginning. But once he crossed the Rubicon into becoming a thoroughly disaffected employee, there was nothing else to do but look for a decent trade. And they got one.

DanAS wrote: That's my attitude, Craig. Harvin forced the Vikings hand, once another team offered significant value for the guy.

If you want to criticize the Vikings, criticize them for failing to manage Harvin's feelings better. Maybe they are to blame on that score, maybe not (I tend to think the latter, but that is speculation on my part). Without more information as to what really happened, I will admit that there is at least a theoretical possibility that the Vikes could have done more to keep him happy from the beginning. But once he crossed the Rubicon into becoming a thoroughly disaffected employee, there was nothing else to do but look for a decent trade. And they got one.

Can't agree more so, it was inevitable, no one player ever comes before the organisation as a whole. Ultimately, we received good value and will hopefully cash in by finding a replacement of the Percy niche.

Well played Vikes!

saint33 wrote:First of all, signing urlacher only masks our need at MLB, not fill it.

This right here pretty much summed it up for me.

Signing Urlacher seems like a desperation move to me. I'm hoping and praying the Vikings have a better plan at LB than THIS guy. Holy cow.

The single best reason to NOT sign old veterans=We don't have the cabbage to do so!