Larry Brown Sports

Percy Harvin denies that he had any problems with former teammate Christian Ponder, contrary to a recent report. Instead, he says the two had a “great relationship.”

Harvin’s comments came during a phone interview with Suzy Kolber on ESPN’s “NFL 32″ Thursday. He was asked what went wrong with the Minnesota Vikings last season, and he took the question as an opportunity to dispute a Yahoo! Sports report that said he wanted out of Minnesota because he didn’t think Ponder was a good enough quarterback.

“My time with Minnesota was media blown,” Harvin told Kolber. “I had a great time in Minnesota. To the whole Christian Ponder thing, me and him had a great relationship. I hope he appreciated me just as much as I appreciated him. I never came out with any report saying my lack of faith in him or anything close to that. I haven’t done an interview since we inked, so I had no idea where all those reports came from.

“It was kind of disappointing to hear those reports coming out when I hadn’t done an interview since we inked. To clear all that up, me and Ponder had a great relationship. I appreciate him 100 percent and I hope he appreciated me the same as I did him.”

If Ponder is wondering where that came from, Jason Cole cited two sources who told him Harvin did not have confidence in the former Florida State quarterback.

Ponder was bothered by the report. He told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Harvin never complained to him and that he thought they had a good relationship.

“The thing is, there’s no quote strictly from Percy that he was the one saying it,” Ponder told the Pioneer Press’ Ben Goessling. “I haven’t put too much thought into it. If that was his opinion, that’s unfortunate. But he’s a Seahawk now, so it doesn’t really matter.

“People have their opinions. There were things I could have done better (last season). But now that he’s on a different team, his opinion doesn’t really mean much.”

Going back to last June, Harvin seemed like a disgruntled player. He reportedly wanted a trade then, and he was said to have threatened to walk out on the team.

Given all his problems in Minnesota, it’s hard to take his word in the situation.

Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

It would be silly of us to expect Percy Harvin to dog on the Minnesota Vikings organization after forcing his way out of town, but he may have gotten a bit carried away during his introductory press conference with the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. Harvin, who almost looked as if he was fighting back tears at one point, spoke to the media about how blessed he felt to be in Seattle. Video of the entire session can be seen here.

During an interview with KJR in Seattle’s Dave “Softy” Mahler on Tuesday, Harvin again expressed how much of a privilege it is to be able to play for the Seahawks.

“It’s a huge, huge relief,” Harvin said, via Sports Radio Interviews. “I think I can finally get some sleep tonight. It definitely was a long process, had its ups and downs, but I landed at a dream spot for me. To play with these caliber guys, it all worked out, so I’m not complaining at all.”

If the endless evidence of unrest between Harvin and the Vikings wasn’t already enough to prove that their relationship had gone sour, that should seal the deal. However, he insisted in the next breath that there were no problems between him and his former team.

“First off, me and the Vikings organization, we have a great relationship, despite all the rumors that you hear,” Harvin said. “It really was media-blown, but like I said, we have a great relationship. And I’m thankful for the four years they gave me and I’m definitely happy to be here.”

If this report is true, it’s possible Harvin’s biggest relief comes from the fact that he no longer has to play with Christian Ponder. However, all indications are that it ran much deeper than that. Having said that, we’re not going to criticize him for not bashing his former team on his way out the door. Taking the high road is almost always the better option.

Photo credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

The volatile situation between Percy Harvin and the Minnesota Vikings finally came to a head on Monday, when the star receiver was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for draft picks. Last season, Harvin suffered an ankle injury during a Week 10 loss to Seattle (ironic, huh?). He was later placed on injured reserve in Week 14, but was there more to it than just a bum ankle?

On Monday, Minnesota defensive lineman Kevin Williams told the Star Tribune that the team was not given an explanation as to why Harvin was placed on injured reserve during the week leading up to a game against the Chicago Bears.

“I wouldn’t say it bothered me,” Williams explained. “Because I don’t know what all what went on. And I couldn’t say for sure what the relationship was like between him and the coaching staff and management. We just don’t know what that situation was about. I don’t know what his reason was for taking off. I just know that he was gone. And that’s the way it was left. Nobody every just came out and explained it to us, like, ‘Hey, he left for A, B, C and D.’

“So I don’t know what that relationship turned into. Was there something talked about? Was there a big problem? Or did he just leave? None of us really knew. I’m pretty sure it was addressed and we never got a clear answer on that. At all.”

If a player is injured to the point where he has to be placed on IR, it would not be a mystery to his teammates. The fact that Williams says the Vikings didn’t know the details of the situation is an indication that there was more to it than meets the eye. Head coach Leslie Frazier was vague when discussing Harvin’s injury last year, and players typically take four to six weeks to recover from severe ankle sprains.

Now that there are reports that Harvin had no confidence in his quarterback going forward, we’re starting to get a better idea of just how sour the relationship between the player and team had gotten. Perhaps it was more than just an ankle injury that closed the book on Percy’s 2012 season.

Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Percy Harvin has had a number of problems with the Minnesota Vikings over the past couple of seasons, many of which have remained private while others were publicized. Over the weekend, a report surfaced indicating that Harvin had told the Vikings he no longer wants to play with them. Just a few days later, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

All indications were that Harvin was heading for another holdout and was bound to become a headache. According to Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports, the final straw for the former Florida Gator and the team was that he had no confidence in quarterback Christian Ponder.

According to two sources, the straw that broke the Vikings’ back with Harvin is when he bemoaned the fact that quarterback Christian Ponder, a 2011 first-round pick, was not good enough. That came even though Ponder consistently fed Harvin the ball.

Harvin had 62 catches for 677 yards in eight-plus games last year before suffering a season-ending injury, so Ponder was giving him plenty of touches. That being said, Ponder’s play hit a rough patch in the middle of the season and he was largely inconsistent. No one would describe him as an elite quarterback, to say the least.

It’s also likely that Minnesota decided to deal Harvin because he is looking for a contract similar to the eight-year, $132 million deal Calvin Johnson signed with the Detroit Lions last season. Perhaps the Seahawks are willing to pay that kind of money to lock down a consistent difference-maker.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Harvin is happy in Seattle. This is a player who reportedly threatened to walk out on his team last year after hearing that a tight end from another team received a hefty contract extension. He also reportedly grabbed one of his Florida coaches by the neck during a disagreement in college, so a clear pattern of behavior has developed over the last several years. Time will tell if Pete Carroll can keep Percy happy.

Photo credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

With Percy Harvin having been traded to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, the Minnesota Vikings now have a glaring hole on offense. Adrian Peterson defied medical science by putting together an incredible season in 2012, but one could argue that he would not have had as much room to run if not for Harvin.

Now, the Vikings will need to find a way to replace one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. Their offense has undoubtedly taken a step back for the time being, and a tweet from Peterson after the trade on Monday indicated that he is well aware of that.

The best all around player I ever seen or you’ll ever see! Goes to Seattle! I feel like I just got kicked in the stomach. Several times!!!

— Adrian Peterson (@AdrianPeterson) March 11, 2013

There has already been speculation that Minnesota will look to add a big-ticket free agent like Mike Wallace or Greg Jennings, but the team’s offense will have a much different look next year regardless of who they bring in. Not to mention, they will have to fill the void that is left by Harvin’s departure on special teams.

Peterson had some tremendous compliments for Harvin during the 2012 season, so its easy to understand why he’s sad to see him go. Such is life in the NFL, and the only thing AP can do is move on and keep doing what he has been doing.

Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin has reportedly been traded to the Seattle Seahawks. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Seattle has agreed to send draft picks to Minnesota in exchange for Harvin, pending a physical exam.

It is widely believed that Harvin is looking for a massive contract extension that the Vikings either cannot afford or are not willing to pay, which means their only option was to trade him while he still had value instead of letting him walk after next season. The Seattle Seahawks have arguably the best defense in the NFL and exciting potential on offense with Russell Wilson running the show. Adding Harvin to an offense that already includes Wilson and Marshawn Lynch will give opposing defenses plenty to account for.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has reported that the trade is also contingent upon a contract extension for Harvin, which should be completed within the next 48 hours. Schefter also said the deal is expected to include Seattle’s first round pick in the upcoming draft.

It’s safe to assume a number of teams did their due diligence on Harvin with it being a known fact that he wanted out of Minnesota. He should be a nice fit in Seattle, where Pete Carroll has turned an inexperienced team into a contender over the last few seasons. Richard Sherman was one of the biggest reasons for the Seahawks’ success last year, and he welcomed his new teammate when the news broke on Monday.

Welcome to the Team bruh @percy_harvin … Happy to have ya

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) March 11, 2013

An already dangerous team just added one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in football.

Photo credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Percy Harvin is dissatisfied with his contract situation and it is well known that he wants out of Minnesota if the Vikings do not plan to give him a big deal. The latest report says Harvin has told the Vikings he doesn’t want to play for them and that he wants to be traded.

Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Sid Hartman reported Saturday that Harvin will not attend the team’s offseason workouts next month. Hartman also says “good sources around the NFL” say that Harvin has “told the Vikings that he doesn’t want to play for them and wants to be traded.”

Harvin is under contract for the upcoming season, though he is only scheduled to make $2.755 million, per Rotoworld. He reportedly is seeking Calvin Johnson money with his next contract. Another recent report said Harvin is so fixated on his contract situation that he threatened to walk out on the team last year after his ex-college teammate Aaron Hernandez got a contract extension from the New England Patriots.

The bottom line is that Harvin seems to be disgruntled. He is worth much more money than he is signed for, but the Vikings don’t seem to have much incentive to pay him more than he is scheduled to earn. If they can get some value for him in a trade, that might be pleasing to all parties. However, keep in mind that it was reported last year that Harvin wanted to be traded, but he still played the season for the Vikings. The difference is he only had three years of service entering last season, whereas he has four now, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.

Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE