The Seattle Seahawks were obviously intent on getting rid of Percy Harvin, but that doesn’t mean they accepted the first offer they got for him. Before taking a sixth-round pick from the New York Jets that could turn into a fourth-rounder, the Seahawks aimed much higher.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Seattle proposed sending Harvin to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Julius Thomas. The Broncos never even considered giving up their Pro Bowl tight end, who is currently on pace to shatter the NFL’s receiving touchdown record.
The Seahawks didn’t stop there. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Seattle also contacted the Cleveland Browns, and one of the players discussed was tight end Jordan Cameron. While it doesn’t sound like the Browns shot down the trade talks as emphatically as the Broncos did, a deal ultimately never came together.
Cameron and Thomas are both great players, but they also both happen to be playing on expiring contracts. Harvin is signed through 2018, though his contract is not exactly team friendly. Perhaps Seahawks general manager John Schneider felt that the Browns and/or Broncos would be looking to sell high before their tight ends hit free agency.
The latest reports are interesting for two reasons. For starters, the Seahawks are clearly looking for a tight end that can make an impact. Don’t be surprised if they add one in the offseason. Secondly, there obviously aren’t a lot of teams that think highly of Harvin. The fact that the best offer Seattle received was a low draft pick is very telling.
As Chris Mortensen noted on Sunday, the Seahawks were going to get rid of Harvin whether they could trade him or not. They were prepared to release him if no deal was reached. Teams probably knew about Harvin’s alleged issues with current and former teammates, which could have dramatically decreased his trade value.
