redhawk253":lf57yi21 said:
i agree with the main parts of your post.. except for 2 things.. i dont really want harvin returning kicks with the amount were paying him and his value in the offense.. i think it will fall to someone else on the team or maybe one of our draft picks.. and 2....... leon doesn't have breakaway speed? i think you need to check up on that logic.. thats one of his best weapons.. he isn't really the shiftiest guy.. he was just good at seeing an opening making one cut and using burst to try and get through the opening before it closed.. a guy lacking breakaway speed doesn't have 8 kick/punt returns for tds...
Percy Harvin is a weapon, and that is why he was acquired. He's extremely versatile, and one of the most explosive players in the league. You want the ball in his hands as often as possible. Considering how much draft capital we relinquished in order to obtain the rights to him, as well as the financial commitment we've given him—why wouldn't you try to maximize his attributes and value? You don't give up a first, third, and seventh round pick, in addition to $25.5 million guaranteed to
not be used in as many ways as his talent allows.
I think you're confusing "lack of breakaway speed" with "slow", which is certainly not what I was insinuating. Leon is still plenty fast, but he does not have the kind of fifth-gear speed that Percy does, at not least not at this point in his career. I can recall numerous occasions where Leon was tackled in the open field, whereas someone with more burst and speed in the same position would have taken it to the house. That's not necessarily a slight on Leon. He was a Pro-Bowl returner for a reason. But again, it's a combination of factors that played into this decision. The only thing I wish the front office did differently here was trade Leon to the highest bidder, but it was a classy move to allow him to go to a team of his choosing.