New York Jets feel comfortable adding troubled Percy Harvin to mix
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Character concerns over the recently acquired Percy Harvin are a non-issue for the New York Jets, even as leaks from the Seattle Seahawks and his old locker room raise eyebrows over his off-field issues.
The Jets acquired Harvin on Friday to bolster a passing offense that is second worst in the league and lacking a true playmaker. Harvin became expendable in Seattle in part because of his locker room antics, which reportedly include a fight with former teammate Golden Tate on the eve of the Super Bowl this past season.
If he is healthy, Harvin can add life to a bland Jets passing attack. But the character issues are a bigger question mark for the Jets, especially given the scrutiny of the New York media market and the string of distractions that have surrounded this team over the past few years. Reports and leaks have indicated Harvin has been involved in two fights over the past year in the Seahawks locker room.
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“I’m definitely not a perfect person. I have a lot of things I wish I could have done a little differently,” Harvin said on Monday. “But I’m moving forward, I’m learning from those lessons. I’m happy to be here right now. I’m looking to make the most out of this.”
The message from Jets management, according to Harvin, is to “come in and be myself.”
Harvin says Friday’s trade surprised him. As far as why he was traded, he doesn’t know or isn’t willing to say.
“I’m leaving what’s in the past in the past,” Harvin said. “I’m happy to be a New York Jet and I look forward to making the most of this opportunity.”
Jets general manager John Idzik, who served for five years as the vice president of football administration for the Seahawks before he came to the Jets, didn’t seem concerned over the reports about his new player. He used his contacts with his former employer to gauge the character issues and came away, he said, comfortable with Harvin as a person.
Idzik doesn’t have the greatest of track record in this regard during his two years with the Jets. In 2013, free-agent signing Mike Goodson was arrested after the vehicle he was a passenger in was parked in the middle of a five-lane highway in north New Jersey in the early morning. A police officer found Goodson and the driver passed out, and the former Jets running back was arrested on drug and weapon charges. He is no longer with the team.
This past offseason, Dimitri Patterson, another Idzik signing, was supposed to bolster a weak secondary. Patterson went missing right before a preseason game and didn’t return to the team until two days later. Patterson was eventually cut following a strange saga where he lashed out at the team.
Idzik cited a strong locker room on Monday as a reason why he thinks Harvin will fit in.
“I think Percy will be the benefactor of that. We got to let that play out and see how he responds,” Idzik said on Monday.
“But we’ve got a very healthy environment for Percy Harvin.”
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Kristian R. Dyer writes for Metro New York and is a contributor to Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KristianRDyer
