The Seattle Seahawks were one of multiple teams to discuss a Percy Harvin trade with the Minnesota Vikings, but it wasn't Seahawks general manager John Schneider who initiated the talks.
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When Schneider first was approached about a Harvin trade, his answer was "absolutely no," according to SI.com's Peter King.
With cornerback Richard Sherman and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor next in line for lucrative contract extensions with the Seahawks, Schneider was hesitant to pay a receiver who reportedly was seeking an outlandish contract on par with Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald.
Once Schneider dug deeper, though, he discovered Harvin might settle for Vincent Jackson money ($11 million annually) if it meant escaping what had devolved into a poisonous situation in Minnesota, originally stemming from a strained relationship with former Vikings coach Brad Childress.
Similar to the New England Patriots' gambles on reputed malcontents such as Randy Moss and Corey Dillon, the Seahawks are counting on the change of scenery to a committed contender with a strong-willed quarterback as the panacea for Harvin's attitude problems.
Because Schneider and former salary-cap specialist John Idzik managed the salary cap so well the past three years, the Seahawks could afford to be the only NFL team paying two wide receivers more than $8 million per season. It certainly helped that Harvin carried the "street cred" to command respect in the team's pay-day pecking order.
Harvin was tied for the NFL lead with 62 receptions, first in the NFL with 531 yards after the catch, second in kickoff return average (35.9) and second in receiving yards (677) before the ankle injury that ended his season in Week 9.
Schneider took a risk not just on one of the league's most dynamic players but also a versatile weapon in Harvin, whom NFL Films analyst Greg Cosell recently described as "a movable chess piece that advances the continuing evolution of NFL offense" once teamed with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling
