Percy Harvin waltzed into Super Bowl XLVIII with 40 snaps under his belt and nearly walked away with Malcolm Smith's MVP award after generating 137 electric yards on his first four touches.
A healthy Harvin is one of the league's rare difference-making talents. He was arguably the NFL's premier receiver on film early in the 2012 season before going down with an ankle injury.
The Seahawks believe Harvin's return to the starting lineup will make them even more formidable next season than they were as the NFL's dominant team in 2013.
"Without Harvin, we were just biding time," cornerback Richard Sherman wrote in TheMMQB.com on Friday. "With him, our offense is one of the NFL's best."
Tight end Zach Miller expressed similar sentiments after the Super Bowl, telling Around The League's Marc Sessler that Harvin's scintillating performance was merely a sneak preview for what the Seahawks will unveil in 2014.
Even as the Seahawks' offense stumbled late in the season against a string of top-tier defenses, they still finished seventh in Football Outsiders' metrics.
The Seahawks could have been closer to the top of the list had offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell been able to follow through on his offseason plans to use more exotic formations with Harvin expanding the field and spreading opposing defenses thin.
Don't expect the coaching staff to limit Harvin's role in an effort to keep him healthy next season.
"He's not just a slot player," coach Pete Carroll told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday. "I want him to be an every-down player. There's no reason he shouldn't be."
The Seahawks made a big commitment when they acquired Harvin last offseason. They want to ensure that they get their money's worth going forward.
The luxury of utilizing Harvin's full capabilities is just one of several reasons that Carroll's squad will be favored to repeat as champs in 2014.
