There has been talk and speculation for months that the Vikings will try to trade Percy Harvin.

WCCO-TV, quoting sources, claims the wide receiver is on the trading block.

Harvin is wonderfully talented, but he has shown signs of being insubordinate and unruly to both of his head coaches with the Vikings -- Brad Childress and Leslie Frazier.

Harvin could suffer from Randy Moss-itis, an affliction that causes ego to override common sense.

That brief stretch after the Vikings traded for Moss in 2010 has had far-reaching implications. It contributed to Childress' firing. And, while in Minnesota, Moss took Harvin under his wing, a mentorship that might have unlocked Harvin's unseemly side.

When then-Vikings coach Mike Tice traded Moss to the Oakland Raiders, it wasn't because he thought Moss' skills were diminished or that the Vikings would get something terrific in return. Tice did it because he wanted a more peaceful season for what he believed could be his last with the team. And he was right: It was his final season as the Vikings' coach.

While it might not appear to make a great deal of sense to trade someone as skilled as Harvin, he could be detrimental to team harmony, particularly if he attempts to undermine Frazier's authority.

And any time you have a blowup with your coach in front of teammates, as Harvin reportedly did, it could put a dent in the coach's authority.

The Vikings should pursue a Harvin trade.


It's not as if they can't win without him. Their late-season surge was done when he was nowhere to be seen.

Also, there is no way Adrian Peterson would have approached 2,000 yards rushing if Harvin were healthy and playing. Harvin would have been hijacking touches from Peterson as a receiver and runner.

And there is no way Peterson breaks Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record in 2013 if Harvin still is with the team.

There should be a strong market for Harvin, despite his quirks. Many coaches have large enough egos to think they can handle any player. New England's Bill Belichick likely would be on that list of coaches who think they can handle Harvin. Belichick, you'll recall, coaxed a record-breaking season out of Moss in 2007.

It's doubtful the Vikings would give Harvin away for a second- or third-round draft pick. He's worth a first-round pick or an established Pro Bowl-caliber player.

The first call to make -- if it hasn't been already -- should be to the Arizona Cardinals and a straight-up offer: Harvin for Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals have quarterback issues, and Fitzgerald is being wasted there. Harvin, provided he's content, would flourish in Arizona as a hybrid runner-receiver.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Just as this is: The Vikings need to do something with Harvin, and trading him appears to be the best option.

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