The Los Angeles Rams lost their fastest receiver and their return specialist this offseason when they traded Brandin Cooks to the Texans and saw JoJo Natson sign with the Browns in free agency. Replacing Cooks will be difficult, and the Rams don’t currently have a great option on special teams to take over for Natson as the returner.
Percy Harvin is attempting an NFL comeback and has been training with a former Olympian to be ready for the 2020 season and could be an outside-the-box option for the Rams. He hasn’t played since 2016 when he suited up for just two games with the Bills, but Harvin was an electric athlete and playmaker when he was healthy.
Breaking: Former 1st-rounder, FA WR Percy Harvin tells me: “I’m ready to return to the NFL. I thought I was done, but that itch came back. I’ve been training w/a former Olympian. My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.” He's 185lbs. pic.twitter.com/NQaadbF73B
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 22, 2020
The only problem is, he was almost never healthy. Whether it was migraines or hip and knee injuries, Harvin was on the sidelines more than he was on the field in the final five years of his career.
Any team that signs Harvin will be taking a miniscule risk because whatever contract he’s given will be for the veteran minimum and incentive-based. The Rams gave Sam Shields a chance two years ago after he took a year off from football due to concussions. He contributed on special teams and played some snaps on defense, proving to be a worthwhile addition.
Could they do the same with Harvin? It shouldn’t be completely ruled out.
The Rams could use an offensive weapon like him, and assuming he’s stayed in shape, his speed should still be there. At 31, there are obvious questions about his skills degrading and his athleticism declining. That’s to be expected.
But for the minimal risk that the Rams would be taking to add a player who can at the very least compete as a return specialist, it’s worth a shot. He could come in and battle Nsimba Webster on punt returns and Darrell Henderson on kickoffs, providing some competition which the Rams are currently lacking at those spots. Of course, with the way the rules are currently set up, return specialists aren’t nearly as important or useful as they used to be. But that’s another conversation.
If the Rams were to give Harvin a veteran’s minimum contract for the offseason, the risk would be almost non-existent. The lack of OTAs and possibly training camp will complicate things for the former Vikings, Seahawks and Bills wideout, but it’s a conversation worth having in L.A.
Expectations for Harvin just have to be set very low because of his inability to stay healthy and the fact that he’s gone three years away from the NFL.