Cris Carter: Vikings 'better off' following Percy Harvin trade

The Vikings sent Percy Harvin packing on Monday, trading him to Seattle pending a new contract (and passing a physical) with the Seahawks.

And Cris Carter, newly-minted Hall of Famer and likely the greatest Vikings wideout ever, thinks the team is "better off" as a result.

"I think the organization did the right thing," Carter said, per Mark Craig of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. "I'm not surprised, given the situation with him not being happy and there being so little chance of a contract extension for the type of money he wants.

"So they're better off, especially with a young quarterback, trading Percy and getting something for him compared to going through the season rolling the dice."

Rolling the dice is a kind way of describing the feeling you get when you wake up and Jarius Wright is your No. 1 wide receiver, which is the feeling the Vikings had this morning.

But they did get fair value for Harvin; I never imagined they'd pull a No. 1 pick from anyone for the talented-but-troubled wideout. (Although I also think the Seahawks won big in this trade.)

The Vikings can certainly fill the void that trading Harvin created and have a number of venues to do so. Mike Wallace and Greg Jennings are available in free agency if they feel like splurging and it's possible they could end up landing Tavon Austin or Keenan Allen in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Maybe they do end up being better off once all the free agency and draft dust settles. But as of right now, even as much as Harvin might've been a headache, they're not in a really position to compete in the passing game. Which means it's hard to imagine them being better off for the moment.