Percy Harvin has played for four different teams in the past four years. He has washed out with the Vikings, Seahawks and Jets. By the middle of his stint with the Bills, there was talk of personal issues there as well. There were even reports by late October that his injury issues could force him into retirement.
When asked about Harvin earlier this offseason, Bills GM Doug Whaley said he was under the impression that Harvin would play in 2016. "From what I'm hearing, he's leaning towards playing," Whaley said.
On Wednesday, a report surfaced from Pro Football Talk (which was confirmed by the Buffalo News) that Harvin will "definitely" play in 2016 and that he has a few teams interested in him. NFL.com later reported that at least three teams have been in contact with Harvin's camp.
It is unknown whether one of the teams cited by NFL.com was the Bills themselves, but PFT reported that Buffalo has a standing offer out to Harvin. That makes some degree of sense. Whaley himself said the Bills would love to have Harvin back on the team.
What other teams make sense? Acknowledging that any team interested in bringing Harvin in would first have to find a level of comfort with his potential locker room issues, here are a few that work, need and scheme-wise:
Carolina Panthers: Beyond Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, there is not much in the way of elite receiver talent on this team. Ted Ginn hauled in a bunch of touchdowns last year, but he caught less than 50 percent of passes thrown his way, and guys like Jerricho Cotchery leave much to be desired. Harvin could also work well in the option game with Cam Newton.
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals lost Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu this offseason and responded to those losses by signing Patriots castoff Brandon LaFell. That's not exactly inspiring. The Cincy offense is creative enough to get the ball into the hands of playmakers, and they could presumably figure out a way to get Harvin in open space so he can do the kind of damage his skill set lends itself to. He also provides a much different look than No. 1 receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert, which would give the Bengals some diversity in their offense.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns basically have no receivers. Head coach Hue Jackson is a very creative offensive mind who would figure out a good way to use Harvin's skills within his system.
New England Patriots: Always a default option for talented players with some issues. You just know Bill Belichick and Tom Brady could turn Harvin into a useful player if he wound up there. The question is whether the Pats deem his talent worth the trouble.
