As the Vikings get things rolling in Mankato with a mandatory Thursday morning meeting, Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that first-round pick Percy Harvin was nowhere to be seen.
Harvin, the 22nd overall selection in the draft, presumably has not signed a contract yet.
That said, it should be a fairly easy proposition at this point, given that the guys drafted just before Harvin (Alex Mack of the Browns) and just after Harvin (Michael Oher of the Ravens) have agreed to terms. If agent Joel Segal’s reputation for waiting to agree to terms until his client is bracketed is true, there’s no further reason to delay Harvin’s deal.
But it could be that Segal is trying to leapfrog Mack’s contract.
First, Harvin is a guy who was widely regarded as having top-ten talent. So while a top-ten contract might not be justified, an incentive-heavy deal (like the one the Vikings gave 11 years ago to a certain top-five wideout who rolled into the twenties like a smooth stone on a greasy roof) might be justified.
Second, with the Vikings planning to make Harvin a big part of coach Brad Childress’ “up-or-out” season, and with quarterback Brett Favre recently putting his foot “up” Brad’s backside and “out” his mouth, Harvin and Segal have even more leverage.
As evidenced by the five-days-and-counting holdout of defensive end Aaron Maybin in Buffalo, it’s obvious that Segal isn’t afraid to tell a guy to stay home. The question is whether he can squeeze the Vikings into spending some of the $10 million that would have gone to Favre on Harvin.