Percy Harvin is a Jet, and somewhere, an NFL owner ought to be asking the General Manager one simple question:
“Why weren’t we in on this?”
This is not to say Harvin is a fit for every team, or that he would be the slam dunk missing piece for any club. The point is, teams should be weighing whether it’s time to take a big swing in the trade market before the October 28 deadline. Yes, not all contending teams are of equal caliber, and a Broncos-Seahawks rematch in Super Bowl 49 wouldn’t exactly knock anybody over.
But there are plenty of other clubs who have flashed enough ability thus far to harbor reasonable contending dreams.
And really, whom should upstarts fear?
Seattle and Denver are still strong, but neither has been invincible. The Seahawks have lost twice, including once at home, and they are weaker from a skill standpoint on offense without Harvin. The Broncos are surely formidable, but their resume again includes a loss to Seattle, which has had Denver’s number.
In the AFC, the Chargers, Patriots and Colts have all had their moments, with San Diego perhaps looking best of the trio. But the Chargers have feasted on struggling teams recently, knocking off the Jaguars, Jets and Raiders. The Colts’ defense, while improved, can still have its hands full against top competition. The Patriots have their bearings now, but what about their hard-to-fathom September play?
And what to make of the AFC North? The Bengals started 3-0 but haven’t won since, and their postseason struggles are well-known. The Ravens came up short in losses to Cincinnati and Indianapolis. The Browns have surprised, but can they sustain their strong current form?
The NFC has had several surprise teams emerge, with Dallas (5-1) even with Philadelphia in the East and Detroit (4-2) tied with Green Bay atop the North. But can the Cowboys’ defense hold up? And what about the Eagles’ ground game? The Lions might not have enough offense to hold off the Packers . . . who have faltered in postseason play in each of the previous three seasons.
The NFC South looks like it could be a one-bid division, with Carolina (3-2-1) on top despite a minus-16 point differential — the worst of any of the division leaders. Perhaps New Orleans finally gets going, but its defense hasn’t been as sharp as a season ago.
In the NFC West, Arizona (4-1) leads, but only Oakland, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville are worse from a yardage-differential per game standpoint than the Cardinals. The tough 49ers keep chugging along, and they can never be discounted, but they continue to deal with injuries to key personnel.
So back to the subject of going for it.
The primary currency in trades — draft picks — will surely give teams pause. No one wants to break into that vault without good reason. It’s on teams to decide what they are comfortable surrendering. Teams expecting compensatory draft picks can maneuver a little easier. So too can teams with skilled and confident scouting staffs. When the Seahawks dealt a No. 1 pick for Harvin in 2013, they did so in a year where the draft was not regarded as especially strong.
In-season trades don’t happen that often in the NFL, and it’s unreasonable to expect a flurry of activity leading up to this deadline. But it is reasonable for quite a few teams to believe they have a shot this season, especially if they can address a glaring weakness with a veteran starter.
Which is why the Harvin trade is a nice little jolt to the league’s system. If the Jets are going to make a move, other teams ought to be looking at their chip stacks and wondering what it will take to get to the final table.