Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver, Percy Harvin, has been in the news the past few days.  Unfortunately, it has been for all the wrong reasons.  Harvin is reportedly unhappy in Minnesota and the Vikings have grown weary of his attitude.  Prior to injuring his ankle this last season in week 9, there was apparently quite a blowup between Percy and Coach Leslie Frazier that some speculate was one contributing reason he ended up on season-ending IR.  Now, Harvin is reportedly fully recovered from the ankle injury but planning on holding out and skipping all off season activities if the Vikings don’t ‘upgrade’ his contract.

Harvin is in the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make $2.9 million dollars next season.  Technically, under the rules of the current CBA between the NFL and the NFLPA Harvin could miss all the off season and as much as 10 weeks of the regular season and still get credit for fulfilling his final contract year and become an unrestricted free agent in 2014.  If the Vikings want to smooth things over, they’d be wise to extend his contract.  But, instead the word is out that they are shopping the extremely productive player – a triple threat as a receiver, a running back, and a prolific kick returner.

There will be lots of interest in Harvin if the Vikings are serious, but the question will be how much they think they deserve for a player of that caliber up against how bad they want to rid themselves of the cancer he has become.  His attitude and injury history would be a big concern for any team that wants to be a potential suitor.  But, there is speculation that most of the attitude stems from not getting a paycheck that matches his performance (or potential).  He’s not a bad teammate according to sources and Adrian Peterson has come out in support of him staying with the Vikings.  But, if the right offer comes along, he will be gone.

On paper at least, the Cowboys could certainly be one of the teams in the conversation.  The Cowboys are cash strapped this off season with projected cap room of somewhere around $18 million.  That is not a lot taking into account the needs they already have.  However, one possible option would be to consider trading Miles Austin to the Vikings along with a draft pick or two to secure the rights to Percy.  Miles is in the third year of the 7-year, $54.1 million contract he signed in 2010 and is scheduled to make $6.7 million in base salary plus a $1.57 million dollar prorated cap hit for his signing bonus.  His total cap value in 2013 is $8.3 million dollars.  It would be nice to shed that and the Vikings have room for it.  But, based on notably declining production – due primarily to multiple hamstring injuries – he is an obvious candidate to restructure his contract if he stays a Cowboy.  The Vikings would want to do the same if he were traded.  When he’s healthy, he’s still a dangerous receiver and a great team player.  But, the Cowboys have had to learn to play without him and that has helped the growth of players like Dez Bryant, who stepped up in a big way last season.  Austin would be attractive to the Vikings, but would still likely require the Cowboys throw in a draft pick or two.

The Cowboys have glaring needs elsewhere but it isn’t often a player of Harvin’s caliber potentially hits the trading block.   He would bring a talented threat in the slot or opposite Dez, could run the ball effectively in certain situations, and would immediately solve the Cowboys anemic return issues.  He would make the rest of the offense around him better.  Jerry Jones would be wise to try to find a way to put a deal together.  Which is exactly why it isn’t likely to happen – the part about Jerry being wise that is…  It’s been a long time since anyone thought of Jerry as wise.  In fact, the trade of the century involved the same two teams back in 1989 and would probably mean the Vikings would want more from the Cowboys than any other team to exact a little payback for “The Great Train Robbery” that was the Herschel Walker trade.

Not going to happen folks.  But, it’s the off season when we all get to dream.  Go Cowboys!

How does the Joey Galloway trade of 2000 stack up against the Roy Williams' debacle?

This week’s release of Roy Williams signals a dubious ending to what could possibly be seen as the worst trade in Dallas Cowboy’s history. Unfortunately for Cowboy fans, this incident doesn’t mark the first time the team has made a major sacrifice for what turned out to be a mediocre Wide Receiver.

Looking for a player to replace the Hall of Fame bound Michael Irvin, the Cowboys traded their 2000 and 2001 first round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for speedster Joey Galloway. In a turn of cruel foreshadowing, the former Buckeye Wide Receiver torn his ACL in his very first game as a Cowboy. Therefore, Galloway was out for the entire season due to the injury. In his four years with Dallas, Galloway never had more than 61 receptions and 6 touchdowns in a season. In 2003, he was traded to the Tampa Buccaneers for Wide Receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

But to feel the full impact of this disastrous trade on the franchise, you have to look back at the draft ramifications. The Seattle Seahawks used the Cowboy’s first round draft pick in 2000 to select Running Back Shaun Alexander. The Alabama alumni would eventually win the MVP award in 2005 and also lead his team to a bid in controversial Superbowl XL. He certainly would have made a nice addition to a Cowboy’s roster looking to replace an aging Emmitt Smith in the downward spiral of his career. (more…)

Cowboys starting quarterback Mike Jenkins had an abysmal game last week against the Titans. He was blown by in coverage on numerous occasions and committed multiple pass interference penalties. Jenkins also displayed hands that prove why he is a corner and not a receiver when he dropped a Vince Young pass that should have been a sure interception.

Jenkins will be faced with the daunting task of covering Randy Moss and Percy Harvin this week.

“It’s not going to happen again,” Jenkins said. “It’s a good week to come back on, I was going to put that behind me no matter what. I don’t dwell on it. It’s something you go through, it’s like having a good week, you can’t come in off that good week, thinking you’re going to have a bad week. I’m definitely looking forward to this week.”

In facing Moss, Jenkins admits that he will be going against one of his childhood heroes.

“It was him and Charles Woodson, everybody wanted to be Moss,” Jenkins said. “You catch a ball and say, ‘I Mossed you.’ You definitely look up to him, one of the best receivers growing up. Coming into the league it was T.O. and Randy Moss two guys I wanted to face the most.”

The Cowboys need Jenkins to step up his game this week. Dallas can ill-afford to fall to 1-4. With a win on Sunday, Dallas will keep themselves in the thick of the NFC East race.