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NFL trade rumors: Percy Harvin from football and financial perspectives

The rumor mill is slowly picking up steam about Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin. While he makes sense from a football perspective, the finances might not be viable.

Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE

Although free agency rumors will be the big thing over the next week, there will be plenty of trade rumors, focusing primarily on Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin. They are the two big names, and it is fitting that both are looking for big time contracts.

National Football Post put together a rundown of a few rumors they've heard, and one of them included the 49ers and Percy Harvin:

Don't be surprised if the 49ers replace one speedy receiver who started his career in Minnesota with another who started his career in Minnesota. After bidding adieu to Randy Moss, the 49ers could be interested in trading for Percy Harvin. The rumor mill has the 49ers as one of the potential suitors for Harvin, who is in the last year of his deal and very well could be dealt. The 49ers have the extra draft picks to make a trade happen. A potential stumbling block is finding parameters on a new contract for Harvin. But Harvin could be dangerous in Jim Harbaugh's read option offense. He and Colin Kaepernick would be quite a dynamic combination.

The key part in that has to be the new contract parameters. According to Jason Cole, there are some rumblings that Harvin is looking for a contract closer to Calvin Johnson's deal (eight years, $132 million) than the deals we've seen for Dwayne Bowe (five years, $56 million) and Vincent Jackson (five years, $55.55 million). Harvin apparently believes he is a special player and deserves to be paid accordingly.

I won't begrudge a man his beliefs in himself. If someone is willing to pay Percy Harvin that kind of money, more power to Harvin. However, there is no way the 49ers are going to give Harvin that kind of money. He has a lot of specific skills, but is he a guy you give that kind of money?

He has played with some bad quarterbacks, so his numbers do have to be taken with a certain grain of salt. I suppose Greg Roman would be able to find ways to further use him, but I have to think there are better options to consider. If the 49ers are going to make a play for a difference-maker at a specific position, I would imagine they would be looking for more of a sure thing than Percy Harvin.