He was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday and before the day was over he had a free agent visit set up with the Buffalo Bills. WR Percy Harvin, who played under Bills head coach Rex Ryan in New York last season, is touring Buffalo's facilities today (Wednesday).
There reportedly are other teams interested in Harvin, but the free agent chose to make Buffalo his first stop.
For Harvin there is familiarity with Ryan as well as receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who Harvin played under in New York for the second half of the 2014 season. In his eight games with the Jets, Harvin had 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown. He was additionally used as a rusher, primarily on jet sweeps and end arounds. He also returned kicks for New York averaging a solid 24.8 yards a return.
Set to turn 27 in May, Harvin still has game breaking talent, but the next team he will play for will be his fourth in the last four years.
A former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2009, Harvin also went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Vikings after they made him a first-round pick in the draft (22nd overall) that year. His most productive season came in 2011 when he posted more than 1,300 total yards from scrimmage including 967 receiving on 87 receptions. He also had nine total touchdowns that year, but Minnesota went 3-13.
He was traded by Minnesota to Seattle in 2013, but barely played for the Seahawks in their Super Bowl winning season due to hip surgery. After just over a year in Seattle he was traded to the Jets last October.
Harvin's release by the Jets Tuesday had more to do with cap savings and to protect a draft choice. Under the terms of New York's trade with Seattle, the Jets would have had to send a fourth-round pick to the Seahawks if they still had the receiver on their roster on March 19th. The release only obligates the Jets to provide the Seahawks with a sixth-round pick this year.
The move also saved the Jets $10.5 million on the salary cap, which likely was used in the AFC East rival's successful signing of CB Darrelle Revis.
