Report: Childress meets with Harvin
April 23rd, 2009 – 2:16 PM by Judd ZulgadIt appears the Vikings are extremely serious about taking Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin with the 22nd pick in the first round of Saturday’s draft.
The latest indication of the team’s interest in Harvin came on Wednesday when Vikings coach Brad Childress reportedly spent the day at the University of Florida meeting with Harvin. Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman declined to confirm the report by the National Football Post at a news conference this afternoon at Winter Park. Childress also would not comment.
“What I would say is if you’re doing that, just in general, if a team is going out to do stuff, they’re doing just some last-minute things,” Spielman said. “There’s a couple of teams that are out this week. You can’t bring the players into the facility. That ended last week. So the only chance you get to go out if there was something that popped up in a meeting or something you definitely wanted to confirm. Then you have to go out to where that player is. So a lot of teams will do that this time of year.”
Harvin is a guy who many feel has top-10 talent and is a threat as both a receiver and running back. He projects to play wide receiver in the NFL and also is expected to return punts and kicks. But there also are plenty of questions surrounding his character and his injury history. The latest red flag about Harvin’s off-the-field behavior came when it was reported he tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Spielman said a few weeks back that the Vikings had put a red dot on 78 players — meaning there is absolutely no way they would select them — and admitted that number has grown.
However, it doesn’t appear Harvin has been given a red dot yet and Childress’ visit would seem to be an indication there is a good chance the Vikings will take Harvin if he’s there. The Vikings concerns with Harvin, however, go beyond his off-the-field issues.
The New York Daily News is reporting that Harvin has undergone multiple surgeries on his on his ankle and foot and has a “hole” in his bone that will require more surgery.
As for the amount of due dilligence the Vikings appear to be doing on Harvin, that is nothing new. The team went to great lengths to look into Jared Allen’s background before acquiring the Pro Bowl defensive end last offseason. There were a few red flags surrounding Allen but in the end the Vikings were satisfied he had turned things around and the team got a huge return on its investment of a first and two third-round picks.
“We do [extensive background checks] on everybody,” Childress said, “to the nth degree. Whether it’s with the NFL security or whether it’s satisfying our face-to-face meetings or the scouts face-to-face meetings we double back. We’ll see kids at bowl games and see them five or six times where we are trying to get back to get the pulse on who it is, who that person is. Facts are facts and sometimes you don’t go by the facts and sometimes people get second chances like a Jared Allen, like a Fred Evans.”
87 Responses to "Report: Childress meets with Harvin"
Maybe he keeps his weed in the “hole” in his bone.
A hole in his bone…seriously, WTF?
Yuck.
Amazing.
OMG. could there be someone (anyone) else in Miami worth visiting?
interesting development, a smokescreen perhaps.
haha funny Tomb…
Well this draft is certainly going to be interesting….
Harvin would be a high risk/reward pick but so was R. Moss and too bad we didnt pick up W. Sapp for similar issues.
We should get him on a high dairy diet. You know more milk, stronger bones, maybe it will fill in the hole in his bone. Ya seriously a hole in the bone thats just weird.
oohhh my my, Brad must REALLY be feelin’ the heat to “win now”!!!!!
can’t wait for BC (after Percy’s in Purple) to describe that hole in the bone thing…….gonna be some quote!!
Watch the Vikes try to trade up to about 10-13 and grab whichever of those top 4 OT’s fall to that spot. Oher, Smith 1 and Smith 2, and Monroe will all be gone by 22. The most pressing need this team has is a front side tackle.
I’ve got a hole in my bone too!
Seriously folks, I don’t know why Harvin’s drops aren’t an issue … especially since they seem to be such an issue with Darrius Heyward-Bey. By the way, DHB is bigger, stronger and faster than Harvin. Sure, he has had some drops, but he also has made some spectacular grabs!
1st #22 Trade Redskin for Jason Campbell QB
2nd #53 William Beatty (43) OT Conneticut
3rd 86 Ramses Barden, WR Poly-Cal (99)
5th 158 Mitch King (123) DT Iowa
7th 221 Darius Passmore (169) WR Marshall
7th 231 DeAndre Levy (220) OLB Wisconsin
I see a Smokescreen. If he wanted Harvin he wouldn’t be allowing people to know he is talking and went to see Harvin.
Im sure there are a lot of people in Miami to visit although only one Hurricane is going to be picked in the draft. Florida is located in Gainesville, a little different from Miami.
[…] We’ve just gotten the strongest indication yet that the Vikings might be seriously considering bucking conventional wisdom to take a chance on red-flag-flying Florida receiver Percy Harvin: according to the National Football Post, Vikings head coach Brad Childress traveled to Gainsville to meet personally with Harvin, who has been sliding off draft boards right and left since news broke of his failed drug test. Vikings executive Rick Spielman was asked about the meeting Thursday afternoon but refused to confirm it, only saying that it’s normal for teams to send representatives out to meet with players in the days before the draft. Obviously, there is no way of knowing how that meeting went, or what impression Harvin may have made on Childress, or what Childress even hoped to accomplish by making the trip. Maybe he just wanted to score some weed. I can only say that, in recent days, there have been reports of a split inside the Vikings organization over what to do with the #22 pick. Rumor has it that Childress actually prefers Eben Britton, while other coaches are leaning toward Harvin. The only safe conclusion we can come to is that Harvin must still be on the board for the Purple. Recent Posts…7 Days of Draftsmas: Britton Seems to Think He’s Minnesota-Bound7 Days of Draftsmas: Vikings Mentioned in Jason Campbell Rumors7 Days of Draftsmas: Jon Gruden Likes Percy Harvin7 Days of Draftsmas: Percy Harvin Did Test Positive for Pot at Combine7 Days of Draftsmas: Vikings Workout Pat White […]
bhacken, don’t kid yourself the biggest need this team needs is a friggin’ QB. If we were able to have AD lead the league in rushing w R. Cook slowing us down, I think there are higher needs than replacing him.
A 1st for Jason Campbell?? Now that’s idiotic…..
FIRE CHILDRESS NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If he’s a top ten talent it’s worth overlooking his smokin’ and drinkin’ and partyin’. But that bone hole raises a lot of concerns. The drinkin’ bone’s connected to the party bone and
the party bone’s connected to the stayin’ out all night long bone. So they might want to check into that.
You don’t like the never-will-be’s that are our quarterbacks?
MULTIPLE surgeries.
A hole in his bone, whatever the hell that means.
Is so RETARDED he can’t avoid weed before the NFL Scouting Combine.
I’m ready to red-dot him myself. I’d rather go after a seemingly solid pick like Britton than this train-wreck…
Yeah, I’m with Tomb. Pass on Harvin.
Bones,Tomb,
Count me in on the pass on Harvin. This kid has Ochodinko clone written all over him plus the bone holes.
Pass it to the left on Harvin…
The ol’ bone hole. That’s what I called my ex-wife.
YEAH I know Freds…don’t say anything, just ignore my pedestrian comments.
goog ond tome
good one tomb
i was laughing too hard to type
I hate our QB’s, I want to actually enjoy watching the Vikes play on sunday’s rather than being pissed off watching T-jack or Gus the INT machine make turrible plays.
Turrible Knuckleheads!!!
I hate our QB’s, I want to actually enjoy watching the Vikes play on sunday’s rather than being pissed off watching T-jack or Gus the INT machine make turrible plays.
Turrible Knuckleheads!!!
take him and how about the new look the lions have they look sharp
I’m with Bones, Tomb and ap - pass on Harvin. If he’s good, then he’ll be a cocky little SOB. Too small, injury-prone, etc. Way too many red flags to spend a #1 on him.
PacMan Harvin!!
Yeah, the Kitties new logo is nice.
Britton 1st and Robiskie 2nd….or…
Nicks 1st and Loadholt 2nd!
Draft Day, when every team has HOPE!
then, by Sun PM we’re taking anti-depression meds!
cjd9889
not so sure any visit could be secret now, because the agents would leak it to drive up their client’s value!
Harvin is caught blowing smoke…
Chili is blowing his own smoke with Harvin….
Don’t blow the pick Chili !!
Pass on Harvin and Heyward Bey…
T Williamson ~ wanna bee’s…
If wide receiver was the only position that needed upgrading, I would say take a risk on Harvin or Heyward Bey. But with RT and CB (and QB, although we all know we won’t be addressing that in the first) more pressing needs, we really can’t afford to roll the dice on this guy.
I will be very upset if we go with Heyward Bey. That tells me that the organization as a hole is unable or unwilling to learn from their past mistakes. The Troy Williamson debacle should still be fresh in everyone’s memory. Heyward Bey’s scouting report reads like a carbon copy of T-Will’s.
If the Vikes do select Harvin, “smokescreen” will actually refer to the newest play for the Vikings offense (aka The Bong Show).
if Harvin smoked before the BC meeting, I would love to see his reaction when Brad was reading to him from “The Best of Brad Quotes”, Vol 1!!!!!
I bet skipping rocks is sort of fun after hittin’ the chronic…hopefully Brad got him an ice cream cone afterwards. A nice little day for the two of them.
Who knows the real story. But why would Childress want to personally get tied up in this soap opera?
Sounds to me as if Spielman and his scouts have been working to sell Harvin to the coaching staff. Childress has already seen Harvin, I assume, during his draft visit.
Childress wouldn’t be in Florida as part of an elaborate smokescreen. He’s kicking the tires which means Viking are not settled on selection. Belichick would do the same with the Patriot if there were character issue.
Not good for Vike that this story is out there
I heard the meeting with Harvin almost fell through because puffin’ Percy couldn’t remember when or where they were supposed to meet.
After cleaning up the reputation of the Vikes so well…Why would Chili even attempt drawing bad press by meeting with Harvin ??…
I’m with Lost on this one…It is a negative for the Viking organization…Smokescreen or not…
Soap opera stuff we don’t need…Save that stuff for Dallas…
this just out: Childress leaves Florida and heads for California for an arranged meeting with Cheech and Chong!
There ya go krug…
“Up in smoke” volume 2…
Tony Gonzo to ATL for a 2010 2nd rounder.
Would’ve looked good in purple…maybe?
I heard Chili was just driving around thinking who he should draft…He heard the song come over the radio ~ “smok’in in the boys room”…He thought it was “ESPn” and grabbed the next plane to florida to talk to you know who ???…
once again, confusion…..when Zygi hired Spielman, he said Spielman had the final say on the draft….but once again, Judd and Chip said this week that Brad gets final say (based on, if we can’t coach him we don’t want him)…….Jeff, this triangle drives me crazier than I already am!!!!!
Brad’s ego and pride will be his downfall, I guarantee you!
Go Vikes, with or without Childress!!!!
Not to mention he’s bald.
When is Chili and Spielman having that pre draft interview ??..I thought it was today ??…
It Might Make Sense For Childress To Take A Chance On Percy
Posted by Mike Florio on April 23, 2009, 5:45 p.m.
The fact that Florida receiver Percy Harvin failed a marijuana test that he knew he was going to take and has lingering medical issues (which might or might not justify the use of marijuana in some states) will cause some teams to remove his name from their draft boards.
The problem with guys who test positive, as we pointed out on Thursday, is that if their love of the leaf doesn’t outrank their love of football (and gainful employment), then they ultimately will be suspended, and the people who draft them ultimately could be fired.
But here’s the kicker. With guys like Bill Cowher and Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden and Mike Holmgren lurking in the weeds, coaches on the hot seat might be more inclined to take a chance on players who like to smoke those weeds in which Cowher and Shanahan and Gruden and Holmgren are lurking.
Really, if a guy like Brad Childress knows that 2009 is his make-or-break year, he might not be around in 2010 or 2011 to contend with the fallout of a four-game suspension imposed on Harvin.
So whether it’s Childress, who reportedly flew to Florida on Wednesday to have a sit-down with Harvin, or someone else who needs an impact player in order to avoid have the owner’s foot make an impact on the coach’s ass, someone is surely feeling sufficient heat to succumb to the charm of Andy Bernard.
I finally beat PFT by a couple of hours!
Perhaps he’s just doing due diligence, if for whatever reason Percy slips to us in the 2nd round or we trade up in the 2nd round. I don’t think he’s sure-fire enough to warrant the #22 overall pick…
Hopefully Brad got the pre-nupp signed so Zygi can get his bonus bucks back in the event of another positive drug test
We need a right tackle more than we need a WR. Right tackle with our first round pick and with our seventh round pick. Cornerback with our second rounder and Wide Receiver with our third rounder.
I wonder what would happen if we changed Cedric Griffin from cornerback to Strong Safety and one of our safety’s to cornerback.
[…] Access Vikings: – […]
Maybe Chili went to see him for second round consideration ??…Harvin could drop like a rock now…
or like a skipping stone thats stopped skipping…
RT ~ Britton…
Go Vikes !!!
Tent Dilfer questions R Maualuga’s intellegence ??….What a nim-rod !!
He is calling him a “high risk” player…
I question Dilfer’s intellegence ??
still think Oliver Stone should do a movie based on the NFL Draft….
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak
RT Britton just sounds like a Childress guy. It wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but a tough, smart technician is the consensus feel on Britton and I’ll take that over the incumbents.
I like the intrigue that Harvin would bring to the MIN offense. I keep going back to that wildcard game when Allen forced a fumble by McNabb in the second half. It was a perfect opportunity for someone to make a play and seize control of the game. No one did, Peterson’s impact was muted, but Harvin has been that guy for UF time and time again. I’m not ignoring the character concerns, but I trust the Vikings will make the right decision based on their research.
I like WR Robiske in WR rounds two or three. Allison is looking like a late camp cut and Rice is running out of time. I like Wade, but every year a tenth is added to that 4.5 speed. He doesn’t scare defenses at all. Physical D-backs can take Berrian out of games and he’s got the lingering toe injury that most fail to mention/remember.
QB issues notwithstanding, WR is more of an issue to address than you think.
I saw a mock draft with Britton going to Detroit at 20…interesting.
If the Vikings draft Harvin, I trust the leaders in the locker room will help acclimate Harvin to the pro game.
Now, most of that process falls on the shoulders of the individual player. However, it appears the Vikings have a solid support structure in the locker room, mainly due to the premium MIN’s brass puts on bringing those types of guys in.
Beatmaka03,
Good point, however it is all up to the individual if they want to part ways with their negative habits. Obviously Jared Allen did. It all boils down to how much character the guy actually has. IMO, not only did Harvin fails the drug test, he also failed the intelligence test because you have to be pretty stupid to go smoke weed when you know they will be testing for it. I guess that explains the 12 he scored on the Wonderlic.
You guys need to watch him in action, harvin like vince young and Adrian peterson was top high school player in the nation…then he we to florida and won 2 championships in 3 years…he was probably smokin grass and had a hole in his ankle then but he was the unstoppable force on those teams…I am 100 percent confident that our offense scores more points with harvin than britton.
Norse,
I don’t have the information that suggests weed smoking is a habit for Harvin, but I’m also not nieve enough to believe this was his first time either.
This certainly calls his judgment into question, but I also call into question anyone else on this offense that will keep defensive coordinators up at night.
I think the danger is if Harvin goes somewhere where he’ll be coddled and a team void of strong veteran leadership. Those aren’t traits of the Minnesota Vikings.
and with cutler in the div, we better score more points!!
Case in point, as valuable as Peterson is, he has been disciplined for team rule infractions and rightfully so.
I live in SEC country, and let me tell you, Harvin is an absolute game changer wherever he is on the field. If we can get that safety out of the box with any kind of regularity, Peterson is consistent 1500-1900 yard back annually, barring injury.
That = wins, my friends!
Matt Forte is Chicago’s best offensive player, even with Cutler. As strong as Cutler’s arm reportedly is, they are better served getting that young buck the ball as often as they can.
Cutler makes Hester and other Bear WRs more relevant, but a cover-2 scheme forces you to be patient. Cutler believes there isn’t a tight hole he can’t fit a ball into and that plays right into a good defense’s hands!
I noticed that no one here has questioned Harvin’s intelligence. The combine is held at the same time EVERY YEAR. It is the display case of a collegiate player’s talents. And this kid turns up positive for weed??? What does that display tell you about this guy? C’mon, you can’t fix that kind of stupid. I’m also concerned about the hole in his bone. No seriously.
The ol’ hole in the bone will get you every time! LOL!
I more concerned about the injury history than his intelligence. Young people make stupid, immature decisions. They have since the beginning of time. The Vikings or any other team can and should put clauses in their contracts to protect themselves BUT ALSO give incentive for the player to turn the corner.
What I don’t question is Harvin’s abiliy to rise to the occasion - see the bowl game against OU. They don’t win the title without him, period.
IF and I mean a big IF, the Vikes do draft him, I would have Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and their assorted associates, pick up Harvin, and put him up against the lockers and lay down the law right away. As for Cutler in the division, I’m not really worried about an over rated whiner who likes to drink like a fish when he’s a type 1 diabetic. This guy may not even live through his first year with the Bears the way he’s going.
And remember, Peterson is the alpha male on this offensive squad — NO ONE in this draft is going to change the objective of what this offense does, not Crabtree, not Maclin, not Harvin.
Therefore, anything that enhances the strength of this team, I’m all for. They still are probably only going to throw 20-25 times a game, so they are probably looking to bring in someone who will help them generate points out of the passing game. Only Berrian and Shiancoe to a lesser extent really does that now.
Take him. He reminds me of Desean Jackson from Philly. Nobody wanted him and he made that offense soooo much better. I like Heyward bey too. The guy IS NOT Williamson.+
I personally don’t see a lot of evidence for a smokescreen. That would be what the Cleveland Browns would do if they want Mark Sanchez but think the Seahawks will take him 1 spot in front of them. Then again, Childress WOULD be the only coach dumb enough to offer a smokescreen in an effort to get Eben Britton, an offensive lineman who will be available at 22 regardless. I hope the Vikings get Percy Harvin. He’s the one chance they have at getting a playmaker that can actually make a difference in the 2009 season. Everyone else, including Britton, is a long term project.
take him.
he will be like steve smith or desean jackson which we could use with berrian and rice
let him start with berrian and have rice play the slot and wade can be a number 4 guy im sure he wont mind
I see nothing special about this Harvin kid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34–XTjboDI
Took 2minutes to see a decent catch. Please pass on this guy…
[…] HERE is an article from Access Vikings about it. […]
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[…] As fans, we like to see two things out of the football players on our team; production on the field and anonymity off of it. Success in these tawo areas is frequently why teams like the Patriots and Steelers have been so rewarded and why others like the Bengals have not. Sure, Tom Brady makes the headlines off the field occasionally, but he doesn’t go searching for them. Contrarily, Chris Henry could write a book on how to put your self in the negative public spotlight through your personal decisions and how to miss keen on field opportunities all the while. Presales begin this fall! Vikings rookie catch-all Percy Harvin came into the 2009 season with the ability to capture these qualities in both negative and positive ways. His production on the field was undeniable and his colored history off of it was infamous. Call it a need for a player to match their field production with their “character production”, but Brad Childress seemingly shared these fan concerns before the 2009 draft when he visited Harvin in Florida, knowing that this talented kid may fall to the Vikings. And due to these character marks, fall he did. Harvin’s talents were clearly seen leading up to the 2009 season. He was the talk of mini camps in April and grabbed attention for his speed and cuts during training camp. But his absence from some camps in April and during the rookie symposium later in the summer helped to fan the flames that he was an unreliable and difficult player to work with. Coaches, both former and present, continuously denied these allegations and firmly made clear that they expected nothing but the best from Harvin. It seemed that the fans and other critical major media outlets would have to wait for the season to start until we were convinced otherwise, but rest assured that this process has begun. Going into week three against the San Francisco 49ers, Harvin is already tops in several NFL categories. His two touchdown receptions tie him with several other players atop the leader board with only Marques Colston having more, with three. His all purpose yards rank him 10th in the NFL behind such notable players as the Vikings own Purple Jesus, Darren Sproles, Chris Johnson and Leon Washington. Finally, Harvin and Chester Taylor are currently tied for the most catches on the team with eight. Are these numbers ground breaking? Has Percy Harvin smashed into the NFL landscape like a meteor into Earth, forever altering its history? No. But the absence of other rookie receivers in the tops of several NFL statistical categories whom were drafted ahead of Harvin is significant (Darius Heyward-Bey and Jeremy Maclin, notably). If anything, it addresses his undeniably talent and showcases his seamless transition to the NFL. Essentially, the kid can play. Even more significant though is what you’re not hearing about Harvin. While producing on the field, there hasn’t been a single mention of a Harvin Headache off of it. No peeps of him missing practices, no fights with teammates, disapproval of his role … nothing. It’s quite, and that’s not what a multitude of pundits expected. Has Adrian Peterson gotten in his head? Has Brett Favre helped his development? Are the veteran receivers taking him under their wing? Yes may be the answer to all of these questions, and this can only benefit Harvin and the Vikings. The sooner this 21 year old prodigy learns what it takes to succeed in the NFL, both on and off the field, the better he’ll become, after an already stellar two game outing. And as the Vikings come back to the Metrodome sporting a 2-0 record, Harvin will get his chance to curtail even more favor in his direction in front of the home crowd. Will he grab the fans attention like another moody receiving rookie once did? Only time will tell, but young Percy is well on his way. Enjoyed this post? Subscribe to Vikings Gab via RSS Feed or E-mail and receive daily news updates from us! Tags: Percy Harvin […]
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