With the New York Jets mired in a six-game losing streak, there's been plenty of talk of axes falling in the Big Apple. General manager John Idzik, head coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Geno Smith have all been the targets of vitriol and demands they be fired and/or benched.
Well, if Idzik and Ryan are going down they're going down swinging, and in swinging a blockbuster trade on Friday the Jets left at least a glimmer of hope that all three just might save their jobs.
As Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported, the Jets sent shockwaves across the NFL Friday by dealing for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin:
BREAKING: The JETS have just agreed with Seattle to a trade sending WR Percy Harvin to NY for conditional pick. FOX SPORTS has learned.- Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 17, 2014
According to ESPN's John Clayton, the Seahawks will receive a conditional draft pick in return from Gang Green, ranging from a second to fourth-rounder.
It's a move that also puts the Jets right up against the salary cap:
#Jets have been sitting on $21 million in cap space, now that they're 1-6 they take on remainder of Percy Harvin's $11M guarantee?- Ed Werder (@Edwerderespn) October 17, 2014
However, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com pointed out, after 2014 the Jets won't be on the hook for any guaranteed money:
Percy Harvin has no more guaranteed money due to him after this season, though he's to earn $41.5M over the next 4. A tryout for him.- Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 17, 2014
Of course, just because there isn't much financial risk after this year doesn't mean that there's no risk at all.
There's Harvin's well-documented durability issues. The 26-year-old has played in every game for Seattle this year, but Harvin missed nearly all of last season and has made it through 16 games only once in five NFL seasons.
Per NFL.com
More important than those injury issues, however, are the reasons that led Harvin to be dealt to the Jets to begin with.
Yes, Harvin's played in every game for Seattle this year, but he's managed only 22 catches for 133 yards. Harvin's added nearly 100 yards on the ground and a score, and three Harvin touchdowns were negated by penalties against Washington, but Harvin's production to date in 2014 has been disappointing.
However, there are grumblings that something else got Harvin the gate:
There's a reason the Vikings traded Percy Harvin too ... not exactly said to be the world's greatest locker room presence.- Mike Trudell (@MikeTrudell) October 17, 2014
If that's true, then the Jets are taking a staggering risk. It wasn't that long ago that the New York locker room was a full-blown three-ring circus. The team's current losing streak doesn't exactly help matters in that regard, although offensive lineman Willie Colon insisted to the team's website that the players remain unified and committed to turning things around:
We've got to find a way to stop the bleeding. We've got to find a way to get back on the right track. A lot of the issues we're going through are self-inflicted and we've got to find a way.
Adding a malcontent to that mix (one who is probably not too happy about his change of address) could prove explosive -- and not in a good way.
Risks aside though, it's not hard to see why Idzik pulled the trigger.
After all, desperation can be a powerful motivator.
At the rate things were going, there's zero doubt that the Jets were headed for house-cleaning. Both Idzik and Ryan appeared destined to be fired. The odds of a new regime continuing to start Geno Smith at quarterback are slim to none.
Now, at least there's some hope.
The Jets added Eric Decker in free agency in an effort to bolster what was arguably the league's weakest group of wide receivers, but Decker has been battling a hamstring injury and only now appears to be rounding back into form.
While Decker was sidelined, we were all reminded of something we already knew -- the Jets have very little at wide receiver behind him.
Harvin's struggles this year aside, he still represents a massive upgrade over the likes of David Kerley and Jeremy Nelson. Or Jeremy Kerley and David Nelson. Whatever.
As Harvin showed against Washington, he remains an incredibly dangerous weapon with a football in his hands. The Jets had no such 'home run' threat on offense, so adding Harvin can only help.
Even better, Harvin is especially adept at turning bubble screens into significant gains. The only thing better than Harvin chewing up chunks of yardage for the Jets is him doing so as the result of high-percentage passes.
Granted, none of this is guaranteed. In fact, Bleacher Report NFL National Lead Writer Michael Schottey believes that Harvin has always been a much better dream than reality:
The idea of Percy Harvin always more attractive than what he actually contributes toward helping a team win.- Michael Schottey (@Schottey) October 17, 2014
There's also the possibility that the Jets won't have any better luck integrating Harvin into their offense than the Seahawks had:
I get that #Seahawks maybe didn't know how to use Percy Harvin. But who is confident #Jets O-C Marty Mornhinweg will?- Sean Jensen (@seankjensen) October 17, 2014
Even if Morninwheg has an entire binder filled with brilliant plays to get Harvin the ball, they'll do no good if Smith can't accurately deliver the ball to Harvin (rather than the guy covering him).
That's been an issue this year. Smith is completing just over 57 percent of his passes in 2014, and Thursday night's loss to the Patriots was the first game this year in which Smith didn't throw an interception.
In other words, the Jets face an uphill battle:
Frankly, the odds are still very good that the Jets will come nowhere close to the playoffs, and that will probably mark the end of Ryan's tenure as head coach and Smith's as the starting quarterback.
As Rich Cimini of ESPN reported earlier this month, Ryan's well aware of that fact:
'You're right, if that's the case and we don't get this thing on the right track, I don't think for a minute I'll be here,' Ryan said in his weekly spot on ESPN New York 98.7 FM's 'The Michael Kay Show.' 'I know I won't, but I believe this team will right itself and we'll find a way.'
Since then, the Jets have lost two more games.
Still, it isn't often that a team gets a chance to fill a huge void on offense with a Pro Bowl-caliber talent in October. Whether you think Friday's trade was genius or ill-advised, Idzik and Ryan should at least be credited for not sitting on their hands.
It's also worth pointing out that at this point last year Ryan was as good as gone in most eyes. Yet he's still the team's head coach, thanks to a second half surge from the Jets in 2013.
Maybe Harvin can be the impetus for another rebound from the Jets, a shot in the arm for a New York passing game that needs all the help it can get. At the very least, it's a deal that gave the Jets and their fans something they needed almost as badly as that receiving help.
A reason for optimism.
Now if they could just get Harvin to play cornerback.
Gary Davenport is an NFL Analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter .
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