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Why the New England Patriots Must Sign Percy Harvin

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By @ConnorFultonRS

Percy Harvin New York Jets

Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The poetry of the NFL postseason becomes a distant memory when the calendar turns to March, as the blunt realities of the offseason forces even the defending champions to adjust. Time is running out for the New England Patriots to put a fifth ring on Tom Brady’s finger; Bill Belichick and the Pats’ brass must make swift, smart decisions in the coming months. To get the offseason off on the right foot and to evolve on offense, an aggressive move must be made to sign the electrifying Percy Harvin.

No team stays ahead of the curve on offense better than the Josh McDaniels-led Patriots. Whether it’s by transforming Wes Welker from an unknown into a star, or tweaking the eligibility of offensive linemen, the Patriots take the league by surprise. However, the nature of the NFL is one of catch-up. Give defensive coordinators an offseason of donut deliveries to the film room, and those innovations become old news pretty quickly.

In 2014, the Patriots toyed with their offense throughout the season. Luckily, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Rob Gronkowski stayed relatively healthy, allowing the Pats to exploit the inherent advantages that are present when that trio is on the field together. But in the event that one of those guys misses significant time, the Patriots offense will suffer.

In case you glanced over the last two paragraphs, just know this: because defensive coordinators will find ways to thwart the current version of the Patriots’ offense, and because an injury to one of the main players would make the entire offensive structure crumble, the Pats need a new weapon in the receiving corps.

They should look no further than their divisional rivals in the event that Harvin gets the chop this offseason.

It would be an understatement to say that the addition of the New York Jets’ Harvin would inject new life into the offense and special teams. Having Harvin on the field with Edelman, “Jojo” Lafell and Gronk would overstretch defenses to the maximum. In the waning years of his career, Brady cannot haul the offense to the Super Bowl; he needs a crop of playmakers to help him navigate the long regular season and rocky month of January.

From an X’s and O’s standpoint, it’s safe to say that defensive coordinators would have trouble sleeping the night before facing a Patriots offense that has Harvin. You can bet that Belichick and McDaniels would put Harvin in all sorts of personnel packages. Harvin would also bolster the kick return game, as he ranks above current returner Danny Amendola in that realm.

Speaking of Amendola, the signing of Harvin would probably mean the end of the former St. Louis Ram’s days in New England. But again, that’s the stark reality of the NFL’s offseason. Amendola’s heroic playoff performance serves as a remarkable narrative, but because the business of the offseason contrasts so greatly with the glorious postseason, it’s conceivable — and really, sensible — that Amendola will be replaced by Harvin to ensure evolution on offense.

Connor Fulton is a Patriots writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ConnorFultonRS, or find him on Google.

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