Just a day away before NFL Free Agency is set to begin the Seattle Seahawks started their off-season shopping early as they traded for Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Percy Harvin.

Harvin, 24, is one of the game’s most explosive playmakers. Despite having a year remaining on his contract the disgruntled wideout made it clear that he no longer wanted to be in Minnesota and demanded a trade.

Rather than risk an ugly situation and a potential holdout, the Vikings sent him to Seattle in exchange for a reported first round and seventh-round pick in April’s draft and mid-round pick in 2014, according to FOXSports’ Jay Glazer.

The move gives Minnesota the 23rd and 25th overall pick in this season’s draft.

Harvin played just eight full games in 2012 after suffering a season-ending ankle injury. He had off-season surgery and appears to be ready for the start of camp.

Durability has been a concern with Harvin. Counting the seven games he missed last season though, he’s only missed 10 games for his entire career. He is often dinged up, but has played through injuries on many occasions.

You can’t argue his stats though and what he does on the field. In a half of a season of work a year ago he registered 672 yards receiving and had another 96 yards rushing. Over a full season that is more than a 1,500 total yard pace. That doesn’t count what he does on special teams either.

After a great run a year ago behind rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, this offense is just starting to come together. Marshawn Lynch carried for sometime but Seattle’s new three-headed monster is going to make them a strong contender in the NFC.

FANTASY TAKE
With the threat of a holdout over and a reunion with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, his former coach in Minnesota, expect Harvin to flourish. He’s easily a top fantasy wideout with top-five upside.  He is going to be even better in PPR formats.

Wilson and Lynch both get a tick in their rankings as well. The bigger boost will go to Wilson. I’ve got him No. 9 in my current rankings, but he’ll jump a spot or two in my April update.  Lynch was a solid tier 1 RB/high-end tier 2 RB1 option worthy of a top-five fantasy pick before the trade. The arrival of Harvin could mean a dip in the 315 attempts we saw a year ago, but fresher legs and less-stacked defensive fronts should offset the difference with more big plays.

It likely will have a slightly negative impact on the fantasy rankings of current receivers, Golden Tate and Sidney Rice. Both were only worth roster space as bench players to begin with.

Conventional wisdom would suggest Adrian Peterson to take a slight hit with opposing defenses having less to worry about. Peterson's 2012 numbers suggest differently:

Peterson first eight games of 2012: 151 rushes, 775 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, four touchdowns
Peterson final eight games of 2012: 197 rushes, 1322 yards, 6.7 yards per carry, eight touchdowns

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While he may have lost out of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award to Robert Griffin III, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has a very special debut season in the NFL. Perhaps lost in the Great Northwest though, most don’t realize how special it truly was.

“When we gave Russell the job, I thought, ‘Well, buckle up: it’s gonna be a Disney ride,” head coach Pete Carroll recently told SI.com’s Peter King in an interview.  “It wasn’t conventional thinking. But conventional thinking, that’s not always what wins.”

What a ride it was. Things started off slow.  In the team’s first five games the Seahawks were 3-2, Wilson had five TD passes and six interceptions. Over the final 11 regular-season games, when the Seahawks went 8-3, Wilson threw 21 TD passes and four interceptions.  His 26 touchdown passes tied Peyton Manning’s NFL record by rookie and Wilson added three more during the playoffs.

His stellar TD/interception ratio (plus-16) was established a new mark as well surpassing Dan Marino’s 1983 mark (plus-13). It led to Wilson boasting a 100.0 QB rating which was second to RGIII’s (102.4), but surpassed Ben Roethlisberger’s previous mark set by a rookie (98.1).

Wilson easily established the club single-season record, breaking the mark of 98.2 by Matt Hasselbeck during the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run in 2005.

The rookie finished fourth in the league in passer rating during the regular season behind the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (108.0), Denver Broncos’ Manning (105.8) and RGIII. His passer rating in the red zone (107.5, with 18 TDs and no interceptions) was third-best in the league behind the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees (112.7) and Rodgers (109.9).

He was quite accurate as well completing 252 of 392 passes during the regular season, the third-best completion percentage of all-time by a rookie (Roethlisberger, RGIII).

When you look at the names we are mentioning him with – Manning, Marino, Roethlisberger, Rodgers, and Brees you start to get a better idea of exactly how good he was.

His pocket presence, leadership and ability to sit in the pocket while eluding pass rushers is amazing. Add to it the fact that Wilson also rushed for 616 yards and five more touchdowns and the sky appears to be the limit. He only got  better as the season progressed.

MORE STATS (Pro-Football-Reference.com)

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Here are the playoff scenarios for Week 17 in the NFC (from NFL.com):

Clinched: Atlanta Falcons (South, home-field advantage); Green Bay Packers (North); San Francisco 49ers (playoff berth); Seattle Seahawks -- (playoff berth)

GREEN BAY PACKERS (at Minnesota Vikings)
Green Bay clinches a first-round bye:
1) GB win
2) GB tie + SF loss or tie
3) SF loss + SEA loss or tie

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (vs. Arizona Cardinals)
San Francisco clinches NFC West division:
1) SF win or tie
2) SEA loss or tie

San Francisco clinches a first-round bye:
1) SF win + GB loss or tie
2) SF tie + GB loss

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (vs. St. Louis Rams)
Seattle clinches NFC West division:
1) SEA win + SF loss

Seattle clinches a first-round bye:
1) SEA win + SF loss + GB loss

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (vs. Dallas Cowboys)
Washington clinches NFC East division:
1) WAS win or tie

Washington clinches a playoff berth:
1) CHI loss + MIN loss

DALLAS COWBOYS (at Redskins)
Dallas clinches NFC East division:
1) DAL win

NEW YORK GIANTS (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)
NY Giants clinch a playoff berth:
1) NYG win + DAL loss or tie + CHI loss + MIN loss

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (vs. Packers)
Minnesota clinches a playoff berth:
1) MIN win
2) MIN tie + CHI loss or tie
3) DAL loss or tie + NYG loss or tie + CHI loss

CHICAGO BEARS (at Detroit Lions)
Chicago clinches a playoff berth:
1) CHI win + MIN loss or tie
2) CHI tie + MIN loss

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Here are the playoff scenarios for Week 16 in the NFC (from NFL.com):

CLINCHED: Atlanta (South); Green Bay (North); San Francisco (playoff berth)

ATLANTA FALCONS (at Detroit)
Atlanta clinches a first-round bye with:
1) ATL win or tie OR
2) GB loss or tie OR
3) SF loss

Atlanta clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
1) ATL win OR
2) ATL tie + SF loss or tie OR
3) GB loss or tie + SF loss

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (at Seattle)
San Francisco clinches NFC West division with:
1) SF win or tie

San Francisco clinches a first-round bye with:
1) SF win + GB loss or tie OR
2) SF tie + GB loss

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (at Philadelphia)
Washington clinches a playoff spot with:
1) WAS win + NYG loss + CHI loss + MIN loss

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (vs. San Francisco)
Seattle clinches a playoff spot with:
1) SEA win OR
2) CHI loss + MIN loss + DAL loss or tie + WAS tie
3) SEA tie + NYG loss + CHI loss or tie OR
4) SEA tie + NYG loss + MIN loss or tie OR
5) SEA tie + CHI loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
6) SEA tie + DAL loss + WAS loss + CHI loss or tie OR
7) SEA tie + DAL loss + WAS loss + MIN loss or tie OR
8) CHI loss + MIN loss + WAS loss OR

NEW YORK GIANTS (at Baltimore)
New York clinches a playoff spot with:
1) NYG win + CHI loss + MIN loss + DAL loss + WAS loss or tie OR
2) NYG win + CHI loss + MIN loss + WAS loss + DAL tie

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Don’t ever be one of those fantasy owners that gives too much credibility to the preseason. If you do, then you’d think the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl contenders and an offensive juggernaut (which they’re NOT). Through week 3 of the preseason, the Seahawks are the top-ranked offense, averaging 33.7 points per game. Last year they were the 21st overall offensive squad. So then, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle for this year’s squad. Offensive improvement is in store, but expect the Hawks to move into the teens in overall offensive ranking.

SCHEDULE
Seattle has the 11th most difficult in the NFL, according to Vegas. With the stout San Francisco defense on their schedule twice, that doesn’t bode well for the Seahawk offense. They also face the entire AFC East and NFC North and even have to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. So, it will be a tough road to tow for their offense, but many of these same opponents, as well as two against St. Louis and two against Arizona, make the Seahawk defense an attractive option.

STUD
Marshawn Lynch is quietly one of the most prolific running backs in the NFL. Last year, Lynch went into Beast Mode and put up 1,200 yards rushing, 12 TDs and even had 28 catches as well. That’s good enough for RB1 status. With some off-season legal issues with Lynch, and having just signed a nice big contract, will Lynch still perform at stud level? I expect so, and with other offensive upgrades, Lynch will have less defenses scheming against him.

DUD
Hopefully you’re not one of those fantasy owners that’s attracted to big names, like bugs are to a zapper. If so, then look away. The Seahawks signed Terrell Owens to some fanfare this offseason. Some were professing this is his big break. And others saw through it. If you haven’t had your draft yet, avoid TO at all costs. Seattle cut him and he may or may not catch on with another team. He has no fantasy value. Now or ever.

SLEEPER
The Seahawks drafted running back Robert Turbin in the fourth round this year. And, Turbin has proven his worth in the preseason. Thus far he’s rushed for 151 yards and a touchdown averaging 4.4 yards per carry. This means Turbin has solidified his role as Lynch’s backup, and also warrants being drafted in almost all leagues, and definitely as a Lynch handcuff. Should Lynch get suspended or injured, Turbin is someone to consider starting every week and in keeper/dynasty leagues, Turbin has a lot of upside.

NEW ADDITIONS
The Seahawks signed another veteran receiver, who comes with much less fanfare. Braylon Edwards arrived to Seahawks camp as someone who may not win a job. Edwards has survived the cuts and finds himself as a viable fantasy option in deeper leagues, and as a bye-week replacement. If Sidney Rice continues to have health issues, Edwards could make a sneaky play for your fantasy squad.

POSITION BATTLE
The Seahawks opened their checkbooks and paid Matt Flynn to come be the quarterback of the future. His only apparent competition for the job was Tavaris Jackson, who has now been shipped off to Buffalo. Little did fantasy owners or most experts see rookie Russell Wilson as the man who would beat out Flynn for the job under center. But with his preseason performance, that’s what appears to have happened in the Pacific Northwest. The 5’11” QB threw for 464 yards and 5 TDs in the preseason and scrambled all over the place for another 150 yards rushing. Meanwhile Flynn was quite pedestrian 102 passing yards and no TDs. It was Flynn’s job to lose, and that’s what he did. Wilson is rising up draft boards and is an intriguing fantasy player, especially in dynasty/keeper formats. I’m still not sold on Wilson and will likely recommend not reaching for him based on two preseason games. Consider Wilson a high risk/high reward guy. Meanwhile Flynn is someone to not draft, but keep on a watch list as a waiver wire snatch should Wilson struggle. If you’re in an especially deep league where you can have a big bench, Lynch would be a decent handcuff grab for those who take the chance on Wilson.

BENCH BUILDER
Zach Miller is an uninspiring fantasy tight end. More hype than anything else, Miller disappoints more times than not. But, in a league where you have to draft and start a tight end, you can do worse than Miller as your bye-week fill in at the tight end position. Just don’t expect too much from him and he will be fine on your bench. The equally-overrated Kellen Winslow is on the squad too, and you can almost flip a coin as to which of these guys you’ll want to disappoint your squad, and draft late in your draft (if you must).

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Here’s a quick take on all the impending quarterback battles to watch as training camp approaches (incumbent list first):

Mark Sanchez vs. Tim Tebow (NYJ)
The circus that is the New York Jets brought Tim Tebow to the show and with the media presence there things could get ugly.  The Jets are a run-first team and that won’t change, but if Sanchez can’t cut down on his turnovers (26 last year) his leash will be short. Expect Tebow to be used in certain packages, but Sanchez should still easily remain the primary guy under center.

Kevin Kolb vs. John Skelton (ARZ)
Last season’s free-agent addition of Kevin Kolb did not pay dividends for the Cardinals in 2011. Kolb only played in nine games due to injury and threw just nine TD’s with eight interceptions while averaging just 217 passing yards per game, including just one 300-yard day. Skelton developed chemistry with the team’s start wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and went 5-2 as a starter down the stretch. Kolb is currently listed atop the depth chart, but this job is up for grabs this preseason.

Tavaris Jackson vs. Matt Flynn (SEA)
The team was able to lure Green Bay backup Matt Flynn to the Emerald City and the newcomer will have a leg up on Tavaris Jackson heading into training camp. Flynn is mostly unproven, but did show flashes of brilliance in minor action last year for the Packers. The Seahawks are not the Packers though so he’ll have to prove he can do well on his own. Jackson will get his chance again if Flynn falters.

Matt Hasselbeck vs. Jake Locker (TEN)
The 36-year old Matt Hasselbeck is clearly nearing the end of his career.  After the team invested heavily in Jake Locker in last year’s draft it’s only a matter of time before they give the youngster a crack. Hasselbeck is still capable of winning games though so it might take an injury or a slow start to make the Titans’ brass pull the trigger. It’s not a matter of if, but when Locker gets a look.

Matt Moore vs. Ryan Tannehill vs. David Garrard (MIA)
They wanted Peyton Manning or at least Matt Flynn, but the Dolphins had to settle on free agent David Garrard to build depth at the position. That led to the team drafting Ryan Tannehill earlier than many teams projected him.  He is very raw, but the rookie should benefit from his college coach, Mike Sherman, now serving as the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator. Veteran incumbent Matt Moore help a team that started 0-7 finish with some respectability a year ago while passing for 2,497 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions. It’s anybody’s job, but it would be surprising if Moore was not the starter come Week 1.

Blaine Gabbert vs. Chad Henne (JCK)
It is sink or swim time for second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was dreadful at times as a rookie. The team has added some weapons to throw to, highlighted by first-round pick Justin Blackmon.  With a big contract Gabbert is going to be given every chance to succeed, but Chad Henne will be chomping at the bit to get a chance of his own. This could be both of these players last legitimate crack at a NFL starting job if they falter. Gabbert is the guy for now, but he likely won’t be for long.

Colt McCoy vs. Brandon Weeden (CLE)
You don’t spend a first-round pick on a 28-year old quarterback unless you guy to play him right away, but this is the Browns so you never know. All signs point to rookie Brandon Weeden starting over veteran Colt McCoy, who has thrown for 20 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in two years with the team over 21 starts. During that span McCoy has had just one 300-yard game. Weeden won’t have a ton of weapons, but if fellow rookie Trent Richardson is as good as advertised he could find some moderate success quickly.

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I need a win this week in one of my leagues to lock up a playoff spot. It may be tough to come by going up against Marshawn Lynch though. The Seattle running back is as hot as any runner in the league right now. In Thursday's win over Philadelphia Lynch kept his streak alive and now has scored in eight straight games as he finished with 148 yards on 22 carries, his long going for 40 yards.

The free-agent-to-be has now broke the 100-yard rushing mark four of his last games as he is playing for a new contract. Not only is he keeping the Seahawks' slim playoff hopes alive, but Lynch is helping carry fantasy owners to their playoffs.

Check out his game-by-game stats during his recent streak:

He gets a great matchup against the Rams in Week 14, but then gets two tough defenses in the Bears and 49ers in Weeks 15 and 16. Owners should continue to roll with him and hope that his hot play continues down the stretch.

Fantasy Football, NFL seattle seahawks, marshawn lynch, fantasy advice

The Seattle Seahawks siged free agent running back Edgerrin James to a one-year, $2 million deal.

To clear a path for James the Seahawks cut veteran T.J. Duckett, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

James, 31, ranks 11th in career rushing in the NFL, but he is coming off the least productive season of his career. He started seven games for Arizona last season, gaining 514 yards as rookie Tim Hightower took more of the workload.

Julius Jones appears to be set to be the team's starting running back, but James will get into the mix along with camp star Justin Forsett.

The Seahawks reportedly also considered adding Warrick Dunn, who like Duckett played under new head coach Jim Mora Jr. in Atanta, but in the end the team opted for James.

FANTASY SLANT: Jones is still the best option, but James could be worth a stab in the late rounds. Forsett is looking like a deep sleeper, particularly in PPR formats. Duckett was projeted for about 8-10 touchdowns and was likely selected in deeper leagues that already have drafted. He no longer warrants any fantasy consideration.

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