Vikings WR Percy Harvin Returns to Practice

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin returned to the practice field on Thursday, reports Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.

Harvin missed Wednesday's practice with what head coach Brad Childress said was a migraine headache.

Zulgad adds that Bernard Berrian (knee) returned to practice, as well. So a day after not acquiring Vincent Jackson, the Vikings are getting healthier at the receiver in the days leading up to their Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions.

The Vikings had worked out a one-year deal with Jackson's agents that was reportedly worth $6 million for the remainder of the season, plus incentives, but could not reach a trade agreement with the Chargers.

Jackson's agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, had been pushing for a Brandon Marshall-sized contract--5 years, $50 million with $25-30 million guaranteed--which teams like St. Louis and Seattle have balked at. Their willingness to accept a one-year deal may be due to the diminished threat of the use of the franchise tag on Jackson by anyone in 2011.

If the franchise tag remains in a new collective bargaining agreement, and if the calculation of the tag remains the same (average of the top 5 cap numbers), the cost to franchise a wide receiver in 2011 will be well over $11 million thanks in large part to Miles Austin's six-year contract extension, which did not include a signing bonus, but has increased his 2010 base salary to $17.078 million.

Knowing that teams will be so hesitant to guarantee over $11 million to a wide receiver for 16 games that unrestricted free agency would be a certainty in March of 2011 likely contributed to Jackson's agents' willingness to accept a shorter-term deal from the Vikings.

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