The Greg Jennings thread

[Mothman]

Lest we forget ... Randy Moss' 23 TD season came at age 30.

The age of 30 does not mean a career is over.

Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison both had one or more of their best seasons after 30 too. So did Wes Welker. I don't know if free agency strategies regarding signing players over 30 gradually put this idea that players are done (or almost done) at 30 into some minds or if it was something else but it's ridiculous.

[Demi]

Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison both had one or more of their best seasons after 30 too. So did Wes Welker. I don't know if free agency strategies regarding signing players over 30 gradually put this idea that players are done (or almost done) at 30 into some minds or if it was something else but it's ridiculous.

Mentioning Rice, Harrison, and Moss in a discussion about Greg Jennings.

They were catching passes from some of the greatest quarterbacks ever as well.

So we have some of the best WRs ever, playing on teams with some of the best Qbs ever. And we're suppose to take something from that in a situation with an above average receivers who's 30 and about to be catching balls from a below average QB.

Whatever floats your boat I guess...talk about ridiculous.

[Mothman]

Mentioning Rice, Harrison, and Moss in a discussion about Greg Jennings.

Why not? Nobody is saying Greg Jennings is as good as those players but this is a discussion about a player's ability to perform at a high level at the age of 30 or older, not a discussion of how Jennings compares overall to Rice, Moss, etc. Those players were just examples to illustrate the fact that players (not just elite players) can do their best work at 30+ years of age.

They were catching passes from some of the greatest quarterbacks ever as well.

Which has nothing to do with their physical ability to perform well in their 30s. The QBs certainly influenced their level of production but that's a different discussion.
This isn't about Jennings playing to the level of Rice, Moss or Harrison in their prime, just about the idea that he's not automatically past his prime because he's had a few injuries and he's going to turn 30.

[PurpleMustReign]

Demi, you are really starting to act trollish here. You know damn well what the point is that people are making, but you still try to stir the pot.

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[Mothman]

Demi, you are really starting to act trollish here. You know damn well what the point is that people are making, but you still try to stir the pot.

"Starting"?

[Demi]

Demi, you are really starting to act trollish here. You know damn well what the point is that people are making, but you still try to stir the pot.

Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2

What point? That he's going to be able to keep up his production, and that his skills haven't declined at all? Or the original point that there was a reason other than the contract numbers for why he left green bay in the first place? Because it seems clear to me...and most other sane non-homer members of the football viewing public....

[Mothman]

What point? That he's going to be able to keep up his production, and that his skills haven't declined at all?

The point is simple: we don't know if he's past his prime. You don't know, I don't know and the Packers and Vikings don't know either. Nothing in Jennings history definitively indicates that's the case. Players bounce back from tough injuries all the time and as we've already pointed out, 30 year old players can still play at a very high level. Some play their best football at that age.

What indicates that Jennings skills have declined? He had 19 catches and 3 TDs in his last 3 games last year, after recovering from his injury.He had 10 catches and a TD in the playoffs. Does that seem like the work of an over-the-hill receiver whose skills are in decline?

Or the original point that there was a reason other than the contract numbers for why he left green bay in the first place? Because it seems clear to me...and most other sane non-homer members of the football viewing public....

Ah, yes, I almost forgot that anyone who doesn't share your cynical view of just about any move the Vikes make is a "homer".

What exactly are we "homers" missing? The contract numbers are related to a number of things. I don't think anybody here is blind to that. Green Bay had sufficient talent at the WR position to feel comfortable moving on without Jennings and that factor combined with Jennings' age and recent injuries undoubtedly made them comfortable offering him a lower-priced contract. However, age and recent injuries don't necessarily mean Jennings is past his prime. They could indicate that but it remains to be seen. Nobody is denying that there's more risk in awarding a 29 year old player with a sizable contract than giving the same to a 25 year old but at his age, if he can avoid injury, there's no reason Jennings can't be one of the league's better receivers again in 2013. He still possesses the skills to be successful.

[King James]

With Percy Harvin gone, getting Greg Jennings was one of the safest options in the FA. Jennings is beginning to age but he has not shown that he is past his prime yet. The only thing that seems to be slowing him down is health. And that I don't think has anything to do with his age. I think it's due to all the wear and tear that comes from playing football. Everybody's body isn't the same, some people body's condition faster or slower than others. Jennings was on a pass first Packers team and those WRs over there do get injured a lot. I think Jordy Nelson was dealing with a hamstring for majority of the season.

But now he is with the Vikings. We might not have the best QB but we have the best RB in AD. We have a very good tight end in Kyle Rudolph so it's not like Jennings will have to carry this team on his back. I think he was here mainly to help the younger WRs, that's why I said he was the safest FA pick up. He can run great routes and has good hands. Route running seems to have been a problem with our WR unit last year because they could barely get open. Hopefully Cordarrelle Patterson will be the star WR of this team, I think Jennings is here mainly to play mentor and give our passing game some veteran experience.

[Funkytown]

Age has nothing to do with much and at age 30 sure ain't beyond a players prime, our very own Cris Carters best years started at age 30.
1995 at age 30 caught 122 passes for 1371 yards.
1996 at age 31 caught 96 passes for 1163 yards.
1997 at age 32 caught 89 passes for 1069 yards.
1998 at age 33 caught 78 passes for 1011 yards.
1999 at age 34 caught 90 passes for 1241 yards.
2000 at age 35 caught 96 passes for 1274 yards.
Carter didn't even have his first 1000 yard season until he was 28. Greg Jennings is no CC, but if he stays healthy can be good for the Vikings.

Seems almost unreal at this point that a Vikings receiver was that good--consistently. We had Carter, then Moss; we even had Carter AND Moss....since then, blah. Not a whole lot on that level, and definitely not consistently. How bittersweet to look at those numbers.

[Funkytown]

Yeah, they lowballed him after the season. Patriots lowballed him later on. Not many teams were desperate enough to shell out what we did for a past his prime receiver with not that many years left in him.

I think it's less people blaming him as trying to ignore it to feel better about the signing...

I'm a little confused by this thinking. I've seen MULTIPLE comments like this--almost suggesting the Packers didn't want him; they weren't going to bring him back; he left for the money; he can't possibly be serious leaving Rodgers for little ol Ponder, etc.

What? And what if he is? What if Jennings really does mean all of the nice things he says about the Vikings organization and Ponder? What if he honestly did just want a fresh start? What if he honestly did just feel it was his time to move on to let some of the younger guys have their moment in Green Bay? What if it's not about the money?

Let's talk about money. Where does everyone get this idea that Green Bay wasn't going to bring him back, as if they weren't even interested? What? On what planet? Everything I read said they were in it until the end. They offered him around $8 million a year. You mean, the Green Bay Packers, who are loaded at WR, are trying to give an injury-proned old man WR $8 million a year?!?! On what planet does THAT imply they didn't want him back?

Darn right they wanted him back. They were willing to pay him, too. Just not the kind of money he originally wanted. We didn't pay him that either. From my estimates, he's making only about a million more a year to play for us. I don't know the terms of his contract offer from Green Bay as far as signing bonus/guarantees, but yearly salary comes down to about a million dollar difference.

What in the world was he thinking giving up Rodgers for Ponder? Some Packers player said he gave up prime rib for Burger King. Yeah. Maybe. But to suggest "this is all about the money" can't be the truth. I'm leaning towards actually believing all of the nicey-nice things this guy says. They make a lot more sense than, "he did it for the money."

[Demi]

He clearly had some issues. Probably the Packers not really caring about WRs because *gasp* they have an probably HoF QB who makes Jordy Nelson look like an all star WR. He takes shots at Rodgers after they let him go. Why? Because he doesn't care? I think not. He's an older WR who wanted more money. Packers realized they could get similar production out of a younger, and much cheaper WR, and decided to stick with them.

Is he a bum? Nooo. But is he worth as much to the packers as the vikings? Heck no. The Vikings need more talent at WR with a sub-par QB compared to the Packers. Is it worth the investment? We'll see. But in a couple years I reaaaally wonder if the Vikings would have been better off saving the money for a better player, or at least a better player who would contribute on a longer term basis.

I think the Packers were a little worried early on when they didn't really know what they had. But once they saw the team without Jennings realized they could hold their own and downed the offer they made earlier. Their passing game will be sufficient whoever they have at Wr. The Vikings not so much. When you have an average or below QB you need more talent at the WR position which they invested in.

In the end I think the Vikings will still be looking for a franchise QB and the Wrs to help him. The Packers will be adding WRs to help a franchise QB and struggle to find them. And overall it'll be a wash. Vikings definitely need the talent around Ponder more than the Packers need the talent around Rodgers. Which is why the Vikings paid and Packers didn't. Don't pretend otherwise please.

[Funkytown]

Vikings definitely need the talent around Ponder more than the Packers need the talent around Rodgers. Which is why the Vikings paid and Packers didn't. Don't pretend otherwise please.

That's true. I'm not denying that. But if the Vikings decided it was a no go, the Packers were going to pay Jennings $8 million a year to stick around. Because of the reasons we mentioned previously--that disproves the theory that the Packers didn't want him or didn't try to keep him. Yes, they did. That was my point. $8 million a year is a lot to pay a guy you feel you don't really want nor need. Sure, they'll be fine without him--but please don't pretend they wouldn't rather be with him. $8 mill a year says otherwise.

[headless_norseman]

Imagine the numbers Carter woulda put up if he hadn't at least somewhat consistency at the QB position. Wilson, McMahon, Salisbury, Gannon, Moon, Johnson, Cunningham, George, Culepepper, Bouman, Wynn.

That's 11 different QBs who started games games for the Vikings in CC's 12 years here.

I think CC is a rare case where a WR can, and did, make most any QB look good, if not better than what he was.


How much did the Vikes pick him up for, $100?

[Funkytown]

Ruh Roh. Jennings and his mouth are getting in trouble with Frazier.

While, I love the shots he's taking at Rodgers and the Packers--it's probably going to come to an end shortly. I bet a lot of these little interviews will too. Did he talk this much in Green Bay? Or didn't they care about Jennings, because all they cared about was Rodgers? lol. Maybe Jennings is right about a lot of what he says about "12".

Either way...

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... odgers-rip

"That's not something that we're high on," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier told ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert on Saturday. "And he and I are going to talk before we practice (Saturday afternoon). I've got to grab him. That's not how we do things."

Said Frazier: "We'll talk. We're going to talk about it. He has strong feelings regarding his former team, and that's good. But there is a way to get that communicated, and we've got to sit down and he and I have got to talk a little bit."

Hey! At least he's not taking shots at his current quarterback. Peeeercy!

[Demi]

He's clearly bitter how it all turned out. They offered him an above market rate during the season, he waited, got less from Vikings and both Pack/Pats made offers that were less than the Vikings. I think his head got pretty big with a few big games there. Can he live up to his contract? I doubt it. But Vikings were desperate. Might have been better off keeping that money around for the future. But when Jerome Simpson is your #1 receiver going into the offseason, you're in trouble.