Adam Shefter says Greg Jennings is a Viking!

[mondry]

Only $18M guaranteed. The Vikes can live with that. It could effectively be just a two or three year deal, with not a big decision to make after that.

Yeah, I think you're right, 18M gauranteed is easy to deal with after 2-3 years if he really falls off.

[J. Kapp 11]

Only $18M guaranteed. The Vikes can live with that. It could effectively be just a two or three year deal, with not a big decision to make after that.

Thank you for engaging your math brain.

To recap: With $18 million guaranteed, and an average salary of $9 million, this is, in effect, a 2-year contract.

It's a gamble worth taking.

[J. Kapp 11]

I meant Cruz had per 20 Tds *** not 29

Actually it was 19. But hey ...29, 20, 19. It's all the same, right?

[The Breeze]

here's some thoughts from Jennings:

"I had to watch Christian," Jennings said. "I had to see what I was [getting] myself into. Very athletic quarterback, obviously his upside, his future is bright. I saw a young guy that was maturing."

What Jennings does have now that he never did in Green Bay, however, is an All-Pro running back. A league MVP, in fact. Adrian Peterson finished last season 9 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record.

Jennings has admired Peterson from the other side for years, never more so than in 2012 when he watched Peterson come back from a torn ACL in his left knee to carry the Vikings offense into the playoffs last season.

"You see a guy like 'All Day' sitting in that backfield and you see the cluster of guys that are gathered in that box for him, it's going to be some special things taking place," Jennings said, smiling again.

Widely praised as a respected locker-room presence who relished charitable work in the Green Bay community, Jennings certainly will be a breath of fresh air in Minnesota off the field as well.

One of the main reasons the Vikings parted with Harvin was the trouble the volatile 24-year-old would occasionally cause behind the scenes. That probably won't be an issue with Jennings.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/90578 ... ta-vikings

[Mercy Percy]

If you are referring to me, I dont understand what my joining date has to do with my opinion about the Jennings deal. My join date doesnt represent when I became a fan of the Vikings, and you being a member longer doesn't make you a better fan lol, but think what you want. I simply want this team to be built for the future, to be a dynasty! It just worries me and its hard to accept throwing that kind of money at a wr with an injury history, and 7 years(going into his 8th) in the league. But I did admit, that I misunderstood the contract and as soon as it was broken down by a poster here, I understood it clearly and it makes more sense. Call me stupid if you want, but I misunderstood.

Everyone has their own opinion of the actions made by the team they root for on Sundays, if we all had the same opinions, these Forums would be deserted. But I am excited to see where this goes, and I want the best for the Franchise. Hope this deal works out!

Im glad you have another opinion and you have all right to that opinion just like i have the right to tell you that i think you are so wrong. Injury history? Almost every player in the NFL has an Injury history. Its a part of the game. Jennings is a baller this guy plays the game we paid him good money and 2/3 of his contract is INCENTIVE BASED. only 18m is guaranteed to him. This is a great deal for the Vikings and you cant compare him to Winfield thats a 7 year age differential.

[VikingLord]

I hate to say this, but I agree with Sinatra to a large degree.

Vikes have drafted 2 guys in recent years that qualified as bona fide good receivers (Rice and Harvin) and let both go for one reason or another.

Vikes draft a young QB and now have nobody viable for him to throw to due to the above.

Now the Vikings are desperate for WR's because going into the season with what they currently have is not an option.

I also agree with Sinatra that if Jennings were truly a great WR, there is no way the Packers let him go.

I disagree with the overall approach of this. The move smacks of desperation and desperation is the hallmark of organizations that have failed in prior years. Better to go into the draft as-is, then go into FA to shore up areas of weakness and accept that it might take another year before you can fill all the holes.

With that said, Jennings is going to help if for no other reason than he brings a lot of experience and can help the younger guys the Vikings will inevitably draft at the position, not to mention Ponder.

I just hope that this is the last offseason where desperation drives moves. Spielman has to get off that treadmill somehow, and the sooner he takes the hit the better in my opinion. Whatever WR's the Vikings draft this year *have* to pan out, especially after the Harvin trade. Spielman has to knock this one out of the park or he's going to think he's in the movie Groundhog Day next offseason.

[Puddin'Taine]

With the exception of last season due to a mild abdominal injury in which if you remember correctly, he came back from in last game against us and went for like 140 yards and a score or two no problem. Jennings has averaged over 1,100 yards a season. Dude's not nearly washed nor Completely "Injury Prone", he's a class act, will supply good veteran leadership to a corps that is very young and has the burn to learn more. And taking away Rodgers main weapon, i could sit here and list pro after pro after pro against maybe one or two negs.

It's a good move and I am sure the extra $500,000 bonus every year if he makes the pro bowl will play in everyone's favor as well.

[Puddin'Taine]

I hate to say this, but I agree with Sinatra to a large degree.

Vikes have drafted 2 guys in recent years that qualified as bona fide good receivers (Rice and Harvin) and let both go for one reason or another.

Both of which turned out to be their own's favorite number 1 fan. yes they were great, but in no way worth the impact they each had on a number of other positives. They each are like the equivolent to that guy you just met who seems really cool and awesome at first but then you start to realize that his girlfriend just sits there quiet never saying a word, because behind the scenes he has completely torn her down bit by bit.

[ViciousBritishVike]

Nope! "We're going to build through the draft" Signs 29 year old injury issue wide receiver.
W
T
H

But hey, it's whatever. Either way is win/win. We got a good solid starting caliber receiver. I doubt there were many other places to spend the money, and it's Zygi's money. Let's just hope by the time he's completely shot they've managed to work another option or two behind him like the Packers did.

That's why I often avoid scheduled media interviews with the front office. They are forced to lie to ensure that the media doesn't pick up on any hint of a story to leak and blow out of proportion. It would be suicide to give the game away and potentially harm a fruitful move.

Either way, hats off to the Vikes, kept it all under wraps and signed a proven asset.

[John_Viveiros]

Vikes have drafted 2 guys in recent years that qualified as bona fide good receivers (Rice and Harvin) and let both go for one reason or another.

Vikes draft a young QB and now have nobody viable for him to throw to due to the above.

I will always be a Vikings fan, but I think I'll enjoy watching the Seahawks next year, with four of my favorite offensive skill players - Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Sid and Percy. I know I would trade them straight up for Ponder/Peterson/Jennings/Simpson. I know, we'd miss AD, but Lynch is probably the only RB in the league that comes close to the style of play and level of success we have seen from AD.

[Mothman]

The move may have been made in desperation but let's face it, it was a desperate situation. Declaiming it for that reason alone doesn't make much sense. I think we can all agree that it's far better for the team to avoid finding themselves in such desperate circumstances (which is why they should still add a young "Plan B for the future" quarterback this offseason) but once they occur, the best course of action is to act accordingly and address the problem. The ideal course of action to solve a problem isn't always available.

This move underlines the importance of not only drafting well but of drafting the kind of high character players Spielman and Frazier talk about. That way, when their rookie contract is up, they probably don't need to be traded away.

Going with the WRs they currently have and whatever WR talent they could find in the draft would have been a disservice to the players that put up 10 wins last year and to Ponder in particular. They're trying to develop him into a long term answer at QB and he needs good weapons if he's going to definitively seize and keep the QB position. A rookie can be a good weapon but rookie WRs that make a big impact immediately are the exception, not the rule. getting a veteran like Jennings will only help the other receivers on the roster be better.

People are talking about Jennings as if he's a 34 year old receiver, not a 29 year old. I know the mentality is that 30 is the new 40 in the NFL but many, many players remain productive well into their thirties and that includes WRs. If he stays relatively healthy, Jennings should provide the team with a quality receiver for at least 2 or 3 years, which is the time they should need to develop some younger receivers to excel in his place.

[J. Kapp 11]

It is 19 you are right, thanks for correcting me. And I said I meant 20, you dont have to be a dick about it. But you're welcome to be a dick if thats what you like to be.

Sorry. It was late. Don't mean to be a dick.

But if we're going to cite stats, they ought to be right. That's all. Saying Cruz had 29 TDs makes your case absolutely inarguable. And psychologically, 20 is much greater than 19. It's like pricing something at $9.99 instead of $10.00. It tricks the mind.

Just take a minute to look up stats. It's easy on profootballreference.com.

[losperros]

I will always be a Vikings fan, but I think I'll enjoy watching the Seahawks next year, with four of my favorite offensive skill players - Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Sid and Percy. I know I would trade them straight up for Ponder/Peterson/Jennings/Simpson. I know, we'd miss AD, but Lynch is probably the only RB in the league that comes close to the style of play and level of success we have seen from AD.

I very much understand your sentiments regarding Wilson, Lynch, Sid, and Percy. And I would make the same trade...except for AD. As good as Lynch is, Peterson won me over long ago. I think the guy is the best RB, plus he just might be the best spark plug any team could have on their roster. Peterson's attitude and efforts make me proud to be a Vikings fan.

[losperros]

This move underlines the importance of not only drafting well but of drafting the kind of high character players Spielman and Frazier talk about. That way, when their rookie contract is up, they probably don't need to be traded away.

Going with the WRs they currently have and whatever WR talent they could find in the draft would have been a disservice to the players that put up 10 wins last year and to Ponder in particular. They're trying to develop him into a long term answer at QB and he needs good weapons if he's going to definitively seize and keep the QB position. A rookie can be a good weapon but rookie WRs that make a big impact immediately are the exception, not the rule. getting a veteran like Jennings will only help the other receivers on the roster be better.

And it emphasizes why management needs to learn how to work with players. Harvin wasn't just a rookie in 2009, he was Rookie of the Year and an impact player right from the get-go, plus he kept being an impact player on numerous levels. He was one of the exceptions. I'm not disagreeing with you, Jim, but actually I'm trying to further emphasize my comment below about the need for Greg Jennings on this team...

People are talking about Jennings as if he's a 34 year old receiver, not a 29 year old. I know the mentality is that 30 is the new 40 in the NFL but many, many players remain productive well into their thirties and that includes WRs. If he stays relatively healthy, Jennings should provide the team with a quality receiver for at least 2 or 3 years, which is the time they should need to develop some younger receivers to excel in his place.

Part of that is might be because Harvin is only 24 years old and some may feel that Jennings is supposed to replace him. I disagree with that notion wholeheartedly.

As we both noted in another thread, these two guys are different receivers. I honestly believe that Jennings helps to fill a need that would have been there even if Harvin had remained with the team. Not that there isn't still some gap left but Jennings sure is a welcome addition to a WR corps that didn't even have a complete blueprint in place, let alone its foundation.

After reading and listening to Jennings' recent interviews regarding joining the Vikings, my respect for him and the Vikings front office in making the acquisition has skyrocketed upwards. Sounds to me like this was a great move in obtaining a WR that is going to help the Vikings across the board. Now on to the draft and more rebuilding for the future.

[Mothman]

I very much understand your sentiments regarding Wilson, Lynch, Sid, and Percy. And I would make the same trade...except for AD. As good as Lynch is, Peterson won me over long ago. I think the guy is the best RB, plus he just might be the best spark plug any team could have on their roster. Peterson's attitude and efforts make me proud to be a Vikings fan.

I feel the same way. I understand what John's saying but Peterson would make that trade a "no go" for me and call me crazy, but I'm not yet convinced that Wilson will be better than Ponder over the long haul, although he's certainly off to a better start and I love the way he plays.