As I sit here writing this and at this very moment, Greg Jennings may be signing his next contract. With that in mind, I’m not going to talk about which team I think he’s headed to or which team is the best fit. That could be obsolete by the time I click “publish”. What is NOT so obsolete are increased chances that Greg Jennings may return to the Packers.
It’s still likely that Jennings signs elsewhere. After all, we’re only a few hours into the official start of free agency. However within these short few hours, the Miami Dolphins have already signed free agent receiver Mike Wallace. Several other teams have already signed other players, albeit at different positions. Very few rumors have emerged as to where Jennings may land or even which teams are interested in him. That tells me that many NFL teams don’t see Jennings as a top-tier free agent.
So what does that mean? It means that while it’s still likely that Jennings will sign elsewhere, the likelihood that he returns to Green Bay is much higher than it has been in the court of public opinion over the past few months.
NFL Network’s Charlie Casserly speculated that teams are likely a bit weary of Jennings’ health outlook and his age. Jennings is 29 (he turns 30 during this next season) and is not old nor washed up by any means. But having missed time over the past two seasons, the concerns about his durability are piling up.
Beyond the market bearing itself to Jennings, we must also remember that Jennings himself has said that the quarterback that he is playing for is important in where he ends up.
The Minnesota Vikings, for one, have been a team that is rumored to be interested in Jennings but that would pair him with Christian Ponder. I’d have to say that would not qualify as a “good quarterback” scenario. It’s possible that Ponder could break out next year (Ok, ok, not all that possible) but if Jennings goes to the Vikes, he becomes the #1 and at this point, I don’t see Jennings as a pure #1 receiver anymore.
There’s also a possible glimpse into Jennings’ mindset via his Twitter account. Today, Jennings tweeted:
“Lord just like everyday. Today I give everything over to you. Let you will be done. #toGodbetheglory“
Jason Perone is an independent sports blogger writing about the Packers on AllGreenBayPackers.com
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Geesh, I heard Ted already had an offer on the table of around $10 mil per, if he turned that -more than reasonable- offer down, from the team that drafted him, made him rich, AND got him a ring… Maybe he deserves a few years with Ponder.
GBP 4 LIFE
Greg Jennings, meet rude awakening.
Jennings has been great in Green Bay. Fits the system with the two QB’s that have thrown to him for the duration of his career thus far. Would love to keep him around at the right price. 3 years 24 million max seems about right. Possibly throw some incentives in there and he can make a little more money if he plays 16 games, etc. So, is Ted really the front runner for Steven Jackson?
^^^this
I think they would rather pay the 25 yr old Finley than the 30 yr old Jennings. Unless he takes significantly less than Finley I think he’s done in GB. I Don’t think he would take what Finley is getting.
IMO, Jennings is still a very legit #1 WR when healthy.. I don’t know that anyone in the league runs silky smooth precise routes like Greg Jennings, he’s got that natural vision and ability to leverage the defenders to make impactful YAC without breaking stride, and he has the hands to couple with those feet. He just needs to stay healthy- maybe he’ll figure out what Don Bebe did when he came to the Packers, too low of a fat intake in your diet = weak tissue = increased injury. Greg, eat some Avocados and the occasional ice cream malt!
I sincerely hope he stays with the Packers. I even more sincerely hope he does NOT sign with Minnesota.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling while “Who’s the QB” may be his 1b priority (1a being salary), I think 1b.2 is probably Market Size/PR exposure, since Greg Jennings has clearly eyed a career in front of the camera as his retirement plan…
Apparently other teams have the same reservations about Jennings as the Packers do?. I don’t see him back in GB under almost any circumstance. I think the Packers are more comfortable paying Finley 8M than they would be paying Jennings something similar. Nothing against Jennings, great player, and teammate/lockerroom guy. He would have to be available for what he got the past contract. Bout 6M or so… I don’t see Jennings signing in GB for that.
I think the comfort level with paying Finley comes from the fact that they don’t have any known commodity to step in if he gets hurt or leaves. They’ve demonstrated that they can play without Jennings.
Besides, they know that commitment to Finley is short-term. They’re going to have to pony-up 3-5 years on Jennings.
Except that the Packers showed they could go a whole season and win a Super Bowl without Finley… I know that argument is used a lot, but really, all they had at that point was Crabtree, Donald Lee, and a very young Andrew Quarless. I think I even remember doing an article about how the TE production as a whole just dropped off the cliff when Finley got injured.
I guess my response would be that they had a running game that picked up as the season progressed (and the OL learned to play together), and they had a Greg Jennings to lead the WR corps (which looked an awful lot like this year’s corps, btw).
I just don’t see this as apples and apples, since the correlation I see would be the Packers playing without Finley AND Jennings, which might be hard on an offense keyed so strongly on the passing game. I’m probably not reading your comment as you intended it.
Yeah part of it has to do w/ the depth at WR as opposed to TE. But Thomspson doesn’t give big contracts to 30 yr old players, even his own. They’ve demonstrated they can play w/o either, but Finley’s age is the trump card IMO.
Given how several teams were VERY interested in Jared Cook, maybe the time is ripe to at least consider trading JMF (especially if Jennings is re-singed).
One would think that his trade value would be very high, and I am not sure that the 2014 GBP will be able to afford his services, regardless. If Percy Harvin is worth a 1st round pick, plus, and Jared Cook is worth $18 million guaranteed, up to a possible $38 million, it seems that there is quite the market for dynamic slot receiving options this year.
Maybe JMF would net a high 2nd round pick in trade, while clearing $8 million plus from the books this year. Jennings could then be re-signed, possibly along with some other FAs, such as Chris Canty, and still have money to extend Rodgers and Mathews.
Another thing to consider, assuming that Jennings leaves in FA, is that the GBP should be in-line to get a good compensatory pick in 2014, IF THEY DON’T SIGN ANY OTHER FREE AGENTS. If they sign Canty or Steven Jackson, for instance, they would forfeit most of the compensation that they would otherwise get for the loss of Jennings. That makes re-signing Jennings more appealing if TT would also like to sign other FAs, but less appealing if he stands pat in free agency.
Maybe the above partially explains why he is active in free agency some years, and not others.
To me this situation could turn very ugly, especially now since the Packers have shown interest in keeping him.
If he went to Minnesota quietly like we all thought and the Packers said nothing, whatever. But if he goes to Minnesota now, solely for more money, people will be angggggggry.
The Packers receiving corps operates as a TEAM. They take advantage of what the oppenents give them. Hence, there is no one receiver that is a clear cut #1. That has a way of making a FA Packer be evaluated under a higher power microscope. Greg wants to be Larry Fitzgerald and the league is looking at him more like a James Jones.
I don’t think he will be back. His pride won’t let him. Too bad, he could have stayed relevant in GB.
TT has been able to find WR in the draft, and the Packers have been able to use those guys effectively and nearly interchangeably, with considerations toward their different skill sets.
That said, I would almost rather see the Packers draft a WR on day 1-2 (assuming someone they like is there), with an eye on that person going into the rotation to gain experience (on a rookie contract), and start preparing for the possible departures of Finley, Jones and Nelson over the next couple years.
Don’t get me wrong: I love Jennings. I think he’s a good guy who plays hard and is effective in the Packer offense (when he plays). I just don’t see the value in paying Jennings (now 30-ish and succumbing to non-contact injuries) $8-10M over several years when there are other, more vital players, that need to be paid soon.
The Jennings situation is…
Just like sitting and dining at a table with an appealing spread of food…but the key to enjoying how great it is/was…simply push away before you eat too much.
We need to push away from the Jennings table.
It all depends on the numbers.
It’s the JJ situations 2.0!