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Posted August 1, 2006
Jennings catching teammates' praise
By Pete Dougherty
[email protected]
Maybe Greg Jennings will be the exception as a rookie wide receiver in the NFL.
At a position where the Green Bay Packers are desperate for playmakers, but a position where rookies rarely contribute significantly, Jennings' performance early in training camp suggests the second-round draft pick might crack the top three of the Packers' receivers rotation.
He's worked in that role the past two days behind Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson, and he's quietly caught the attention of his coaches and teammates in the first four days of training camp.
For instance, when a reporter asked quarterback Brett Favre on Monday what signs he sees when a new or young player begins to emerge as a weapon, he gave a long answer that eventually wound its way to Jennings catching his eye, even though Favre wasn't asked about any player in particular.
"It's premature," Favre said, "but I see him — he's kind of fluid in what he does, it comes natural to him I guess is the best way to put it."
Jennings, in fact, probably has been the Packers' most impressive rookie so far in training camp. This isn't to suggest he's been a dominating player or stood out with an outstanding play in every practice of camp. But from his first minicamp practices last spring he's shown an unusual level of football maturity for a receiver breaking into the NFL, and he's found a way to get open regularly and make his share of catches.
Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' backup quarterback, remembers watching Jennings' first route at his first minicamp — a hook route — and thinking the rookie's body language, tempo and quick break looked like a veteran. He now thinks Jennings will help the Packers immediately.
"Last year, we had to put Donald (Driver) into the primary receiver spot every time, and a lot of times that meant putting him in the slot on third downs," Rodgers said.
"The way Greg's played so far, it's safe to say we might not have to put Donald on the primary receiver spot every time, we can leave Donald as the 'Z' on third down and move Greg Jennings inside, because he can work the middle really well. You've already seen in camp he's made some good catches across the middle, he gets good separation. He's been impressive."
If Jennings proves to be advanced enough to play a major role for the Packers' playmaking-starved offense, he'll be the exception in today's NFL.
Of the 71 receivers selected in the first two rounds of the NFL the past five years, only five have caught 50 passes or more in their rookie season, and only three — Arizona's Anquan Boldin (101), Houston's Andre Johnson (66) and Tampa Bay's Michael Clayton (80) — have caught 60 or more.
The average for those 71 receivers is 21 catches as a rookie, which is in line with the Packers' recent experiences. Robert Ferguson (No. 41 in 2001) had zero receptions as a rookie, and Javon Walker (No. 20 in 2002) had 23 in his first season.
Jennings was a second-round pick this year out of Western Michigan, the No. 52 pick overall. He was exceptionally productive in college (228 receptions in his final three seasons) and was a highly regarded prospect by some teams, but he wasn't taken higher because of his average size (5-feet-11, 197 pounds) and straight-line speed (4.53 seconds) for elite prospects at his position.
When asked what he made of the lack of rookie success at his position, Jennings said: "I'm not sure. I try not to put myself in those other guys' light. I try to beat the odds. I just focus on what I need to do here and whatever plays out, plays out. If I get those ridiculous amount of catches or if I get those 20, I want those to be the best 20 or the best 40 or the best 50 catches that I ever made."
Jennings undoubtedly will get his chances to win a major role, because the Packers are starved for playmakers on offense after Javon Walker forced a trade out of town in the offseason.
Driver has been the Packers' best receiver in camp, and Jennings arguably has outperformed both Ferguson and Rod Gardner, the sixth-year pro who missed the first two days of camp because of a hamstring injury, not to mention free-agent signee Marc Boerigter, who clearly is behind the rest. But no one in the group behind Driver has jumped out as an easily identified, eye-catching playmaker.
Ferguson still has to be considered the most likely candidate to start opposite Driver because of his experience with Favre. But he will have to hold off Jennings and perhaps Gardner by winning more battles for contested passes than he did last season.
During the Packers' final team drill Monday in the red zone, Ferguson made a leaping touchdown catch on a fade pattern over Therrian Fontenot, a backup cornerback who's a long shot to make the team. But earlier, in a seven-on-seven drill in the red zone, starting cornerback Charles Woodson broke fast and then out-battled Ferguson for the ball for an interception on a short pass from Favre.
"I've seen some (playmaking by receivers)," said Jeff Jagodzinski, the Packers' offensive coordinator. "As far as that spectacular play, that's all someone's opinion. What we're asking our guys to do is make the play when the play counts. I talked about the 50-50 ball, when that ball's up in the air, you've got to come down with the ball.
"Those easy, open ones (that are) right there, that's a given, they should be catching them. But anything around their body, say a third down, they've got to go make that play. Both (the receiver and defensive back) are going to be right there, they've got to go get that. We talk to those guys about that every day, about making plays when it counts."
Jennings catching teammates' praise
By Pete Dougherty
[email protected]
Maybe Greg Jennings will be the exception as a rookie wide receiver in the NFL.
At a position where the Green Bay Packers are desperate for playmakers, but a position where rookies rarely contribute significantly, Jennings' performance early in training camp suggests the second-round draft pick might crack the top three of the Packers' receivers rotation.
He's worked in that role the past two days behind Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson, and he's quietly caught the attention of his coaches and teammates in the first four days of training camp.
For instance, when a reporter asked quarterback Brett Favre on Monday what signs he sees when a new or young player begins to emerge as a weapon, he gave a long answer that eventually wound its way to Jennings catching his eye, even though Favre wasn't asked about any player in particular.
"It's premature," Favre said, "but I see him — he's kind of fluid in what he does, it comes natural to him I guess is the best way to put it."
Jennings, in fact, probably has been the Packers' most impressive rookie so far in training camp. This isn't to suggest he's been a dominating player or stood out with an outstanding play in every practice of camp. But from his first minicamp practices last spring he's shown an unusual level of football maturity for a receiver breaking into the NFL, and he's found a way to get open regularly and make his share of catches.
Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' backup quarterback, remembers watching Jennings' first route at his first minicamp — a hook route — and thinking the rookie's body language, tempo and quick break looked like a veteran. He now thinks Jennings will help the Packers immediately.
"Last year, we had to put Donald (Driver) into the primary receiver spot every time, and a lot of times that meant putting him in the slot on third downs," Rodgers said.
"The way Greg's played so far, it's safe to say we might not have to put Donald on the primary receiver spot every time, we can leave Donald as the 'Z' on third down and move Greg Jennings inside, because he can work the middle really well. You've already seen in camp he's made some good catches across the middle, he gets good separation. He's been impressive."
If Jennings proves to be advanced enough to play a major role for the Packers' playmaking-starved offense, he'll be the exception in today's NFL.
Of the 71 receivers selected in the first two rounds of the NFL the past five years, only five have caught 50 passes or more in their rookie season, and only three — Arizona's Anquan Boldin (101), Houston's Andre Johnson (66) and Tampa Bay's Michael Clayton (80) — have caught 60 or more.
The average for those 71 receivers is 21 catches as a rookie, which is in line with the Packers' recent experiences. Robert Ferguson (No. 41 in 2001) had zero receptions as a rookie, and Javon Walker (No. 20 in 2002) had 23 in his first season.
Jennings was a second-round pick this year out of Western Michigan, the No. 52 pick overall. He was exceptionally productive in college (228 receptions in his final three seasons) and was a highly regarded prospect by some teams, but he wasn't taken higher because of his average size (5-feet-11, 197 pounds) and straight-line speed (4.53 seconds) for elite prospects at his position.
When asked what he made of the lack of rookie success at his position, Jennings said: "I'm not sure. I try not to put myself in those other guys' light. I try to beat the odds. I just focus on what I need to do here and whatever plays out, plays out. If I get those ridiculous amount of catches or if I get those 20, I want those to be the best 20 or the best 40 or the best 50 catches that I ever made."
Jennings undoubtedly will get his chances to win a major role, because the Packers are starved for playmakers on offense after Javon Walker forced a trade out of town in the offseason.
Driver has been the Packers' best receiver in camp, and Jennings arguably has outperformed both Ferguson and Rod Gardner, the sixth-year pro who missed the first two days of camp because of a hamstring injury, not to mention free-agent signee Marc Boerigter, who clearly is behind the rest. But no one in the group behind Driver has jumped out as an easily identified, eye-catching playmaker.
Ferguson still has to be considered the most likely candidate to start opposite Driver because of his experience with Favre. But he will have to hold off Jennings and perhaps Gardner by winning more battles for contested passes than he did last season.
During the Packers' final team drill Monday in the red zone, Ferguson made a leaping touchdown catch on a fade pattern over Therrian Fontenot, a backup cornerback who's a long shot to make the team. But earlier, in a seven-on-seven drill in the red zone, starting cornerback Charles Woodson broke fast and then out-battled Ferguson for the ball for an interception on a short pass from Favre.
"I've seen some (playmaking by receivers)," said Jeff Jagodzinski, the Packers' offensive coordinator. "As far as that spectacular play, that's all someone's opinion. What we're asking our guys to do is make the play when the play counts. I talked about the 50-50 ball, when that ball's up in the air, you've got to come down with the ball.
"Those easy, open ones (that are) right there, that's a given, they should be catching them. But anything around their body, say a third down, they've got to go make that play. Both (the receiver and defensive back) are going to be right there, they've got to go get that. We talk to those guys about that every day, about making plays when it counts."