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woodbuck27
07-31-2006, 11:29 AM
Jul 31, 2006 8:55 am US/Central

Rookie Jennings Stands Out In Packers Camp

Regarding Rookie WR Greg Jennings:

"I trust that he's going to be a special wideout, he's going to have a great career in the National Football League. Right now, he's showing it," veteran Donald Driver said.

(AP)

GREEN BAY - A.J. Hawk isn't the only Green Bay Packers rookie in a blissful mood early in training camp.

Like Hawk, the Packers' first-round pick in the April draft, Greg Jennings is married, owns a home in the Green Bay area and recently signed a lucrative first professional contract. What's more, Jennings and his wife of 13 months, Nicole, are expecting their first child in about six months.

"Life is good. It can't get any better," a smiling Jennings said this weekend.

All that's seemingly missing from Jennings' joyous life is joining linebacker Hawk and possibly rookie guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz in the starting lineup.

The last time the Packers started a rookie wide receiver on opening day was in 1992, when Robert Brooks got the call in a loss to Minnesota at Lambeau Field.

Jennings, one of two second-round draft choices by the Packers, has the potential to end the long drought.

"I trust that he's going to be a special wideout, he's going to have a great career in the National Football League. Right now, he's showing it," veteran Donald Driver said.

The Packers' search to fill a glaring need and complement Driver at the receiver position could start and stop with Jennings the next five weeks.

While training camp is only three days old, Jennings has been up to the challenge in a crowded competition.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Saturday that Jennings has as good of a shot as veterans Robert Ferguson, Rod Gardner and Marc Boerigter to emerge as the No. 2 receiver.

"I think he's put together two solid practices, so I haven't seen a decline in his speed or quickness," McCarthy said.

Jennings hardly received any national exposure playing college football at Western Michigan. Yet, he led the country with an average of 8.91 receptions last year and set numerous school records.

After they traded disgruntled receiver Javon Walker to Denver 15 picks earlier on the first day of the draft, the Packers chose Jennings 52nd overall. Jennings was just the fourth receiver off the board.

Since arriving in Green Bay in early May for minicamps and organized team activities, Jennings has been a quick study. He credits his coaches at Western Michigan for introducing last year a version of the West Coast offense similar to that employed by the Packers.

Thus, Jennings has been more at ease on the practice field, and the results have been to his and the Packers' liking.

"It's pretty much a game of making plays and being prepared mentally. I think if you're prepared mentally, then the rest will come," Jennings said. "Your physical talents will showcase themselves as long as you have the mental aspect of the game."

Standing 5-foot-11, Jennings doesn't measure up to the prototypical tall receiver first-year coach McCarthy prefers to have in his offense.

Jennings, though, has compensated by being as sure with his route running as he is sure-handed.

"Not too many wideouts have great hands. That's what he's shown me more than anything," Driver said. "He's really focused on the ball. He can catch really well."

Hanging on to the football is no easy task when the quarterback is Brett Favre, who's still slinging passes at 36.

Almost without fail, Jennings, 22, is gradually establishing a passer-receiver rapport with the future Hall of Famer.

"I thought two or three times (Saturday), they had a nice connection (on passes) over the middle, and (Jennings) has a good feel for that," McCarthy said. "For a receiver that young, that's exciting to see. I'm very pleased with Greg to this point.

"That's what training camp is all about - the receivers getting on the same page with the timing of the passers."

Jennings won't allow himself to revel in the strong start to the preseason, however. He admits he's a work in progress and isn't consumed with winning the No. 2 receiver job.

"I definitely want to be a starter. But, at the same time, it's not my primary goal," said Jennings, who went to the same high school (Central) in Kalamazoo, Mich., as New York Yankees star Derek Jeter. "My primary goal is to progress every day, show progress every day -- that's important -- and just get better and just let the vets teach me into that starting role.

"It's possible. If not, then I just want to be ready when my name is called and when my number is called at all times and help my teammates."

ahaha
07-31-2006, 12:22 PM
Ball skills....they seem so underated when analysts judge wide recievers. I'm so glad we passed on Chad Jackson to get Jennings. I'd much rather have the guy who runs great routes and catches everything in sight, than the blazer with questionable hands. We had enough of those with the likes of Robert Ferguson, Bill Shroeder, and Corey Bradford.

woodbuck27
07-31-2006, 02:53 PM
Ball skills....they seem so underated when analysts judge wide recievers. I'm so glad we passed on Chad Jackson to get Jennings. I'd much rather have the guy who runs great routes and catches everything in sight, than the blazer with questionable hands. We had enough of those with the likes of Robert Ferguson, Bill Shroeder, and Corey Bradford.

If the likes of Favre and Driver speak highly of Greg Jennings - then Ted Thompson did about as well as can be expected with that choice.

He'll be someone to enjoy this season we TRUST.

GO Packers !

AtlPackFan
07-31-2006, 03:48 PM
Wouldn't it be great if he emerged as a solid #2 this season. I obviously haven't seen any of the preseason camps but from everything I have read Ferguson and Gardner have done nothing - to this point - to assert themselves as the #2 behind Driver.

PaCkFan_n_MD
07-31-2006, 04:02 PM
I still got to believe that ferg starts the year and gets his last chance. Only this time I think he will make the most of it.

I think ferg, driver, and jennings will all play good this year. Also I think ferg, driver, and jennings will be be rotating so much after week 8 no one will no who is starting, kind of like in 2003.

woodbuck27
07-31-2006, 04:22 PM
I still got to believe that ferg starts the year and gets his last chance. Only this time I think he will make the most of it.

I think ferg, driver, and jennings will all play good this year. Also I think ferg, driver, and jennings will be be rotating so much after week 8 no one will no who is starting, kind of like in 2003.

I agree that all three of these fellas are in - based on effort alone at practise.

That really counts.

red
07-31-2006, 04:32 PM
I still got to believe that ferg starts the year and gets his last chance. Only this time I think he will make the most of it.

I think ferg, driver, and jennings will all play good this year. Also I think ferg, driver, and jennings will be be rotating so much after week 8 no one will no who is starting, kind of like in 2003.

i wouldn't be shocked after reading nicks report on camp yesterday about fergy dropping everyone of his passes but one, if he's cut before the end of camp.

this is a guy who has had chance after chance after chance to become the great WR we hope he would be and he fails to come close. i've said before, this will be like the 5th year where we are saying during the offseason or TC that maybe this year will be the year for his breakthrough. but at some point you have to realise that if he doesn't get it at this point he probably won't ever get there.

i love jennings, he's a fellow alum, and i have all the hope in the world for him. but right now i hope he starts as the #3 reciever and grows into a great player in a year or 2. the problem is no one else is stepping up to claim that #2 spot other then him, so hopefully if he gets thrown into the starting role early, he'll be able to handle it

but it puts a giant smile on my face whenever i read about the kid from k-zoo lighting it up at practice

SD GB fan
07-31-2006, 07:05 PM
props to TT on drafting jennings. great routes, hands, and familiar with the offense. way better than falling for jackson.

Harlan Huckleby
08-01-2006, 07:01 AM
Jennings needs to be on the field a lot, as a #2, to promote his development.

Does anybody out there really beleive that Fergusson or any of those other guys are significantly better than Jennings? They aren't missing anything by keeping the other guys on the bench.

woodbuck27
08-01-2006, 08:05 AM
I still got to believe that ferg starts the year and gets his last chance. Only this time I think he will make the most of it.

I think ferg, driver, and jennings will all play good this year. Also I think ferg, driver, and jennings will be be rotating so much after week 8 no one will no who is starting, kind of like in 2003.

The offensive coaches have been harping on getting the receivers to win any jump balls with defenders. Particularly on third down or in the red zone, those are the types of plays that can change the course of a game, one way or the other.

"What we're asking our guys to do is to make the play when the play comes," OC Jeff Jagodzinski .

also JJ said:

"I've talked about the 50-50 ball, when that ball is up in the air, you have to come down with the ball."

comment: woodbuck27

I keep on this: The WR's have to protect the ball as a first priority on all difficult catch's in coverage.

MadtownPacker
08-01-2006, 08:14 AM
All this good news about Jennings makes the loss of TMurphy last season hurt worse. Favre was beginning to develop trust in Murphy as he is with Jennings now. Pack could have been doing real good at WR.

HarveyWallbangers
08-01-2006, 08:46 AM
Who knows though. If they had Murphy, maybe they wouldn't have drafted Jennings. You never know.

woodbuck27
08-01-2006, 09:49 AM
All this good news about Jennings makes the loss of TMurphy last season hurt worse. Favre was beginning to develop trust in Murphy as he is with Jennings now. Pack could have been doing real good at WR.

Isn't that the TRUTH !

I hate what happened to Terrence Murphy - so that certainly gives me compassion for any player on any NFL team to not suffer such a tragic loss to their career aspirations.

BF4MVP
08-01-2006, 10:44 AM
Jennings seems like a good pick. He may have been considered a bit of a reach on draft day, but it seems to be working out well.

Thompson has a way of finding small school gems in the second round (Collins)