Good stuff from Greg Jennings regarding signing with the fins....the more i hear about and from Jennings, the more excited I get about having him, especially if he plays outside.
From miamidolphins.com, by Alain Poupart
From miamidolphins.com, by Alain Poupart
Wide receiver Greg Jenningsbrings quite an impressive resume to the Miami Dolphins. It includes more than 8,000 career receiving yards, three 1,000-yard seasons, a couple of Pro Bowl appearances and 114 career starts.
But Jennings says there’s a lot more to come.
“I personally don’t feel like I have anything to prove, but given this arena, you have to prove what you can do and who you are every single time you step on the field,” Jennings said Thursday during a conference call with South Florida reporters. “I’ve been fortunate to have a great career and it’s going to get better now that I’m down in Miami, I believe that. I’m excited about working with guys like Ryan (Tannehill) and getting to be on the same team as (Ndamukong) Suh, instead of having him chase me down for the last five, six years. It’s exciting.”
When he officially signed a two-year deal Thursday, Jennings became the elder statesman of the Dolphins’ wide receiver corps.
He joins a group that inlcudes fellow newcomer Kenny Stills
Jennings, who will turn 32 in September and has been in the NFL since 2006, said he’s prepared and willing to play the role of veteran leader.
“My previous place of work, here in Minnesota, that was pretty much my role as well,” Jennings said. “In Green Bay, it kind of evolved into that alongside Donald Driver. That’s a role that I’m comfortable with having.
“I definitely want the guys that I’m going to be in the room with to understand, as well as you guys to know, that I’m not just there as a leader, I’m there as a servant as well. I’m there to learn just like everybody else. I’m there to sponge just like everybody else. I think if I come in there with the mind-set of I have something for you, that’s always the wrong approach and that’s never been me. I’m going there to learn from those young guys, just as I expect them to want to learn from me. It’s always a give-and-take relationship.”
Jennings is coming off a 2014 season during which he caught 59 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns for the Vikings.
He played primarily in the slot, where Landry excelled last season. Jennings said he would be perfectly happy going back outside, where he had so much success in Green Bay.
“I would love to go outside,” Jennings said. “I know Coach (Joe) Philbin knows what I can do outside. When it comes to what my snaps were this past year, the way Norv (Turner) wanted to use me was more in the slot. That was Norv’s system. That was how Norv saw things. But wherever I’m utilized, I’m going to make the best of the opportunity, whether it’s in the slot or outside.”
Indeed, Philbin and Jennings are very familiar with each other.
They spent six years together in Green Bay when Philbin was a member of the coaching staff, including five years when Philbin was the offensive coordinator.
Jennings said Philbin was instrumental in his decision to sign with the Dolphins.
“He played a big role,” Jennings said. “Joe and I talked frequently, whether it be over the phone, via text mail. I kept him up to date on the different visits and always was open and honest with him as he’s always been dating back to our time together in Green Bay. I know what kind of man he is, the values, the morals that he has and instills within his own guys as well as those that are in him. I can be upfront and forthright with him. That’s not always the case when it comes to making decision like this.”
Likewise, Philbin spoke highly of Jennings last December before the Dolphins were getting ready to face Jennings and the Vikings.
“He was a great professional when I worked with him,” Philbin said. “I really have a lot of respect for him. He has a wonderful family, his wife Nicole. He’s a consummate pro when I was with him and an excellent football player.”
Jennings said his wife was part of the decision-making process when it came time to find a new team for the 2015 season.
He first visited the Dolphins a little bit more than two weeks ago, but wanted to make sure he investigated every opportunity before making a final decision.
“My initial visit, everyone knew coming in every visit, every place that we went, my wife and I went in letting them know that we wanted to go through the entire process, so there was no expectation of signing, coming to terms on a deal while we were on our visits, because we wanted to experience the entire process and we wanted to weigh all options,” Jennings said. “That was the case. So yesterday, talking with (Executive Vice President of Football Operations) Mike Tannenbaum and Joe and coming to terms on the deal that everyone was excited about and satisfied with, it really didn’t take a whole lot.
“I was excited about what they were doing there, the organization, obviously I know what Coach Philbin brings and what he is going to do. The only kind of gray area for me was I didn’t know Mike Tannenbaum, I didn’t know (General Manager) Dennis Hickey, I didn’t know all of the other moving parts and having gone down there gave me the opportunity to sit with them and get a gauge on who they are, what they’re about. My wife and I are really, really comfortable with this decision.”
Jennings has started at least 13 games every year since he was a rookie — except for 2012 when an injury limited him to eight games and five starts — but he’s not coming to Miami with demands or expectations when it comes to playing time or targets.
He says his only concern is continuing to grow as a player.
“My job is to come down there with the expectation to work, to compete, not with my counterparts, my teammates, but with myself, to better who I am as a player,” Jennings said. “That’s always been my focal point. I’m not one that drives this vehicle, using a car analogy, with a rearview mirror. I’m not concerned with everyone else around me when it comes to what I bring to the table.
“I believe in my abilities and my talent. I’m constantly trying to do what it takes to get better and progress. That’s my approach. When it comes to targets and opportunities, that will all come. I just want to make sure that I’m doing my job to help the team win.”
