The Minnesota Vikings did exactly what many of us thought they were going to do by inking ex-Packers WR Greg Jennings to a lucrative five-year deal. We all know just what capabilities Jennings brings to Minnesota, but is Greg Jennings more than an upgrade for the Vikings?
Last year Jennings missed more than half a season due to injuries, so some may say the capital gained was a risky venture. Others believe Greg Jennings has past his prime causing some mild trepidation in a few fans—but not this guy!
Personally, I love this deal. For a few years now the Minnesota Vikings have missed out on several high-profile players' sweepstakes—namely Vincent Jackson—forcing the Vikings to reap what they had sewn. But GM Rick Spielman finally made a solid move and forced the issue with Greg Jennings.
For the first time since Cris Carter—my personal opinion, here—do the Minnesota Vikings have a solid legitimate outside threat at WR. However, Greg Jennings brings more to the table than just another name.
Greg Jennings is a multi-positional WR. He can play both outside responsibilities as well as the slot position. This sort of experience is exactly what the Minnesota Vikings were hoping to get out of the estranged Percy Harvin, but never truly did.
But just how is Greg Jennings more than an upgrade for Minnesota? Well, the answer can actually be found through my fantasy spin.
Fantasy Spin: Yup, that was a shameful segway—terrible, really. Ok we all know Greg Jennings is a top notch WR, but his presence in Minnesota is almost—ALMOST—a guarantee to increase the fantasy potential of RB Adrian Peterson, TE Kyle Rudolph, WR Jarius Wright and hell, even WR Jerome Simpson should see a spike.
But let's not get too crazy with this, because deals like these tend to get blown waaay out of proportion.
The Vikings can offer more play-action with Jennings on the outside, and defenses will not be able to stack the box against Adrian Peterson as much as usual—a plus for Peterson owners.
Christian Ponder now has a legitimate down-field threat who is also an excellent route runner at his disposal—a plus for Ponder owners.
Sleeper candidate?Jarius Wright and Jerome Simpson are sure to see a great deal of open lanes and single coverage looks with Greg Jennings running around—a plus to anyone looking at either receiver.
If the Vikings deal with a team that plays terrific man coverage and/or a team that can cover all of the above, the TE Kyle Rudolph becomes target numero uno—a plus for Rudolph owners.
All of these scenarios have the potential to become reality, yes, but they also have a tendency to ramp up the giddiness in fantasy fans which often causes them to draft too early on a player that hasn't even had a chance to make his mark.
The moral of the story here is to curb the enthusiasm and stay focused on your draft approach when it nears. Yes, you can begin to adjust your rankings for the members of the Vikings—with the exception of Adrian Peterson since he's a perpetual first rounder—but don't get too crazy just yet.
Personally, I see Jennings going in the fifth or sixth round, and I'll certainly take Jarius Wright beyond the twelfth since I now see him as a viable sleeper candidate—I'll be discussing this topic later today.
Remember, make whatever adjustments you want, but do so with caution and a little patience.
Oh, and I'm sure Greg Jennings will be just fine in Minnesota, even if he does look better in green and gold!
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