As the Minnesota Vikings enter into training camp, the roster is mixed with a fair amount of youth and veteran talent. Each position group has at least one veteran that will help round out the younger players and influence their behavior. When the Vikings acquired Greg Jennings in the offseason, they were hoping he could do just that. The almost 30-year-old wide receiver is expected to guide several other young talents into becoming the super star that he is like today.
Jennings has only spent a small amount of time in Minnesota, but he is already making his presence felt with teammates and head coaches. The Vikings are letting Jennings do things the way he always has and hoping that his experience and leadership rubs off.
"It's not a free-for-all. There's structure," Jennings said. "But there's liberty. You can breathe. It's like, 'Ok, I can do my thing.' You know what you need to do, you get it done. Whereas [in Green Bay], everything was more cookie-cutter...It's just different. In a good way. And not knocking what we did there. Because obviously it was successful. But here, no one's walking on egg shells."
While the Vikings are taking a different approach with Jennings, they are certainly hoping that he can bring the same amount of success and influence to the team like he had with the Packers. Jennings is expected to be a mentor to a young receiving group that features Cordarrelle Patterson, a player that have the Vikings very excited.
Jennings and Patterson have already spent a fair amount of time with one another. The veteran is helping the rookie learn the playbook, understand how to work during a professional game and how to capitalize off his talents. Already, Jennings is impressed with what he sees.
"I remember coming out of college. I had that definitive step. That kind of gets washed out because everything they teach you is that they want everything to look the same. The definitive step starts to kind of fade away, that that's what creates that separation. I just told him, do not lose that. Because the more I see him do that, the more I remember when I used to do that and create so much, even more separation," Jennings said.
When Jennings was in Green Bay, he had a strong influence over young receiver Randall Cobb, who is now one of Aaron Rodgers top targets. Even Cobb noted the power Jennings had on him and credited the veteran for the player he has become today. Minnesota is banking on the same things happening with Patterson throughout training camp.
