There’s a New Jauan Jennings Report
Free agent receiver Jauan Jennings could fill Minnesota’s WR3 opening. He visited the Vikings but left without a deal, and he also hasn’t gotten one from another franchise in nearly two months of free agency. A new report might give us some clarity on why that’s the case.
Coming off a couple of strong seasons in San Francisco, Jennings was viewed as one of the best receivers on the market, but the NFL doesn’t regard him as highly, apparently. There’s not a single team in the league that couldn’t use his services in the receiving rotation. However, the question of how highly he should rank on the depth chart and the payroll seems to be the primary issue.
Albert Breer of SI.com explained in a recent article why the top free agents are still available at this point in the year.
He put free agents into buckets. Some have injuries, others are aging. And then there’s the group of players, who, like Jennings, have “overshot their market.”
Breer explained, “First, you have players who may have overshot their markets in the first place. These things happen, and in some cases, it’s because of past experiences they had taking deals that might, in retrospect, look team-friendly. 49ers WR Jauan Jennings is a good example of that, looking for No. 2 receiver money. Chargers G Mekhi Becton might be another one, who simply thought he had more value than the rest of the league did. Browns TE David Njoku is a little older, but I’d say he’s in this group, too.”
Sounds like salary demands stand between Jennings and employment in the Twin Cities. Jennings, relatively to his football peers, hasn’t broken the bank in his career. In six NFL seasons, he has career earnings of just over $24 million. A lot of money outside of football, but 18 receivers make that or more per season.
What actually is “No. 2 receiver money”?
There’s a wide range of annual salaries among WR2s in the NFL. Tee Higgins and Jameson Williams come close to $30 million a year. DeVonta Smith and Davante Adams make more than $20 million. But they are borderline top wideouts and Jennings is unlikely to aim for their checks.
More realistic comparisons fall within the $13 million to $18 million range. Among others, that list includes Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Michael Pittman Jr., Romeo Doubs, Wan’Dale Robinson, Jayden Reed, Cooper Kupp, and Khalil Shakir.
Those guys can’t/shouldn’t be the top option in an NFL passing attack, and if Jennings was included, nobody would bat an eye.
His recent production suggests that Jennings should be part of that list. In the last two years, his average per-season output is 809 yards and 7.5 touchdowns in 15 games. Just for comparison, Jordan Addison’s per-season numbers over his career show 799 yards and 7.3 touchdowns as a pass-catcher. Last year’s 65-yard rushing touchdown would give the three-year Viking a slight edge.
Long story short, he’s producing like a WR2, so WR2 demands shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The Vikings can either pay him around $15 million a year, or they have to look elsewhere for another established wideout to pair with Justin Jefferson and Addison. Jalen Nailor departed in March and signed a three-year, $35 million deal in Las Vegas, paying him an average of $12.67 million per season with roughly half the production.
Jennings is a different type of receiver than speedster Nailor. He can do various jobs, including blocking, and would address the lack of size in the receiving room at 6’3″ and 212 lbs.
The free agency market still has some high-profile names, but they are all well past their primes. Finding a free agent receiver that isn’t on the wrong side of 30 in May is a challenge.
Ultimately, the Vikings might not be willing to match Jennings’ asking price. A cheaper option could be DeAndre Hopkins. Kyler Murray’s old pal will turn 34 next month, but he can still catch and played for only $5 million last year. Another year older, he might be even cheaper now and he has already expressed interest in reuniting with his former passer.
Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, and Keenan Allen are prominent names, but might not fit the profile of a low-cost WR3 that’s still bringing some juice to an offense.
The most affordable WR3 candidate for the Vikings can’t be ignored. Already on the roster, Minnesota could just promote sophomore Tai Felton. That has worked in recent years with K.J. Osborn and Nailor.
Jennings’ free agency journey will continue. It remains to be seen if it ends in Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.