Saturday,  March 16, 2013 • Vol. 14--No. 240 • 31 of 49 •  Other Editions

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• The two-time Pro Bowl pick will immediately be the leader of a non-descript group that includes Jerome Simpson, who is coming off an injury-plagued 2012 season, and second-year slot receiver Jarius Wright. Jennings will be counted on not only to help Ponder but the teammates at his position, including any rookies they draft next month.
• The transition from a former league MVP in Aaron Rodgers to the still-developing Ponder won't be easy. Jennings spoke highly of his time in Green Bay, where he was drafted in the second round in 2006 and spent seven years catching passes from Favre and Rodgers.
• He spoke honestly about the hesitation of playing with a quarterback who has been wildly inconsistent in his first two years in the league. So he sat down and watched some video of the Vikings from last season.
• "I had to watch Christian," Jennings said. "I had to see what I was giving myself into. Very athletic quarterback, obviously his upside, his future is bright. I saw a young guy that was maturing."
• What Jennings does have now that he never did in Green Bay, however, is an All-Pro running back. A league MVP, in fact. Adrian Peterson finished last season 9 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record.
• Jennings has admired Peterson from the other side for years, never more so than in 2012 when he watched Peterson come back from a torn ACL in his left knee to carry the Vikings offense into the playoffs last season.
• "You see a guy like 'All Day' sitting in that backfield and you see the cluster of guys that are gathered in that box for him, it's going to be some special things taking place," Jennings said, smiling again.
• Widely praised as a respected locker room presence who relished charitable work in the Green Bay community, Jennings will certainly be a breath of fresh air in Minnesota off the field as well.
• One of the main reasons the Vikings parted with Harvin was the trouble the volatile 24-year-old would occasionally cause behind the scenes. That probably won't be an issue with Jennings.
• "He's as great player," Ponder said of Jennings earlier this week. "He's been doing great things in Green Bay, and he'd bring leadership to that position. Kind of a dynamic guy you can put in the slot and outside. I've always admired his work in Green Bay, and he seems like a great guy to have on a team."
• Said coach Leslie Frazier: "We're really excited about the fact that he brings high character. He's a tremendous athlete. We all know that. But what he'll bring to our locker room, the energy that he'll bring to what we do at practice along with his lead

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