He looked like a certain trade candidate or roster cut, but Anfernee Jennings surprisingly kept his place on the 53-man roster for the New England Patriots, despite his struggles adapting to a defensive scheme totally alien to what he’s played in both college and the NFL.
Jennings spoke out about the difficulties he’s experienced and still faces getting used to the changes. The edge defender also made clear how he intends to proceed after his reprieve on roster cutdown day.
At the moment, Jennings is merely relieved to simply be sticking around. He explained to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels how remaining in New England “means a lot. At the end of the day, at heart, I’m a Patriot. I love being out here. I love playing. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Relief will soon turn to anguish if Jennings can’t master the playbook installed by new head coach Mike Vrabel and his defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
Anfernee Jennings Still Faces Uphill Battle
There’s a reason Jennings was tabbed as trade bait or tipped to be replaced by a practice-squad player. He simply isn’t a fit for the new direction the Patriots are going in defensively, a shift Jennings hadn’t dealt with even before he entered the pros.
The Pats’ third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft detailed the differences to Daniels. Jennings pointed out how “this has probably been one of my more difficult – not difficult, but I had a big-time adjustment. I’ve been in a similar defense since college – a 3-4 outside linebacker. Having to learn a new scheme, learning coaches, players, and how to do my job differently, it’s been humbling for me just to be able to do that. I’m looking forward to the season.”
Being a prototypical 3-4 outside ‘backer made Jennings an asset for Vrabel’s predecessors Jerod Mayo and Bill Belichick. The latter long stayed tethered to the principles of a traditional 3-4 scheme, demanding big-bodied linebackers take on offensive linemen and set a wall against the run. It’s also what Jennings played for Belichick confidante Nick Saban at Alabama.
Jennings was still “asked to ‘set the edge’ of the defense. That meant containing the offense’s right or left edge and not allowing people to move upfield” for the Patriots, according to Daniels.
This throwback role brought out the best in Jennings, evidenced by these run stops against the Tennessee Titans last season, highlighted by Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
There’s hops Jennings’ niche skill can still have value for Vrabel, who plans to keep some familiar stuff in this season’s scheme. Yet, Vrabel also wants more of a pass-rushing threat from those up front, including Jennings.
Patriots Have New Priority Defensively
Vrabel and Williams want a more active defensive line to revamp a pass rush that logged a league-low 28 sacks a year ago. It’s why edge defenders will now be “asked to attack and get upfield to the quarterback, according to Daniels, who noted “the Patriots have mainly relied on Harold Landry, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Keion White in that role. Undrafted free agent Elijah Ponder also received reps with the starters.”
Jennings’ absence from that list is telling, but he did flash some comfort with the new system late in preseason. Notably when the 28-year-old was in on three sacks against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, with the last of those takedowns highlighted by Ben Brown of The QB List.
More plays like this will be essential if Jennings is going to get onto the field ahead of more dynamic edge-rushers. It won’t be easy, even after Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf sent highly touted fifth-round draft pick Bradyn Swinson to the practice squad, per Patriots.com Senior Reporter Evan Lazar.
The former LSU stud has been joined by Truman Jones, another apparent sleeper on the edge who was supposed to be competition for Jennings. There’s now room for Jennings to force his way into the rotation, provided he adds some nuance to his plan as a pass-rusher.
He’s got the frame at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds, but Jennings is missing the first-step quickness and varied leverage to consistently win around the corner. Those deficiencies are why the veteran told Daniels, “I can only control what I can control. Everything else, I don’t have control over that. I can control my attitude, my effort, and how I show up. That’s how I try to focus.”
That’s the right attitude, but it will take more than hustle for Jennings to stay a factor in a crowded rotation expected to power a more attacking scheme.
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