KIRKLAND – When veteran receiver D.J. Hackett reported to minicamps last summer, he was excited about the matchup advantages he had against the Seattle Seahawks’ hotshot rookie.
Cornerback Kelly Jennings, a recent first-round pick from the University of Miami back then, showed up with impressive quickness but not much bulk. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Hackett learned quickly that his own size and physical game would be too much for the slight rookie.
This summer? Well, that’s a different story.
“He’s put a little bit of weight on, so it’s not as easy to throw him around,” Hackett said of the man who is expected to step in for released veteran Kelly Herndon as the starting cornerback.
“He’s a little tougher matchup. He’s always had great quickness, but he’s stronger now.”
Thanks in part to a dedicated offseason in the weight room, Jennings not only earned the inside track on a starting job, but also has the strength to keep it.
The man who earned the nickname Slim because of his 5-foot-10, 178-pound frame said that while his size has not changed, he has added 15 pounds to his bench press and also has improved his numbers on the squat machine.
“My weight was always a concern,” he said. “So I really hit the weight room.”
That’s not the only area where Jennings has developed. He also has been putting in more time in the film room, working with new veteran safety Brian Russell to study opposing offenses and defensive concepts.
“He does a lot of that,” Jennings said of Russell, who is entering his sixth NFL season. “And so working with him, I already feel like I’m getting better.”
Jennings also has gained the confidence that can only come with having some NFL success. He was forced into the starting lineup late in his rookie season because the Seahawks’ secondary was decimated by injuries. He started the regular-season finale and both playoff games, seeing time against former Pro Bowlers Terrell Owens (Dallas) and Muhsin Muhammad (Chicago) in the postseason.
“Coming into this season, I know what to expect,” said Jennings, who spent most of last season as Seattle’s nickel cornerback. “The whole season last year I was nervous and trying to learn the system. Now it’s just about going out, playing football and not worrying about any of that.”
The Seahawks showed their confidence in Jennings with last Friday’s release of Herndon. While coach Holmgren claimed that Jennings’s improved play was not a major factor in the decision to cut Herndon, he did say that the second-year cornerback is ready for the challenge.
“Now that Herndon is gone, it is pretty much his position to lose,” Holmgren said. “He is fine. I think in your second year playing the corner position, he comes in with more confidence. He played against some very good people last year and should be fine.”
Jennings said that the release of Herndon served as an affirmation of his place as a starter.
“I was his backup, and now he’s gone,” Jennings said. “But it’s still my job to hold down. I can’t go out and think I’ve got it easy now. I’ve got to treat it the same way I did before they let him go, because nothing’s set in stone.”
Defensive coordinator John Marshall admitted that the team sees Jennings as a probable starter, but he also said that the job is still up in the air.
“There’s still a competition there, but he’s making great strides to get that job,” Marshall said. “Some of the moves reflect the confidence have in players, and we’re certainly confident that he can get job done.
“He knows what it takes to play in league. Every game won’t be a new experience for him. I would expect an improved Kelly Jennings this year. I see him being a better player and better contributor than he was last year.”
Even the receiver that used to push Jennings around is confident that he’ll thrive in his second NFL season.
“He’s good,” said Hackett, who caught 45 passes during a breakout year in his third NFL season in 2006. “He saw a little bit of it last year, and now he’s gotten a little more of a taste so he knows what to expect.”
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