Wide receiver Michael Jenkins, the Falcons’ first-round draft pick (No. 29 overall) in 2004, is now playing for the Vikings. He signed with the team shortly after his release by the Falcons on July 29, the first day of training camp. Jenkins played seven seasons with the Falcons and caught 276 passes for 3,512 yards and 20 touchdowns.
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jenkins talks about rejoining former Falcons assistant coaches Bill Musgrave and George Stewart with the Vikings and his time in Atlanta.
Q: How are things going for you in Minnesota?
A: It’s going good, actually. I’m trying to get used to this cool summer weather, 85 degrees. It’s been a great connection with the team, the organization and all the players here. It’s been a good transition.
Q: How much did that fact that Bill Musgrave and George Stewart are now in Minnesota affect your decision to sign there?
A: It was huge. Just to have a familiarity with those guys. Being with Stew and Musgrave for a few years now was a big help, especially with the learning curve here, with guys learning a new offense that I had pretty much been in the last few years. That was a huge part, especially with the kind of offseason we had this year.
Q: Is there a big difference in the offensive schemes?
A: Pretty much 80 percent of the offense was the same for me. Of course, there is new terminology and different ways we call stuff, but a lot of it was the same that I had been in. That was a huge part in me being a little bit ahead of the game here.
Q: What will your role be with the Vikings?
A: I’m just coming in to make plays, wherever need be, and helping this offense be one of the top five offenses in this league and putting a lot of points on the board.
Q: What was your reaction to being released by the Falcons?
A: It’s just part of the NFL. I had been there for seven years with one team and that’s hard to do in this day and age in the NFL. I loved every minute down there. I had a great time through the ups and the downs. It’s just part of the game. I sat down with [general manager Thomas] Dimitroff and coach [Mike] Smith. They were both there when they let me go. They said it was a hard decision for them, but I understood.
Q: But did it catch you by surprise?
A: No. Things happen for a reason. You knew once they made all their moves and got Julio [Jones], you knew something may happen after that. It wasn’t a surprise.
Q: Did you have offers from other teams before deciding on the Vikings?
A: There were other teams in the fold, but I knew it was a great situation to be able to come here. I was pleased to be able to get here.
Q: How fast did that process take?
A: There was a little grace period because teams couldn’t talk to guys until after 5 p.m. that day. After that, a few days later pretty much the deal was done.
Q: You will get a chance to see the Falcons again [on Nov. 27]. What do you think your feelings will be for that game?
A: I will get a chance to go back to the Georgia Dome. It will be fun. It will be a different experience being in the visiting locker room. It will be a fun time to get down there, see a lot of old friends and hopefully have a great game.
Q: How would you sum up your time in Atlanta?
A: It was a great time. There was a lot. It started out great, going to the NFC championship [game] as a rookie. We had some decent years after that. Then we went through the whole [Michael] Vick dogfighting thing and the [Bobby] Petrino era. That wasn’t too much fun. I think we were 3-13. The guys played for each other that year. Once coach Smith and Dimitroff got there, it was a lot of fun to get back to the playoffs, have winning years, break that streak of not having back-to-back winning seasons.
