MINNEAPOLIS -- Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings gave Greg Jennings a five-year, $45 million deal, after Mike Wallace got a five-year, $60 million deal from the Miami Dolphins. The Vikings were in pursuit of Wallace that year, and if you believe what his father had to say at the time, the Vikings offered even more money than the Dolphins did.

So when Jennings signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Dolphins on Thursday -- more than a month after the Vikings released him following a trade to acquire Wallace -- it felt like both receivers had taken a circuitous route to where they belonged the whole time.

Neither Wallace's time in Miami nor Jennings' time in Minnesota worked out the way all parties hoped it would in 2013. If it had, Jennings wouldn't have been on the market this spring, and Wallace wouldn't have been available for a fifth-round pick. It's well-documented that quarterback instability was a major factor in Jennings' underwhelming numbers in Minnesota, but a receiver who'd also played his whole career in West Coast offenses wasn't going to be an ideal fit for Norv Turner's Air Coryell scheme.

"We would have still used him in a lot of different ways, but maybe not as much as he would want to be used," coach Mike Zimmer said at the NFL owners meetings last month. That would seem to suggest Jennings would have taken on a smaller role in the Vikings' offense -- and as evidenced by the fact the team approached Jennings about a pay cut before releasing him, the Vikings had interest in bringing him back at a smaller salary. Now, Jennings will be reunited in Miami with Joe Philbin, who was his offensive coordinator in Green Bay. Wallace, on the other hand, is part of a scheme that should make better use of his speed.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed just 26.5 percent of his throws of 20 yards or longer last year, which was the third-worst percentage in the league. Wallace, who caught 11, 16 and 11 throws of 20-plus yards during his first three years with Pittsburgh, had just 12 in his entire time with the Dolphins. During his first season in Miami, the Dolphins tried to throw 32 deep balls to Wallace, and connected on just six. Last year, Wallace's 22 targets of 20-plus yards were his fewest since his rookie season.

The Vikings coveted Wallace's speed, after coach Mike Zimmer had prepared to play against him in Cincinnati, offensive coordinator Norv Turner saw him in Cleveland and running backs coach Kirby Wilson worked with him in Pittsburgh. They believe he can rebound in their system, especially as quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's downfield accuracy improved toward the end of the year. Jennings, on the other hand, will land in a familiar scheme, and his ability to run after the catch could help the Dolphins' passing game even with a quarterback who isn't terribly accurate downfield.

It took both receivers a couple years, and their respective detours might have hurt their value somewhat. But now, it feels like both Wallace and Jennings have arrived at the destinations that might have made sense two years ago.