Randall Cobb - Pro Football Rumors

Texans To Sign Randall Cobb

March 17th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Randall Cobb is headed to Houston. The Texans have agreed to sign the former Cowboys wide receiver and longtime Packers star, according to old friend James Jones (on Twitter).

Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year deal worth $27MM. The pact also includes $18.75MM guaranteed – a solid haul considering Cobb’s age and injury history.

While Cobb took a one-year, $5MM deal with the NFL’s other Texas team in 2019, this Houston pact comes in nearly as high as the deal the Packers gave him amid his prime in 2015. Cobb played out his four-year, $40MM Green Bay deal and fared well in Dallas on a prove-it pact.

Cobb, 30 in August, stayed healthy last year and appeared in 15 games for the Cowboys. Although Dallas fell short of the postseason, he had a productive campaign with 55 catches for 828 yards and three touchdowns.

In Houston, he’ll try to be part of the solution after yesterday’s shocking trade of DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. Cobb will join Kenny Stills and Will Fuller in Houston, likely stepping into a familiar slot role while the deep threats work the boundaries. However, Cobb is the only member of this trio signed beyond 2020. Both Stills and Fuller are set for UFA status in 2021, so the Texans still have work to do at wide receiver after Monday’s stunner.

NFC East Rumors: Cooper, Cobb, Giants

February 26th, 2020 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

Lots of changes are on the way for the Cowboys under new head coach Mike McCarthy, but the hope is to keep two of their big-name wide receivers in the fold. On Wednesday, McCarthy confirmed that the plan is to retain star Amari Cooper and former Packers star Randall Cobb on the roster (Twitter link via Jon Machota of The Athletic).

Cobb is coming off of a one-year, $5MM deal with $4MM guaranteed. McCarthy saw the slot receiver up-close in his prime, so it stands to reason that he could have a role in the offense.

Keeping Cooper, meanwhile, would be much more costly. Last year, the former first-round pick posted 79 catches with career-high marks in receiving yards (1,189) and touchdowns (8). He’s indicated that he won’t strictly seek dollars in his next deal, but any multi-year deal for Cooper will place him at or near the top of the WR market.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

The Giants are “open for business” when it comes to trading back in the draft, GM Dave Gettleman says (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). Still, the GM knows that there’s “risk” involved with giving up a prized selection, such as the Giants’ No. 4 overall pick. If the Giants stand pat, they could be in line for a prime Gettleman “hog mollie” in Alabama tackle Jedrick Wills. They also have ample cap room to fill their other needs, especially after cutting linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin.
If the Giants use the franchise tag to keep defensive lineman Leonard Williams and classify him as a defensive tackle, they may have to prepare for a fight, Vacchiano hears. Tagging Williams as a defensive end would net him about $2MM more in 2020 comp, but he might not have much of a case. Last year, Williams saw 466 DT snaps versus just 255 DE snaps. His split wasn’t all that different with the Jets, either.
No surprise here, but Cowboys VP Stephen Jones says the team will prioritize defense with many notables on course for free agency. “In general, defense is the priority for this offseason,” Jones said (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas News). “Whether it’s getting some our own guys back or whether it’s free agency or whether it’s the draft, if you look at our roster obviously most of our offensive roster are either under contract or are going to have restrictions to where we’re going to have a great opportunity to keep them.” Secondary stalwart Byron Jones is getting a lot of attention, but several defensive line pieces including Robert Quinn and Maliek Collins are also out-of-contract.

Injury Updates: Packers, Adams, Cardinals

October 18th, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but Davante Adams will miss another game this week, per the Packers‘ final injury report. This marks the wide receiver’s third-straight missed contest as he rehabs from a toe ailment.

Adams had a strong start to the season with 25 receptions for 378 yards before going down and seemed on his way to matching last year’s 111/1,386 posting. The Packers were able to get past the Lions without him and they’ll aim to do the same against the Raiders.

Here’s the latest on other bumps and bruises from around the NFL:

Uh oh – Cardinals running back David Johnson is dealing with a new injury. After tweaking his back against Atlanta, Johnson will be a game time decision thanks to a sore ankle, head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters.
The Cowboys will have offensive tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb, and cornerback Byron Jones are set to play on Sunday against the Eagles, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. All five are listed as questionable for the game, but they took the practice field and Friday and should be good to go.
The Eagles, on the other hand, will try to fly without: linebacker Nigel Bradham (ankle), wide receiver DeSean Jackson (abdomen), defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (foot), cornerback Avonte Maddox (concussion/neck), tackle Jason Peters (knee), and running back Darren Sproles (quadricep).
Wide receiver Kenny Stills is set to return on Sunday against the Colts, per the club’s injury report.

Packers Did Not Make Offer To Randall Cobb

June 30th, 2019 at 8:28am CST by Rory Parks

Randall Cobb, who signed with the Cowboys as a free agent in March after a long run with the Packers, appears to be feeling a bit resentful towards his old team. Cobb recently said during an interview with ESPN Wisconsin (h/t Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal), “It’s like the ex-girlfriend that broke up with you. When you see her five years later, you hope you’re in a better situation than you were before — married, with kids, and you’re able to say, ‘Yeah, I did better without you.'”

Despite a Green Bay tenure that saw him catch 517 passes for 6,120 yards and 46 touchdowns in 116 career games (including playoffs), and despite being a key figure in a number of memorable moments during that time, Cobb says the fact that the club never advanced to the Super Bowl while he was on the roster was a major disappointment, especially given how talented some of those rosters were. And he apparently wanted to come back to the Packers for another shot at helping to bring a championship to Title Town, but the interest was not mutual.

Cobb said the Packers never extended him an offer in free agency, and he even waited to see if Green Bay would change its mind after he started receiving offers from other teams, but that did not happen. So he ultimately accepted a one-year, $5MM pact to become the primary slot receiver for the Cowboys, who have lofty ambitions of their own in 2019.

The fact that Green Bay did not attempt to bring Cobb back is not terribly surprising, as he has dealt with a number of injuries since signing a four-year, $40MM contract with the club in March 2015, and he is clearly not the same player he was at the height of his career. He can still be serviceable, and the fact that the Packers are going into the season with Davante Adams and a host of mostly unproven talent at wide receiver may be irritating to him, but from an outsider’s perspective, it seems like the Packers may have made the right call.

Green Bay travels to Dallas on October 6, a date that Cobb surely has circled on his calendar.

NFC Notes: Gurley, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants

April 28th, 2019 at 9:28pm CST by Micah Powell

Much has been made about Todd Gurley and his knee, which caused him issues in the 2018 postseason. The Rams didn’t do much to quiet those rumors when they tabbed Memphis running back Darrell Henderson with the No. 70 pick in the draft.

The team, however, is adamant the pick of Henderson has nothing to do with Gurley’s status, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes. Though the team did mention monitoring the perennial Pro Bowl back’s workload.

“Like we have said all along, we anticipate Todd being a huge part of this like he has been the last couple of years,” head coach Sean McVay said. “As far as managing the workload, those are things that we talk about with Todd and as you continue to get educated on, is that something that we should do for the long haul or something that is or isn’t going to affect Todd most importantly and how does that affect our team? But we added a really good playmaker was a big thing.”

Henderson was one of college football’s stars in 2018, rushing for 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns on just 214 carries. His 8.9 yards per rush was no fluke, as he posted the exact same average as a sophomore in 2017.

It will be interesting how the Rams handle their backfield in 2019. In addition to Gurley and Henderson, the team also matched an offer for running back Malcolm Brown.

Heres’ more from around the NFC:

Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore has hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, per Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen (via Twitter). Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey will team up in repping the Maryland product, who posted 788 yards on 55 receptions in 2018.
The Cowboys are expected to be extremely cautious with cornerback Byron Jones, who underwent offseason hip surgery, the Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota tweets. Machota mentioned Jones, a breakout star in his first season as a cornerback, will be “highly managed,” but they do expect him to be ready for the start of the season.
Sticking in Dallas, new slot receiver Randall Cobb said he signed with the team because he wanted to play on a contender, Machota writes. “Once I talked to everybody I knew this was the place,” Cobb said. “I definitely believe in this team. I felt like I wanted to be on a team that was a contender and I definitely believe that we have the ability, it’s just putting the pieces together.” Cobb replaces Cole Beasley in the slot, after the latter left for Buffalo early in the 2019 offseason.
The Giants will bring back veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Though the team drafted three cornerbacks, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman left no doubt Jenkins would be back, saying, “Janoris has a bunch of puppies he has to train.”

Cowboys To Sign Randall Cobb

March 19th, 2019 at 4:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

A high-end auxiliary wide receiver will be coming to Dallas. The Cowboys agreed to terms Tuesday with Randall Cobb, Jay Glazer of The Athletic tweets. Cobb will sign a one-year, $5MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Cobb visited the Cowboys on Monday and will join the Amari Cooper-fronted receiving corps. This will provide Dak Prescott with a proven complementary target. This move figures to be about replacing slot receiver Cole Beasley, who defected to Buffalo despite considering a return to Dallas. It also gives the Cowboys a more complete receiving corps.

Cobb will join a pass-catching corps that includes 2018 third- and sixth-round picks Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, along with 2017 seventh-rounder Noah Brown and the recently unretired Jason Witten. Allen Hurns is also set to be back in the mix, despite a season-ending injury and minimal production during his first Cowboys campaign. Tavon Austin is in line to return, too, making for an interesting mix of talent vying to form Cooper’s sidekick crew.

His 2018 season shortened by injury, Cobb surpassed 600 yards each year from 2014-17. While he did not quite live up to the four-year, $40MM deal he signed with the Packers in 2015, Green Bay kept him around throughout that contract. And despite being set for his ninth NFL season, the former second-round pick is only 28.

For his career, Cobb has caught 41 touchdown passes and has accumulated more than 5,500 receiving yards. Beasley, 29, has just two 600-plus-yard seasons — including one last year. Cobb has five, and given Cooper’s status and the Cowboys’ reliance on Ezekiel Elliott, the longtime Packers cog will not be expected to produce as much as he was under the terms of his previous pact.

Cowboys To Meet With Randall Cobb

March 18th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, the Cowboys will host free agent wide receiver Randall Cobb, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Cobb, a longtime fixture of the Packers’ offense, profiles as one of the best veteran free agents remaining on the market.

The Cowboys’ need for help at wide receiver was glaring for the first half of the 2018 season, though they took a huge step towards filling that void with their midseason acquisition of Amari Cooper. More reinforcements are needed, especially with additional attention being paid to Cooper, so the Cowboys are exploring quality WR2 options such as Cobb.

Cobb has been a major producer in the Packers’ offense for a long time, but he is coming off of three straight down years. In 2016, he missed three games and finished out with 60 catches, 610 yards, and four touchdowns. In 2017, he put up a 66/653/4 line while missing only one game, though many of those contests were played without the services of Aaron Rodgers. Then, last year, injuries limited him to nine games and a 38/383/2 line.

His performances over the last three seasons are a world away from his career-high 1,287 receiving yards in 2014, or even his 800+ yard showing in 2015. Still, he won’t turn 29 until August and he could be a strong value addition for Dallas. If the Cowboys were to put Cobb and a healthy Allen Hurns alongside Cooper, they could have a potent group at WR. The return of tight end Jason Witten should also help with the Cowboys’ aerial attack.

Patriots Inquired On Packers’ Randall Cobb

March 7th, 2019 at 1:36pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s reason to believe the Patriots could target a quality wide receiver via trade. At some point last year, the Patriots inquired on Packers pass catcher Randall Cobb, according to Jay Glazer of The Athletic.

The Packers started receiving Cobb inquiries late last offseason, but wound up hanging on to the veteran. In the spring of 2018, Cobb’s roster spot was in jeopardy, but the club opted to cut fellow wide receiver Jordy Nelson instead, saving them $10.2MM against the cap. Cobb’s contract, and his $12.72MM cap hit, remained on the books for 2018. This year, Cobb is a free agent after an injury-plagued season resulted in just 38 catches for 383 yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots, in theory, could revisit the idea of adding Cobb on a low-cost one-year deal. News of their past Cobb interest may also indicate their willingness to part with some draft capital and open up the checkbook for an impact wide receiver.

Last summer, the Patriots decided against pursuing Odell Beckham Jr. as a replacement for Brandin Cooks, but one has to wonder whether they’d consider such a move now that OBJ is – somehow – involved in trade rumors after signing a mammoth extension. Other top flight WRs could be on the Pats’ radar, especially since this year’s rookie wide receiver class is a bit underwhelming.

NFC Notes: Packers, Falcons, 49ers, Lions

October 3rd, 2018 at 8:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers could potentially be without two starting receivers when they face the Lions on Sunday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Randall Cobb is dealing with a hamstring injury and worked out with a rehab group during practice today, while Geronimo Allison is in the concussion protocol. If neither pass-catcher can go, Green Bay will be forced to turn to a pair of rookie receivers, Marques Valdez-Scantling and J’Mon Moore. Valdez-Scantling took over slot duties last week while Cobb was out, so he’d probably play there in three-wide sets against Detroit. For what it’s worth, No. 1 Packers wide receiver Davante Adams was listed as limited with a calf injury on Wednesday, but he’s expected to be ready for Sunday’s divisional matchup.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Week 5 presents a good news/bad news situation for the Falcons, as running back Devonta Freeman is expected to return from a multi-game absence while defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will miss Sunday’s game against the Steelers with an ankle injury, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 1-3 Falcons have scored plenty of points with Tevin Coleman filling in for Freeman, but the latter’s return will nonetheless add another dimension to an already potent offense. Jarrett, for his part, is one of the best players left on an Atlanta defense that has already lost safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, plus linebacker Deion Jones, for the year. The Falcons rank as a bottom-six defense in yards allowed, scoring, and Football Outsiders’ DVOA.
49ers rookie wideout Dante Pettis has already been ruled out for San Francisco’s Week 5 contest against the Cardinals, reports Matt Barrows of The Athletic (Twitter link). Pettis, the 44th overall selection in this year’s draft, injured his knee on a punt return in Week 4. The Washington product produced nearly 100 receiving yards over the first two games of the season, but hasn’t caught a pass since. Fellow receiver Marquise Goodwin, who’s been hampered by a hamstring ailment all season, didn’t practice today and could also conceivably miss Sunday’s action, meaning Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor, among others, could be in for more looks.
Even after fracturing his hand in Week 4, Lions safety Quandre Diggs practiced on Wednesday and should be available for Sunday, as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News writes. Diggs, who inked a three-year, $18.6MM extension last month, has played the second-most snaps of any Detroit defender this season. If Diggs unexpectedly can’t play against the Packers, Tavon Wilson would take over at strong safety.

Packers Receiving Trade Interest In Cobb

August 23rd, 2018 at 8:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have received trade interest in wide receiver Randall Cobb, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). However, the Packers are not shopping him and expect him to be a contributor for them this season.

At one point this offseason, Cobb’s spot on the team was in jeopardy. However, the Packers opted to cut fellow wide receiver Jordy Nelson instead, saving them $10.2MM against the cap. Cobb’s contract, and his $12.72MM cap hit, remain on the books.

Cobb has been a major producer in the Packers’ offense for a long time, but he is coming off of two straight down years. In 2016, he missed three games and finished out with 60 catches, 610 yards, and four touchdowns. Last year, he put up a 66/653/4 line while missing only one game, though many of those contests were played without the services of Aaron Rodgers. His performances over the last two seasons are a world away from his career-high 1,287 receiving yards in 2014, or even his 800+ yard showing in 2015.

This year, Cobb figures to serve as the Packers’ WR2 behind Davante Adams and ahead of Geronimo Allison.