Randall Cobb - Pro Football Rumors

Texans FA Rumors: WRs, Wilfork, Hoyer, Parker,

March 7th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

Either by trade or release, it seems inevitable that Andre Johnson will not be a member of the Texans sooner rather than later. DeAndre Hopkins emerged as a capable number one option last year, but the team will need to add pass catching talent if they want to improve on offense without their franchise leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

The team will likely pursue top free agent receivers such as Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin to line up across from Hopkins in 2015, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He believes that Torrey Smith could be an option as well.

Here are some other notes surrounding the Texans’ free agency plans:

One huge name the Texans could have a shot at bringing in is former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, writes McClain (via Twitter). He adds that Wilfork knows head coach Bill O’Brien from their time together in New England, and is especially close with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell.
The team could also be interested in Chiefs safety Ron Parker, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
Five or six teams have expressed interest in Brian Hoyer as either a starter or high-level backup, reported Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The Texans appear to be on that list (via Twitter).
McClain also opined on how he expects the team to approach free agency in general, saying he does not expect the team to sign many big name guys due to the self-imposed budgets they have on how they value players (via Twitter). He writes that teams with more cap space will likely overpay for their services. He adds that the Texans have a history of overpaying to retain players, but rarely chase other team’s free agents (via Twitter). He cites the regrettable signings of Ed Reed and Ahman Green as reasons the team will likely be quiet in free agency.

FA Rumors: Cobb, Hartline, Branch, C. Williams

March 4th, 2015 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

With 2015’s free agent period less than a week away, plenty of rumors are swirling around players who are set to become available on Tuesday, as well as players who have reached the open market early. Here’s the latest:

According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers have told agent Jimmy Sexton that they’d be interested in signing wide receiver Randall Cobb for a five-year deal worth between $8MM and $9MM per year. Seemingly confident that his client will receive more lucrative offers on the open market, Sexton hasn’t accepted Green Bay’s proposal. “Sexton does a good job for his players,” one NFL team executive tells McGinn. “He measures the market well and knows how to create a market for his clients as well.”
After visiting the Browns yesterday, wide receiver Brian Hartline headed to Chicago and is meeting with the Bears today, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Hartline’s visit in Cleveland “went really well,” per Florio, who says the ex-Dolphin hopes to decide on his new team within the next 24 hours. While other teams have shown interest in Hartline, it seems likely that the Browns and Bears would be the frontrunners if he anticipates a quick decision.
Safety Tyvon Branch, whose release was made official by the Raiders this week, will visit the Colts, a source tells Conor Orr of NFL.com (Twitter link). Orr’s report suggests that Branch’s meeting with Indianapolis will be the first of several visits for the free agent defensive back.
There has been heavy interest thus far in ex-Eagles cornerback Cary Williams, with a dozen teams contacting his agent since he was cut by Philadelphia, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams, who is believed to have interest in a reunion with the Ravens, has also drawn interest from the Titans, who “kicked the tires” on the free agent corner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
Jacoby Jones‘ next visit will be to San Diego to meet with the Chargers, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The veteran receiver and return man previously made trips to talk to the Bengals and the Titans.
Lyons Yellin of WWL-TV in New Orleans tweets that he has heard rumblings about the Eagles being interested in Mark Ingram. With the club poised to send starting running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo, its reported interest in Ingram certainly makes a little more sense.

Randall Cobb’s Price Up To $12MM Per Year?

March 2nd, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers elected not to use their franchise tag on Randall Cobb, meaning he won’t be in line for a salary of $12.823MM for the 2015 season. However, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cobb’s price tag in free agency may approach that figure. A source tells Silverstein that word going around at the NFL combine among league executives and personnel staff suggested Cobb’s asking price is up to $12MM per year.

A report a couple weeks ago suggested that Cobb would be seeking $9MM per year, which I said at the time would be reasonable for the Packers. That would have put Cobb in line with No. 1 receiver Jordy Nelson, who is earning just under $10MM per season. If Cobb’s asking price is up to $12MM though, it makes sense that Green Bay would allow the wideout and agent Jimmy Sexton to explore the open market. While Cobb certainly wouldn’t be easily replaceable, he’s not as crucial to Green Bay’s offense as Nelson or – of course – Aaron Rodgers, and investing significant money in him would limit the club’s ability to add talent elsewhere.

In his first full season as a starter in 2014, Cobb put up No. 1 receiver numbers, totaling 1,287 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. Still, those numbers likely wouldn’t look quite as good if he weren’t catching balls from arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. As we saw with Eric Decker a year ago, posting huge numbers in a dynamic offense led by an MVP quarterback doesn’t always lead to a massive payday — Decker’s deal with the Jets averaged just over $7MM annually.

While Cobb may not ultimately land $12MM per year, his best chance of doing so should come on the open market. There are several teams with a need at wide receiver, and many of those teams have a ton of cap space available. One club to watch would be the Raiders — GM Reggie McKenzie was in the Packers’ front office when the team drafted Cobb in 2011, and only Jacksonville has more projected cap room than Oakland this winter.

NFC Links: Willis, Bowman, Johnson, Cobb

February 28th, 2015 at 1:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers have a pair of decisions to make on their All-Pro inside linebackers, who are scheduled to make nearly $14MM in 2015. Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman both missed significant time with injuries last year, but replacements Chris Borland and Michael Wilhoite filled in admirably. However, general manager Trent Baalke is confident both Willis and Bowman will be back next season, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I think if you look into those numbers, they’re not as daunting as you might think,” Baalke said.

Here are some more links from around the NFC:

The 49ers also have a decision to make on veteran receiver Stevie Johnson. There is much debate over whether the team will release him or ask him to take a pay cut to stay with the team, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio adds that the club is unlikely to release him without first trying to negotiate a new contract number.
The Packers have a huge question mark on offense as the team has not made progress in extension talks with Randall Cobb, but the team is still focused on re-signing the star slot receiver, writes Rob Demovsky in his mailbag for ESPN.
There has also been rumors that the Buccaneers have asked star wide receiver Vincent Jackson to take a pay cut, but that is not true according to Florio. He writes that the team could ask him to do so down the line, but more than likely won’t since they believe he is an important part of the team and that his contract reflects the current market for wide receivers.

AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Ravens, Jags, Raiders

February 28th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with some notes from the AFC…

With Robert Geathers now out of the picture, Coley Harvey believes there’s little chance that the Bengals move on from defensive tackle Domata Peko. While the 30-year-old didn’t have a great 2014 season, the writer opines that he played well at times, and Harvey notes that Peko is viewed as a leader in the locker room.
Considering the Bengals only have A.J. Green‘s future contract to worry about, Harvey could envision the team making a splash in free agency. The writer suggests Greg Hardy and Jerry Hughes as options, but he warns that the duo may prove to be too pricey.
If the Ravens lose out on Justin Forsett in free agency, Jamison Hensley says the team will pursue a running back in both the draft and free agency. The team still hopes to keep the veteran back, though, especially considering his impact on younger players.
Hensley isn’t worried if Torrey Smith ultimately decides to leave Baltimore. When taking a look at potential cap casualties in the wideout market, the writer points to Saints wideout Marques Colston as being an option for the Ravens.
Michael DiRocco says the Jaguars focus heading into free agency is acquiring a wideout, a right tackle and a “pass-catching” tight end. The writer suggest Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga and Julius Thomas for each of the three, respective positions.
Bill Williamson believes the Raiders could trade their first-round pick as they look to compile as many selections as possible.

Extra Points: Cobb, Ravens, Clary

February 26th, 2015 at 11:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers have not given up hope on re-signing Randall Cobb, per ESPNWisconsin’s Jason Wilde, despite a report earlier this week indicating they were prioritizing their other free agents.

Wilde cites multiple sources indicating the Packers remain persistent in their efforts to re-sign Cobb, who at 25 is younger than the majority of the players headlining this year’s unrestricted free agent market. The earlier report came from CBSSports’ Jason La Canfora and noted Green Bay is focused on keeping Bryan Bulaga, probably the top free agent right tackle, and defensive tackle Letroy Guion.

Should Cobb, who set career highs in receptions, yards and TDs last year, reach the market like recent Packers pass-catchers Greg Jennings and James Jones, he could be the top WR available with Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant set to be franchised. The Packers have more than $32MM in cap space and have Jordy Nelson on a reasonable $4.6MM number at present.

Some additional links from Thursday night …

The Ravens also have several players primed to reach the open market, and OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald examines who they should retain, allow to exit and whose contracts need restructuring. At $4.7MM of space, the Ravens have Torrey Smith and Pernell McPhee heading a talented contingent heading for free agency and won’t be able to have as open of discussions regarding their own free agents as the Packers can.
The Chargers cut Jeromey Clary with a failed physical designation, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun noted on Twitter. Clary, 31, announced his retirement back in January. Although he was a sixth-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle. In his final season with the Chargers, the veteran lineman accepted a pay cut that reduced his base salary from $4.55MM to $1.6MM.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

La Canfora On Manning, Suh, McCown, Saints

February 25th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Weighing in on two of the biggest offseason stories, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com leads off his latest piece by looking at the Peyton Manning and Ndamukong Suh situations. In La Canfora’s view, Manning will ultimately return to the Broncos after the two sides tweak his contract a little. As for Suh, the CBSSports.com scribe doesn’t have any updates on the Lions‘ talks with the defensive star, but says he thinks the Jaguars and Raiders will be major players. For those teams to be involved in the Suh derby, he’d have to reach the open market, which would mean no long-term deal or franchise tag from Detroit.

La Canfora also passes along plenty more tidbits related to free agency, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

When it comes to the market’s top pass rushers, La Canfora thinks Pernell McPhee can reach $10MM per year, with Jerry Hughes in the $9MM range, and Brandon Graham and Jason Worilds around $7.5MM. La Canfora also believes that all four of those players will join new teams next month.
Free agent quarterback Josh McCown is expected to decide on his new team later this week or early next week, and could land another deal worth $5MM annually. The Bills and Browns look like the best bets for McCown, according to La Canfora.
The Saints are working through contract issues with about a half-dozen players on their roster, sources tell La Canfora. If things work out the way the team hopes, Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, and Curtis Lofton would likely stick around on reduced salaries, while Ben Grubbs, Brodrick Bunkley, and David Hawthorne could be let go. As for Junior Galette, La Canfora is hearing that head coach Sean Payton has “expressed a desire” to part ways with him, following his January arrest. However, Galette’s contract still contains a sizeable chunk of guaranteed money, and the team likely can’t void those guarantees.
Percy Harvin probably won’t accept a pay cut from the Jets, which means the team will likely cut him. La Canfora expects the wideout to gamble himself in free agency, signing a one-year deal with a team that has a good quarterback in place.
The Jaguars will be seeking a top pass catcher, and La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if the team lands a player like Randall Cobb or Julius Thomas. Per La Canfora, the Packers recognize Cobb’s market could get out of hand, and may focus on re-signing other key free agents, like Bryan Bulaga and Letroy Guion.
Chiefs center Rodney Hudson came very close to signing a four-year extension worth $6MM per year during the season. He’s a good bet to exceed that amount in free agency, and the Raiders are one viable suitor.
La Canfora anticipates the Ravens will work out a restructured deal with Lardarius Webb, but isn’t as certain about Haloti Ngata, who may play for a new team in 2015.
The Jets would have interest in Ryan Mallett if he reaches the open market. However, the Texans have made their interest in the quarterback clear, and Mallett himself said today that he’d like to return to Houston (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).

AFC West Notes: Rivers, Cobb, Chargers

February 24th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

The expectation around the NFL is that the Raiders will make a run at wide receiver Randall Cobb, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets. However, the Packers aren’t expected to let him hit the open market, so they might not even get the chance to pursue him. A look at the AFC West..

The uncertainty of where the Chargers might end up playing doesn’t figure to have major implications on Philip Rivers as he ponders signing with the team beyond 2015, Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. “Is the location of this team going to be a deciding factor? I can’t honestly tell you that it will be,” Rivers told Darren Smith of The Mighty 1090. “Is it a factor at all? Sure, but I can’t tell you that it’s at the top of the list, because it’s just really not. That goes without saying I hope we’re staying. But should we move, it doesn’t move to the top of my list for deterrents for not being a Charger.” Rivers is entering final year of a deal that will pay him $15.75MM in base salary and count more than $17MM against the salary cap. Chargers GM Tom Telesco said earlier this year he wants Rivers to be a Charger for life but the two sides have yet to have discussions about restructuring his contract.
Raiders middle linebacker Nick Roach, who missed the entire 2014 season after suffering a concussion in a preseason game, is still having headaches and is not expected to return next season, team sources told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. After playing every defensive snap for Oakland in 2013, Roach suffered the concussion in a preseason game against the Packers in August. He briefly returned to practice in September but never made it back into live action.
Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star spoke with NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks, whose latest mock has the Chiefs taking Marcus Mariota at No. 18. Brooks wouldn’t be concerned if Mariota took a slide, largely due to concerns about the amount of time it would take for him to transition to the pro game from Oregon’s uptempo spread offense. And, while the Chiefs have Alex Smith under center, Chiefs GM John Dorsey was in Green Bay when they took Aaron Rodgers in the first round and sat him for three years behind Brett Favre.

Randall Cobb Seeking $9MM Per Year?

February 16th, 2015 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

As I outlined this morning, 2015’s franchise tag period begins today, which means teams will have two weeks to assign franchise or transition tags to potential free agents. One candidate for the tag is Packers wideout Randall Cobb, but Green Bay would presumably much rather work out a longer-term arrangement with Cobb. And according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, early indications are that Cobb will be seeking about $9MM per year on a multiyear contract.

If that is indeed Cobb’s asking price, it should be within reason for the Packers. As Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com observes (via Twitter), Green Bay signed Greg Jennings to a three-year deal worth $9MM annually coming off his rookie contract, and while salaries around the league have risen since then, Jennings also was a little more consistently productive during his first four NFL seasons than Cobb has been in his.

In his first full season as a starter in 2014, Cobb put up No. 1 receiver numbers, totaling 1,287 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 receptions. However, those numbers likely wouldn’t look quite as good if he weren’t catching balls from 2014 MVP – and arguably the best quarterback in the NFL – Aaron Rodgers. As we saw with Eric Decker a year ago, posting huge numbers in a dynamic offense led by an MVP quarterback doesn’t always lead to a massive payday — Decker’s deal with the Jets averaged just over $7MM annually.

In Cobb’s case, the Packers also have to consider the presence of Jordy Nelson. Nelson is more of a traditional No. 1 wideout than Cobb, and he signed an extension last year for four years and $39MM. As I wrote in December, Green Bay may want to keep Cobb’s deal in line with Nelson’s or slightly lower, so a $9MM annual salary would fit that criteria.

While it doesn’t appear that talks between the Packers and Cobb’s camp have ramped up yet, the two sides will have a couple weeks before the team needs to make a decision on the franchise tag. The salary for the wide receiver tag hasn’t been set, but 2014’s figure was $12.312MM, and 2015’s will be a little higher.

Packers, Broncos Face Offseason Dilemmas

February 8th, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ and Broncos‘ respective approaches with their All-Pro wide receivers following statement contract years will draw the most headlines this offseason, but not far off that radar will be the Packers‘ decision on slot target Randall Cobb.

Not possessing the traditional build of a No. 1 target Demaryius Thomas or Dez Bryant have, Cobb put together a consistent campaign — 106 catches, 1,465 yards, 13 touchdown receptions in 18 games — but the Packers have a history of allowing their receivers to walk and restocking the position with home-grown talent: see Greg Jennings in 2013 or James Jones last March. But Cobb’s case may be unique, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Packers hall of fame receiver James Lofton weighed in on this issue, via Dunne.

“Which free-agent wide receiver has left a team and gone on to become a Pro Bowler on a new team?” Lofton said. “Vincent Jackson did in his first year at Tampa. … Emmanuel Sanders was (an alternate), when he went to Denver, but that’s an extenuating circumstance when you have Peyton Manning throwing the ball. So where can these guys find a home that was better than where they were? We saw Greg Jennings leave Green Bay — who was a good player — and now he’s an average player at best.”

Jennings exceeded 1,100 yards for three straight seasons in Green Bay — 2008-10 — but hasn’t topped 805 in two years with the Vikings. Jones scored 14 touchdowns in Green Bay in 2012 and set a career high in receptions with 73 in Oakland last year, but the 30-year-old averaged just 9.1 yards per catch as primarily a wide receiver. Almost exclusively a slot man when not stationed in the backfield, Cobb, only 24, averaged 14.1 per grab last season in a position not known for over-the-top proficiency, a statistic which increases his case to be paid like a top wide receiver. The franchise tag for wideouts is expected to be around $12.7MM, and the Packers have just more than $23MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.

Meanwhile, the Broncos made a rather controversial shift from their three-wide receiver, no-huddle-based attack to a power-running approach midway through last season, and while free agents-to-be Orlando Franklin and Will Montgomery posted top-15 finishes at guard and center, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), new coach Gary Kubiak is likely to reshape the front based on his zone-blocking past, writes ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.

The Broncos entered the season with two first-team All-Pros on their front in left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez, but both regressed — Clady graded negatively on Pro Football Focus’ overall rating for the second time in four years after returning from the foot injury that ended his 2013 campaign after two games; Vasquez was marginalized when moved to right tackle to compensate for others’ struggles at that spot — and weakened the line. While Clady, the only lineman who played for the Broncos when they deployed Mike Shanahan‘s zone-blocking scheme, and Vasquez are expected back, Franklin and Montgomery are free agents, Manuel Ramirez slipped after a solid 2013, and the team is still without a viable right tackle option.

“Yes, that’s absolutely, 100 percent correct, three new starters minimum,” said ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, a former Broncos zone-blocking bastion, via Legwold. “… Athletically speaking, they’re not good enough at left guard, center, and they need to find a right tackle.”

Solutions for both Cobb and Denver‘s offensive line don’t have to come from free agency, however, and may not require a No. 1 draft choice. From 2012-14, 37% of the Pro Bowlers came into the league in the third round or later, including 21 undrafted talents, ClevelandBrowns.com’s Kevin Jones measured. Cornerbacks from Denver (Chris Harris Jr.) and Green Bay (Sam Shields) contributed to that total as 2014 Pro Bowlers.