Randall Cobb

Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Cobb, 49ers

December 7th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers plan to begin contract talks with Ben Roethlisberger, who is under contract through 2015, after this season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Pittsburgh realizes that Roethlisberger, despite his age and the number of hits he has taken over the course of his career, will command at least $20MM a year, but that will not prevent the club from making its two-time Super Bowl champion its top offseason priority.

La Canfora adds that he would not be surprised if the Steelers and Roethlisberger were able to work out an extension prior to the beginning of the free agency period in March, which would allow them to know exactly how much cap flexibility they would have to acquire players from other organizations and to retain their own free agents. Last season’s rumors that Roethlisberger once considered asking for a trade were apparently untrue, La Canfora writes, and now all interested parties agree that a third contract with the team is inevitable.

Now for some more links from around the league as Week 14 kicks off in full force:

ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the Steelers will have an important decision to make regarding cornerback Cortez Allen this offseason, as Allen is owed a $3MM roster bonus on the fifth day of free agency.
Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Randall Cobb is the Packers‘ top free agent priority and that the team is working to work out a long-term extension with him.
Although a possible 49ers trade of head coach Jim Harbaugh following the 2014 season has been widely discussed, the machinations of such a deal are a little less clear. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Harbaugh would pick his new team, the 49ers would agree to trade terms with that team, the 49ers would release Harbaugh from his contract, and Harbaugh would sign a new deal with the other club.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes that Vernon Davis‘ disappointing 2014 season has created a great deal of uncertainty for the 49ers moving forward, as Davis is owed just shy of $5MM in 2015, the last year of his current contract.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that highly-coveted CFL prospect Duron Carter will hold a Pro Day in Florida in early January and then will begin visiting teams. Almost half of the league has expressed some form of interest in Carter to date.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Mike Singletary could be a surprise head coaching candidate in 2015. According to Rapoport, several “high-ranking people” believe Singletary will get another crack at the top job next season.

North Notes: Blount, Gordon, Cobb

November 23rd, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Rory Parks

Although he acknowledges that there is no evidence to suggest that LeGarrette Blount wanted to get himself released from the Steelers when he left the field prior to Pittsburgh’s Monday night win over the Titans, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if Blount “walk[ed] out on the Steelers so he could walk right back to the New England Patriots.” Bouchette notes that, with no ramifications whatsoever–although the Steelers certainly could have penalized him instead of essentially rewarding him for his behavior–Blount “went from a team fighting to make the playoffs to one among the favorites to win it all, one where he had success last season and was used more often than he was with the Steelers.” Even if it sounds a bit like a conspiracy theory, Bouchette believes it is fair to think that Blount knew exactly what he was doing and that everything played out according to plan for him and for New England.

Now for some more notes from the league’s north divisions:

The Browns expect star receiver Josh Gordon to be on the field for 20-30 snaps in his first game of the 2014 season this afternoon, according to ESPN.com staff.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that a ruling on Ray Rice‘s appeal hearing is expected by tomorrow. Even if the former Ravens running back is reinstated, of course, it will be difficult for him to find a job in the league this season.
Even though they have been publicly silent on the issue, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that Vikings ownership and management were pushing throughout the season to get Adrian Peterson back on the field. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Minnesota’s coaching staff would love to have Peterson back, and Werder adds in a full-length piece that head coach Mike Zimmer believes Peterson has not played his last game in a Vikings uniform.
Although he believes the Packers will work out an extension with Randall Cobb, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes that Cobb’s excellent 2014 season is driving up his price, possibly out of Green Bay’s budget. On the other hand, even though the Packers have a number of young wideouts on the roster, Demovsky notes that none of those players have proven they are capable of filling Cobb’s shoes.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe describes how Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has finally paired excellent play with clean play in his free agent season.

NFC North Notes: Cobb, Packers, Bears

November 20th, 2014 at 6:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the NFC North..

The Packers are expected to keep the duo of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb together, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Still, with $14.25MM already committed to Nelson this season, GM Ted Thompson has to figure out how to keep Cobb in the fold as well. Cobb is in the final season of his rookie extension and Green Bay has other needs to take care of with their projected $8.8MM in cap space. The feeling around the league is that there’s no way the Packers would let him hit free agency next March. “It will get done,” said an NFL personnel executive. “He’s a Ted guy.”
Lovie Smith is preaching a different defense with the Buccaneers, and the Bears have taken notice, writes CSNChicago.com’s John Mullin. “They’ve played a lot of man-to-man coverage, more than you’d think,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “You look at where they’ve been defensively, and they’re moving man-to-man coverage significantly.
More from Mullin, who wonders if the newly-signed Marc Mariani is the key to the Bears turning their return game around. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis spoke highly of Mariani’s “returner mechanics” and attributed that to the tutelage of former coach Jeff Fisher. Mariani went to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a member of the Titans.

North Notes: Peterson, Cobb, Hoyer

November 20th, 2014 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com has published the full five-page letter sent by the NFL Players Association to commissioner Roger Goodell explaining the reasoning behind appealing Adrian Peterson‘s suspension, and the document makes for an interesting read.

In addition to the previously-reported points raised by the NFLPA, the union also points out that Peterson’s violation of the personal conduct policy happened back in May, well before the league instituted its new policies related to domestic violence. NFLPA attorney Tom DePaso also points out that the Vikings running back’s suspension, which totals 15 games when taking into account his time on the exempt list, is without precedent for such an incident, and “grossly disproportionate” when compared to past penalties.

Here’s more on that letter to Goodell, as well as a couple more notes from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

The union’s letter to the commissioner suggests that multiple league officials – including Troy Vincent – told Peterson and his agent that his stint on the exempt list would be considered time served, and takes issue with the league’s lack of transparency in failing to explain the role of outside experts during the disciplinary hearing that was scheduled for Peterson last week. The appeal also calls, in strong terms, for a neutral arbitrator during the appeal process. “There is simply no way for you to impartially arbitrate Mr. Peterson’ s appeal,” DePaso writes, addressing Goodell.
2015’s free agent class of wide receivers projects to include several intriguing names, but none will have Randall Cobb‘s combination of youth (he turned 24 in August) and on-field production (779 receiving yards, 10 TDs so far this season). While Cobb says he wants to remain “a Packer for life,” he’ll be a hot commodity if he reaches the open market, writes Don Banks of SI.com.
Greg A. Bedard of TheMMQB.com tackles the issue of what Brian Hoyer‘s next contract will look like, writing that there’s a significant range of possibilities for the Browns quarterback depending on how he finishes the 2014 season.

Free Agency Notes: Suh, Bryant, Pierre-Paul

November 14th, 2014 at 5:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

Many NFL teams are focused on making the playoffs during the home stretch of the season, but many of their top players are also worried about their impending free agency. Field Yates of ESPN.com put together a list of five players who are set to receive huge contracts this offseason (subscription required).

The headliner of that list is Lions‘ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who may be leaving Detroit this offseason for a contract in the range of what J.J. Watt received this past offseason. Dez Bryant, Justin Houston, Demaryius Thomas, and Randall Cobb also made the list of players set up to be paid after the season.

Here are some other notes on player movement this offseason:

Along with the list of players who are ready to get big contracts, Yates also listed five players who have seen their stocks soar since the beginning of the season. Much like the five top free agents, the five soaring stocks all come from potential playoff teams. Yates points to DeMarco Murray, Jeremy Maclin, Brian Hoyer, Mark Ingram, and Chris Harris Jr..
Bryant appears on Yates’ list of players set up for big contracts, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com expects the superstar wide receiver to remain with the Cowboys for at least two more seasons (via Twitter). Archer writes that the Cowboys always keep a player they want, and won’t lose Bryant if they want to keep him (via Twitter).
One big name player who doesn’t appear on Yates’ list is Giants‘ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Pierre-Paul has been inconsistent since his breakout 2011 season when he recorded 16.5 sacks. The embattled Giant is ambivalent about returning to the team next year, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). “Hey, if I’m here, I’m here,” said Pierre-Paul. “If I’m not, I’m not.”

NFC Notes: Cobb, Griffen, Orakpo, Coaches

October 24th, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Randall Cobb started the 2014 season a little slow, and he admits that his frame of mind may have played a role in his lackluster production during the first three games. “The mental side of things is very important,” Cobb told Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “I think I was pressing a little bit too much early on this season, trying to do too much instead of just being myself and doing what I do. Just relaxing and playing ball.” Cobb, playing under the final year of his rookie deal with the Packers, also allowed that his contact situation played into his slow start. “I mean, it definitely had something to do with it,” Cobb said when asked about his contract status. “But I think I found peace mentally, and that’s the biggest thing, having that peace and being able to not worry about those things.” I profiled the 24-year-old Cobb as a extension candidate a few weeks ago, and projected that he could receive a contract in line with Golden Tate‘s, five-year, $31MM deal. Here’s more from the NFC.

Many NFL observers panned the Vikings’ decision to re-sign defensive end Everson Griffen to a five-year contract worth $42.5MM, but as Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes, the 2007 fourth-round pick has been worth the money so far. Griffen has already registered seven sacks, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) say that he’s an excellent run defender.
In a piece for the Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes that Washington linebacker Brian Orakpo is the latest victim of the evolution of franchise tag use. Per Fitzgerald, clubs simply use the tag as a way to keep players to whom they don’t want to commit. When a player gets injured during his franchise tag season, as Orakpo did, the player is forced to sign a bargain basement deal the next offseason, à la Henry Melton and Anthony Spencer.
Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell are among the top head coaching candidates in the league, according to Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post.

Extension Candidate: Randall Cobb

October 11th, 2014 at 7:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

When the Packers agreed to sign Julius Peppers to a three-year, $27MM deal in March, it was fair to wonder if things were changing in Green Bay. For one, Peppers was a 34-year-old career 4-3 defensive end who would be asked to play quite a bit of 3-4 outside linebacker — paying him $9MM a year to do so, especially when he was coming off a subpar 2013 season, seemed questionable. Additionally, the entire concept of free agency is anathema to Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson. Peppers was just the seventh veteran free agent Thompson has added since joining the Packers in 2006, per Bill Barnwell of Grantland.

Even more so than the teams like the Steelers or the Giants, who occasionally dip into the free agent pool to acquire a specific need at a reasonable cost, the Packers simply have no interest in bringing in veteran outsiders. Over the Cap’s data shows that among Green Bay’s top-20 2014 cap charges, just one belongs to a player (Peppers) who has seen any regular-season action with another team. However, those same numbers show that the Packers are more than willing to pay for performance by its own players — Aaron Rodgers, Sam Shields, Clay Matthews, and Josh Sitton are among the Packers who have been signed to a extensions in recent years.

Green Bay was seemingly more reticent to offer fresh contracts to skill position players (excluding Rodgers) until this summer, when it agreed to a four-year, $39MM deal with receiver Jordy Nelson. While the extension made Nelson the eighth-highest-paid wideout in terms of annual value, it’s relatively modest in terms of guaranteed money — Nelson received only $11.5MM in guarantees in the form of signing bonus, good for just 23rd among receivers. Still, the deal will certainly remain relevant for the Packers throughout the rest of the season and the offseason, as they attempt to negotiate a new deal with another pass-catcher — fourth-year WR Randall Cobb.

Cobb, 24, entered the league as second-round pick out of Kentucky in 2011. After failing to start a game during his rookie year (but still offering value in the return game), Cobb broke out in his sophomore season, catching 80 passes for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked ninth in receiver DVOA, and graded as the 11th-best WR per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Injuries sapped Cobb’s effectiveness in 2013, as a fractured fibula limited him to just six games. He’s rebounded this season, however, catching 24 balls for 273 yards and six touchdowns through five games. Advanced metrics differ on Cobb’s 2014 performance so far — while DVOA rates him as top-3 receiver, PFF grades him as just the 24th-best wideout at this point in the season.

Before entering into negotiations with Cobb, the Packers will first have to decide how much they are comfortable spending on the receiver position. As noted, Nelson has already extended, meaning that a Cobb deal would likely place the team in the upper-echelon in terms of receiver expenditures. Currently, the Dolphins spend the most on WRs (by a large margin) at just over $32MM; the Redskins and Lions are second on third on that list, as each spends about $23MM on wideouts. For the Packers specifically, will the club’s emphasis on depth mean that they will refuse to overextend at one position, or will the league’s emphasis on passing lead Green Bay to heavily invest in its pass-catching unit?

Assuming Green Bay is interested in working out an extension with Cobb, it can look to several recent WR contracts when looking for comparables. The floor for a new Cobb deal is probably that of Emmanuel Sanders, who received $15MM over three years ($6MM guaranteed) from the Broncos during the offseason. Sanders is off to an incredible start through five games, but heading into the year, his career stats were less impressive than Cobb’s. As far as a ceiling, it’s safe to assume that Cobb won’t top Eric Decker‘s five-year, $36.25MM contract with the Jets. Both Cobb and Decker have caught passes from Hall of Fame level quarterbacks, and Decker’s production outweighs that of Cobb.

The best comparison for Cobb might be Golden Tate, the ex-Seahawk whose free agent contract with the Lions was worth $31MM over five years, with $8MM guaranteed. Physically, the two are alike — Cobb stands 5’10” and weighs 191 pounds, while Tate is listed at 5’11”, 195. Each offers value on special teams, and while Cobb is probably regarded as the better big-play threat, Tate has the surer hands. Cobb’s career highs in both receptions (80) and yards (954) best those of Tate (64, 898).

While Tate was never an injury risk in Seattle, the same can’t be said for Cobb. His injury woes lead me to believe that he will ultimately secure a deal that totals slightly less than that of Tate. Of course, a forward-looking team could view Cobb as an asset with untapped potential. At 26, Tate was viewed as a finished product when he signed his contract; he was a steady player who probably wasn’t going to get much better, or worse, during his time in Detroit. Cobb, however, has not only had to battle injuries, but compete for looks with Nelson in Green Bay. If a team aimed to acquire Cobb and install him as a true No. 1 receiver, the possibilities could be limitless.

Cobb ranked fifth on Mike Sando of ESPN.com’s June power ranking of 2015 free agent receivers, which was compiled after the scribe spoke with several NFL decision-makers. An offensive assistant was complimentary of Cobb, speaking more favorably of him than 49ers WR Michael Crabtree: “Cobb and Crabtree are interchangeable on my list,” said the assistant. “Cobb is the model person and will always show up on time. Crabtree comes off whinier, and the guy from Seattle [Richard Sherman] got in his head. Cobb is coming from the right program with Mike McCarthy, one with structure and discipline and doing the right things. Crabtree does play outside more, but I’d rather coach Cobb.”

Ultimately, if Cobb does remain in Green Bay, I’d expect him to sign a deal in the $5.5-6MM per year range, with perhaps $6MM guaranteed. Depending on how the contract was structured, it would probably move the Packers into the top-12 or so in terms of wide receiver spending; they currently rank 24th. The club has the financial wherewithal with which to work, as they have more than $18MM in 2015 cap space available.

For his part, Cobb said this summer that (at the time) his production didn’t warrant an extension. “I don’t believe I’ve done enough, and I think that’s on me,” Cobb told Jason Wilde of ESPN.com. “My job is … to work hard and hopefully my time will come.” Wilde’s ESPN colleague, Rob Demovsky, wrote earlier today that Cobb could be the one delaying negotiations, rather than the Packers, and noted that Cobb will need to show more before he asks for the type of money that Nelson received. Regardless of the specifics, Cobb’s case will be interesting to watch, both from the perspective of the player, who surely wants to match his teammate’s contract, and the front office, which is esteemed throughout the league.

NFC Notes: Cobb, House, Prater, Cowboys

October 11th, 2014 at 3:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

Randall Cobb has started the season by catching six touchdowns in the first five games, and has been one of the best receivers in the league working out of the slot. Set to hit free agency this offseason, the Packers failure to ink him to a long term extension has been a well covered topic.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN writes that it might be Cobb who is pushing off extension talks. Cobb said as much earlier this offseason, when he told the media he hadn’t accomplished enough to earn that extension.

He notes that if Cobb is looking at similar money to what Jordy Nelson received, that he will need to produce more catches and yards on a consistent basis to go along with his frequent trips to the endzone. Our readers at Pro Football Rumors believed that Nelson was the more important piece of the offense, responding to a poll from early July.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

Demovsky also addresses whether the Packers would be more likely to try to keep Tramon Williams or Davon House when their respective contracts are up. He writes that although Williams is currently playing at a high level, that House is an ascending player and that general manager Ted Thompson traditionally prefers youth. Williams will turn 32 in March.
The Lions focused on improving their offense this offseason, including adding Golden Tate in free agency and Eric Ebron in the draft. However, their offense has been paltry, ranking 27th in the NFL in points per game, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The team has missed eight field goals through five games, and have signed kicker Matt Prater this week, hoping to solve some of their kicking woes. Prater couldn’t be worse than the duo of Nate Freese and Alex Henery, and if the team had converted those eight field goals, the offense would have risen to a respectable 16th in points per game.
The Cowboys have jumped out to a 4-1 start behind an improved defense and more consistent offense, but Rick Gosselin of DallasNews.com believes age is a major factor in their success. The Cowboys have the second youngest average age in the NFL after the Bills, in a team building philosophy that emulates their opponent this weekend, the Seahawks. It also brings back memories of the 1992 Cowboys who were the first of three championship teams in a four-year span. Those Cowboys were also among the youngest rosters in the NFL.

NFC Mailbags: Lions, Saints, Cowboys

October 11th, 2014 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and you know what that means – new mailbags from ESPN’s NFL writers. Let’s check out some of the notes from the NFC…

At the moment, Michael Rothstein doesn’t believe that Lions general manager Martin Mayhew or coach Jim Caldwell are on the hot seat.
Following the release of Saints fourth-rounder Khairi Fortt this past week, many fans asked Mike Triplett about the team’s inability to develop linebackers. The writer acknowledges that the team’s last real success was Mark Fields in 1995, but he adds that the team hasn’t invested high draft picks into the position.
If the Cowboys season continues on a similar path, Todd Archer could envision the team bringing back Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Rolando McClain. If there were to be one odd man out, however, the writer leans towards McClain.
Even if the Cowboys were looking to promote a defensive lineman from the practice squad, Archer says that rookie Michael Sam wouldn’t be the team’s first choice. Instead, the Cowboys would likely bring up Kenneth Boatright.
David Newton envisions the Panthers transitioning to their next group of running backs once DeAngelo Williams‘ contract expires following the season.
Rom Demovsky says it’s likely that the Packers and representatives for Randall Cobb have already started discussing a new contract. The writer suggests that the wideout could be delaying the process until he begins compiling statistics that would warrant a larger payday.

Randall Cobb On Possible Extension

July 27th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

After Jordy Nelson received his contract extension yesterday, all eyes turned to Randall Cobb as the next logical extension candidate for the Packers.

Cobb however, is not yet focused on his own future with the Packers, or at the very least, is being shy about his value to the team, according to Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin.

“I don’t believe I’ve done enough, and I think that’s on me,” said Cobb “My job is … to work hard and hopefully my time will come.” (via Twitter)

Cobb has never had a 1,000 yard season as a receiver, but brings tremendous value and versatility on special teams and running the football, both out of the backfield and on trick plays. Even still, he is looking to continue to earn his next contract.

“I feel I have a lot to prove. I know the player I’m capable of being,” said Cobb. “It’s just … showing that on a day-to-day basis.” (via Twitter)

The receiver is still a few weeks shy of his 24th birthday, but is exhibiting tremendous patience on his next deal, and hasn’t begun extension talks with the team as of yet, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“There’s nothing been said that I know of,” said Cobb. “I’ve told my agent don’t even come to me until he feels that we’re at a good spot.” (via Twitter)

However, the budding star who caught that famous fourth down touchdown from Aaron Rodgers to put the Packers in the playoffs last season has his eyes on what Nelson just signed for, and was supportive of his teammate.

“I’m beyond excited for him,” said Cobb. “He deserved every penny he got and more.” (via Twitter)

Cobb’s willingness to wait for his next contract may not be due to the humble attitude he is displaying. Cobb knows that a slow start as a rookie and an injury last year has significantly cut his value. Despite a lack of huge statistical numbers, Cobb and his agent are aware that he is thought of as one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league, due to his skill as a receiver and a jack of all trades playmaker.

The Packers would have the best chance to lock him in to a long-term but team-friendly deal if they act before the season starts. If he does play out the season and performs to his potential, he could be in line for a contract in the mold of Percy Harvin, he could price himself off the Packers entirely.

That being said, look for the two parties to continue to try to come to a compromise that will allow Cobb to remain with the Packers through his next deal.

Load More Posts