Randall Cobb, Packers quiet on contract talks
-- The future is hazy for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb, and at this point in February, there's nothing in the forecast that'll offer much of a glimpse for what's to come.
It's possible Cobb's final game in Green Bay was Dec. 30 against the Detroit Lions, which was also his fourth game played in a five-week span to close out the 2018 season -- his eighth with the team.
At the NFL Honors on Saturday, Cobb told WBAY.com's Dave Schroeder that he had yet to discuss a future contract with the Packers, essentially leaving the general consensus to believe he'll be playing elsewhere next season.
"I’m just taking it day by day and looking forward to the future," Cobb said. Typically, a new deal won't be discussed until the spring.
Cobb only played in nine games for the Packers last season. While battling a hamstring injury that plagued him since September and a late-season concussion, he succeeded his typical starting role to the likes of rookie receivers Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Both young receivers flashed at various points throughout their inaugural year but were never able to form any week-to-week consistency in meshing with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. When they did, however, combining for 909 yards and two touchdowns, they helped affirm the belief that they could be full-time future contributors in the Packers' offense.
Whether that's with or without Cobb, his likely final season with the Packers was certainly an underwhelming one.
"It’s tough," Cobb said. "It’s tough to have a year like this. We didn’t finish the way we wanted to, and obviously not being in the playoffs. That’s part of the business. Things happen, things are changed and we look forward to the future."
The future Cobb foreshadows will be under the guidance of new head coach Matt LaFleur, who is just four years Rodgers' senior.
Cobb could be facing the bleak reality of not being having a place reserved for himself in a newly redesigned offense, which is believed to help the Packers modernize themselves and keep them on par with some of the league's top offenses.
"It’s a great system, he comes from a great coaching tree. It’s a really exciting time for some of the coordinators that come from the same tree, so I think a lot of guys are going to be excited about that."
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Zachary Jacobson is a staff writer/reporter for Cheesehead TV. He's the voice of The Leap on iTunes and can be heard on The Scoop KLGR 1490 AM every Saturday morning. He's also a contributor on the Pack-A-Day Podcast. He can be found on Twitter via @ZachAJacobson or contacted through email at [email protected].
Comments (49)
TheVOR
February 05, 2019 at 05:50 pm
Packers quiet on contract talks - Lets hope it stays real real quite, as in non-existent. We need durable talent, not more broken glass laying all over the field. What did he make, like 315K per catch last season? 9 games? wow.. That's killing us. I'm up for moving on. I know Rodgers doesn't want to lose him, but Rodgers struggles with any new WR talent, regardless of how good it is. We need to develop some new talent at WR, that can produce and stay on the field.
Packersfan62
February 05, 2019 at 07:21 pm
You sound all other fans. You love them when they winning you games and hate them when their not. Tell me how you can help from pulling a hamstring or getting a concussion. Cobb played more games injured last year than he played this year. I bet you never thought about the man played 16 games 2 years ago with a hurt shoulder. But that don't count ,right. The only way you play this game of football and not get injured is to stand on the sidelines. I guess that was you standing on the sideline.
JonathanSpader
February 05, 2019 at 10:21 pm
If the NFL truly cared about player safety they would add bubble wrap to the equipment! ~~~~~~~
dobber
February 06, 2019 at 07:40 am
Imagine all the false start penalties as the C spends extra time popping it...
Guam
February 06, 2019 at 09:39 am
I don't think it is about loving or hating the player as it is about loving or hating his contract. Cobb is a quality person who has just never played to his $10 million a year contract. If Cobb had been on a $3 million a year contract, I doubt anyone would be criticizing him and many would be advocating re-signing him.
I am in the "move on from Cobb" camp, but would probably be okay if the Packers re-signed him to a low level ($2 million?) contract. Let's see what the market has to say about his value.
Big Moe
February 06, 2019 at 10:18 am
Absolutely, when healthy he's an adequate reciever, but he is so seldom healthy and we need dependable and durable recievers, if he is dirt cheap only would I resign him.
Leatherhead
February 08, 2019 at 01:15 pm
He's missed big parts of two seasons, but other than that, he lines up pretty much every week.
Spotrac estimates his value at about $15 million over two years, based on comparisons with similar players.
You guys DO understand, don't you, that our salary cap situation is healthy enough that we don't have to let good players leave in order to save money?
HankScorpio
February 05, 2019 at 05:57 pm
I hope the talks remain quiet.
ILPackerBacker
February 05, 2019 at 06:27 pm
I was going to cut the phone lines....
DaKing5
February 05, 2019 at 06:52 pm
Maybe Cobby should retire and go play catch with Favrey.
OnWisconsinGoPack
February 05, 2019 at 07:41 pm
Cobb has been a great player for us, but durability has been an issue. Unfortunately for him, he plays a position that is easily filled as slot receivers are in abundance. Cole Beasley could fill the role easily and be a cheaper option, so could Adam Humphries. Let's not forget that Hunter Renfro could also do it for a 4th Rd pick or later
Unless it's an ultra cheap deal, time to move on
realitybytez
February 17, 2019 at 04:07 pm
he has not been a great player for us. he has been the most overpaid receiver on the team ever since he signed his last contract. his one and only good season was before he signed the big money deal.
Packer Dave
February 05, 2019 at 08:06 pm
What's the current depth chart, sans Cobb?
Adams
MVS - I think he's gonna blow up this year
Allison
EQ
Kumerow
Davis
Moore
I'd say EQ can take over slot duty. Moore is super shifty, but mentally has a long way to go. I'd put him in the slot too to see how he does.
We don't need Cobb unless he takes WR5 money.
NickPerry
February 06, 2019 at 04:34 am
Maybe I'm being overly optimistic but I'm thinking both MVS and EQ both blow up.
EQ made some really nice catches last season and there's just something about that kid that tells me he's going to be a stud.
I LOVE Cobb for being the Bear Killer he was but he just can't stay healthy. Now if he'll take a very team friendly deal with little guaranteed money for maybe 2 years... Well then maybe.
jeepingmakooi
February 06, 2019 at 07:44 am
Unfortunately I don't think jdot has it... Slot takes solid hands while getting hit and he can handle handle the ball when he is all alone... Now on to the mvs and St Brown talk.. I think St Brown is the better route runner.. and he started to come on later in the season and was ahead of mvs in the rotation.. in reality it's all meaningless depending on how well they adapt to the new offense.. I honestly don't think either one of them are real slot guys... We need a new version of 2014 Cobb... And no I don't think Crowder is the answer. Give me someone like Hart or Hollywood Brown in the draft.. a solid crisp route runner.. edleman isn't some insanely gifted receiver.. he is a solid route runner and shows in his separation. We need someone who has that in thier toolbox
Thegreatreynoldo
February 06, 2019 at 10:16 am
Who in the world is Jdot?
The big knock on Edelman is bad hands. He routinely is in the 8 to 10% drop rate.
Rak43
February 06, 2019 at 08:48 pm
I spent 5 mins racking my brain trying to figure out who the hell Jdot was, lol. I should've just scrolled down and I would have realized much sooner it was no one on the Packers.
dobber
February 06, 2019 at 07:46 am
We shouldn't oversell MVS and ESB. Both were mid-later round picks. One flashed early and disappeared. The other was slow to come along but made a few big catches later in the season. They need to do something to augment the group they have (I don't think that's Cobb, by the way).
I would argue that if this team goes into 2019 with it's current stable of pass-catchers, it's not serious about contending for a division title. It's one thing to say, "these guys are ready to play big right now." It's another thing to count on it.
stockholder
February 06, 2019 at 08:38 am
I don't think the Packers are happy with their Wrs. MVS is having trouble staying on his feet after he catches the Ball. If he catches it. St. Brown is having trouble blocking. Allison and Kumerow both had injuries. Moore is not what people envisioned. Cobb is all the above now. Regression is obvious, and may happen with any. It is that reason some Mocks are saying WR. HARRY. The Wrs position is not sewed up by any means. Adams is the only Lock now.
Rak43
February 06, 2019 at 08:45 pm
You just described 99.5% of rookie WR's league wide. Now if there was a league wide problem of talented 2nd year WR's failing to develop and improve at a 99.5% rate then I would be concerned. But somehow I just don't believe that's the case so I expect solid improvements from all 3 of last years rookies. Moreso from 1 or 2 of them but I do think they all will improve including Moore.
PeteK
February 06, 2019 at 08:54 am
I like the list because it has one of the leagues best and 4 that have a season of experience and will improve. Kumerow can be that possession receiver that keeps the chains moving.
realitybytez
February 17, 2019 at 04:08 pm
i'd take kumerow over cobb.
Packersfan62
February 05, 2019 at 08:12 pm
Cobb is the type player that's gonna go elsewhere and ball out. And if he goes to the Bears and come back and kill us like he's been killing the Bears all these years.
TKWorldWide
February 06, 2019 at 06:18 am
Like Eddie Lacy did.
JonathanSpader
February 06, 2019 at 08:40 am
Eddie Lacy ate his way out of the NFL along with chronic ankle issues. He dropped in the draft due to concerns over his toe. For Cobb it's hard to tell how much the injuries have sapped him of his athleticism. I do think that always being injured contributes to suffering more injuries in the future unfortunately. When I had my ACL surgery they told me I was at a higher risk to retear it.
Packersfan62
February 06, 2019 at 06:27 pm
Can't compare them two apples to grapefruits
Packersfan62
February 08, 2019 at 12:31 pm
2 different players
Thegreatreynoldo
February 06, 2019 at 02:01 am
I think it would be wrong for Gute to have contract talks with Cobb until LaFleur has a chance to thoroughly evaluate the roster. Otherwise GB would have silos without adequate input from the coaching staff.
I also assume that GB isn't going to offer Cobb big money. I would think that GB would have some conversation with Cobb's agent, but there is no reason it has to occur until early March. Cobb (and GB) probably will have to wait for the legal tampering period to get a sense of his market value.
I also think that the structure at least as important as the AAV. Any contract with Cobb has to have a pretty easy one-year out to be okay with me.
stockholder
February 06, 2019 at 09:06 am
I don't. Gute is in charge of the roster. And he alone should be held accountable. GMs are about security with comfort. Cobb was lucky he wasn't a Cap casualty. And TT should have signed Cook. When a player doesn't live up to his contract, who gets the blame. The coach? or the GM? No smart coach is going to go out on the limb. Teams invest to much Time and money, in drafted players now. They also know when a player shows all-pro ability. Cobb has not shown that ability for years. Nick Perry is a doctors gold mine. The evaluation comes when a coach "needs" better. LeFleur doesn't need players that are used up. No evaluation is needed on Cobb or Nick Perry.
Thegreatreynoldo
February 07, 2019 at 03:16 am
“No, never really any talks until March, so we’ll see what happens,” Cobb said when asked if his agent and the Packers have had any contract talks.
I never wrote that Gute should not be held accountable for the decision on Cobb. Of course he should, but that doesn't mean he should not speak with his freaking head coach and OC.
No idea what TT signing Cook has to do with anything or what "GMs are about security with comfort" means, either.
No smart coach is going to go out on a limb? Really? Of course coaches tell the GM what they think about players and what types of players, what skillsets, the coach needs.
I wanted Cobb cut last season. On that, we agree.
All-pro ability is great, but in GB that would be describing two or three players. All-pro is not a prerequsite for re-signing a player for modest money.
realitybytez
February 17, 2019 at 04:10 pm
if they offer cobb any more than they offered nelson, they are fools.
Savage57
February 06, 2019 at 06:13 am
Unless Cobb's given his agent marching orders to the contrary, there's no way this guy's not doing everything he can to bid up Cobb's price as high as possible.
If Cobb's agent gets him anywhere near a market slot deal ($7-8M per), I sure as hell hope the Packers do nothing more than wish him all the best as he's leaving.
dobber
February 06, 2019 at 07:47 am
Better comp pick in 2020.
Guam
February 06, 2019 at 09:28 am
I wouldn't count on the comp pick as Gute should be active in free agency this year and comp picks are based on NET additions/subtractions to the team. MY guess is Gute signs more free agents than we lose.
dobber
February 07, 2019 at 08:28 am
I like your take better!
Daren726
February 06, 2019 at 06:39 am
No third contract. Time to move on. Too old. Too many injuries. Lost a step. Too many better options out there for the money. We wish you well. Welcome Golden Tate!
JonathanSpader
February 06, 2019 at 08:42 am
Cobb is 28 and Tate is 30 kind of contradicts your "too old" theory...
stockholder
February 06, 2019 at 09:09 am
Tate is a better Wr then Cobb. Better Hands, and can run a better route.
JonathanSpader
February 06, 2019 at 11:49 am
Cobb has a 10% higher catch % rating than Golden Tate. Cobb runs routes just as well as Tate. The main difference between the 2 players is health. If both players are 100% healthy both are great with the ball in their hands. Give me whichever one of them has a more team friendly contract for the Packers.
Packersfan62
February 06, 2019 at 06:30 pm
You must not watch the games, Cobb is wide open many time and Hundley never looked his way and Rodgers haven't looked his way this past year.
marpag1
February 06, 2019 at 06:57 am
BREAKING NEWS: Insiders confirm no breaking news from Green Bay
February 6, 2019
GREEN BAY – NFL insider Ian Rapperport announced on Tuesday that he has heard nothing of substance from the Green Bay Packers front office. Rapperport broke the story via a late night post to his Twitter account. “A source in Green Bay with close ties to the organization has confirmed that the Packers have done nothing important for the past two weeks,” Rapperport declared.
One team executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity, substantiated Rapperport’s claim. “To be honest, I’ve been sitting buck-naked in the Jacuzzi with a cooler of Bud Light ever since the season ended. But believe you me, I’ll be in the office first thing on Monday morning.”
Beat writers and other team observers remain divided on how this revelation might impact future football operations. “Honestly, this announcement tells us almost nothing about Randall Cobb and his contract situation,” wrote Peet Dooherty of Packerznewz.com. “I guess we’ll just have to assume that the front office has a plan… whatever that may be.”
© Green Bay Packer Marpagazine
sonomaca
February 06, 2019 at 07:19 am
Very good. Cobb has Rodgers’ trust, so maybe they can draft someone to push Cobb’s wheelchair around the field.
Thegreatreynoldo
February 06, 2019 at 10:31 am
Nah, probably would have to sign Jordy to push Cobb's wheelchair. It seems to me the guy pushing the wheelchair has to have AR's trust as well.
Handsback
February 06, 2019 at 08:19 am
The biggest issue Green Bay failed in was not having Cobb be the lead PR. Somehow his value to the team was very inflated to the point...he couldn't return punts, he might get hurt and was too valuable. It put him on a too valuable pedestal that he didn't need nor probably want. He was an all-pro PR and a good receiver, but his value to the team was his ability to be able to do a lot of things he never got to do. He still has value, but needs to be healthy. If he gets a prove-it contract to see if he's still capable to play a whole season, then do it. Otherwise say syonara.
jeepingmakooi
February 06, 2019 at 10:09 am
Interesting take.. but from what I see a good punt return guy has good vision.. quick twitchy moves... And is durable.. Cobb has the vision.. moves are regressing which we can see when he plays the slot... And his durability has definitely nose dived
Rak43
February 06, 2019 at 09:06 pm
Sign Crowder then cut Cobb and Davis. This way Gute opens up an extra roster spot and does not have to use an early pick on a slot/return type guy. Crowder is 25 and their is no guessing as to whether he can play the game at this level, unlike almost every draft pick that comes out. He's a speedy/shifty quick twitch kinda guy and has good hands. He would be an upgrade at slot over Cobb, while filling two needs at a lower cost.
Cartwright
February 07, 2019 at 02:06 pm
We need to stop signing guys who are always injured. Injuries beget injuries, Cobb has proven that so has Nick Perry and you can throw Kevin King on the list and a fading Mathews and Bulaga as well although we need this RT and hope for the best because we have no replacement. The first commenters post regarding Cobb and you can throw in all of the above regarding "leaving glass all over the field" was a great one. Don't know Golladay's injury history but if he doesn't have much of one is a proven commodity and should be given a serious look.
AgrippaLII
February 07, 2019 at 02:41 pm
I think drafting 3 WR's in the last draft made it pretty clear Cobb won't be here for next season...for any amount!
Doug Niemczynski
February 07, 2019 at 06:00 pm
Goodbye Randall. Thanks for the memories.