Cobb Comparison Raises Expectations for Amari Rodgers
Packer fans, starving for a receiver in the draft, may be anticipating too much.
By KenLass
It’s really not fair to a 21 year old young man who has yet to take a single snap in a professional football game. But the Packers’ third round draft choice, receiver Amari Rodgers, is being compared to, and by many, touted as the next Randall Cobb.
That’s a tall order. It’s easy to forget how good Randall Cobb really was in Green Bay. In eight seasons he caught 470 passes for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns. It was Cobb who pulled off some of the most memorable plays in recent Packer history. I won’t soon forget watching him tie an NFL record in his first game as a Packer by running back a kickoff 108 yards for a score. There was the iconic 4th down touchdown bomb from Aaron Rodgers with less than a minute to play to beat the Bears and give the Packers the division title in 2013. And so many more.
Expecting Amari Rodgers to be another Randall Cobb is not realistic. Or is it?
The similarities between the two are surpassed only by the connection between the two. Both are versatile players who are mainly described as slot receivers. Cobb is 5’10”. Rodgers is 5’10”. Cobb ran a 4.46 forty. Rodgers has been timed at 4.4 in the forty. Cobb grew up in the eastern Tennessee town of Maryvale. Rodgers grew up just 17 miles north in Knoxville. Cobb was Mr. Football for the state of Tennessee. Rodgers was also Mr. Football for the state of Tennessee.....twice. In college at Kentucky, Cobb was first team all SEC. Rodgers, at Clemson, was first team ACC. Both were successful kick returners. Cobb was drafted by the Packers in the second round. Rodgers was selected by the Pack in the third round.
But the two have actually been connected since Rodgers was a child. Amari’s father is former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin. Martin was one of Cobb’s favorite players growing up. At Kentucky, Cobb played for Martin, who was coaching there at the time. Martin’s young son, Amari, used to hang out with the team and gravitated to Cobb as kind of a hero and a mentor. The two have been close ever since. When Amari learned he had been drafted by the Packers, he immediately sought advice from Cobb. “He just said that I have no choice but to lock in and get better at football” Rodgers told the media last week. “He said there’s not much to do in Green Bay.”
I’m guessing Cobb meant that as a compliment. At least, Rodgers took it that way. “He said that’s a great thing. There’s not many distractions. I’ll be able to lock in on my playbook and lock in on my skill set so that I can go in there and ball out.”
But Cobb does not agree that Rodgers will be as good as he was.
Cobb thinks he will be better.
“I think he’s way better than I ever was at that point” Cobb told Madison.com. Rodgers did show his quick get off and downfield acceleration on the first day of rookie practice when he exploded past fellow rookie Shemar Jean-Charles and caught a long pass from quarterback Chad Kelly. “I knew he was pressing me so I just wanted to get to the top of my route as fast as possible and get on top of him so he couldn’t recover from it. It was a dime from Chad Kelly.”
With all due deference to Cobb’s opinion, we may need to pump the brakes on expectations for the rookie. I’m not even sure he will be on the field all that much. Matt LaFleur is not going to just sweep MVS and Allen Lazard aside to get Amari playing time. Devin Funchess is in the mix as well. Rodgers may just begin as a gadget guy like Tyler Ervin, running a few jet sweeps and quick screens. He will certainly get a chance to earn the kick returning job, but there will be plenty of competition there as well. He knows he has a long way to go and confesses he was a bit intimidated when he first took the field outside of Lambeau. “Going out there in front of the coaches for the first time, you’re going to be a little bit nervous, but once I caught a couple of balls, I just was doing what I’ve done my whole life, my whole career....the first day you’re nervous, you’ve got jitters, but once you get going you just do what you do, just play football.”
He may or may not be the next Randall Cobb. We’ll see how it plays out. In the meantime, during this offseason of discontent (centered around another guy named Rodgers), it’s refreshing to hear from a rookie who is just happy to be here and grateful for the opportunity. “It’s a dream come true. This is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life, to play for a pro football team, and to be doing it for the Packers is even more of a dream.”
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Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.
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Comments (51)
Hematite
May 17, 2021 at 06:37 am
For me it's difficult to compare Rodgers to Cobb since I have never seen Rodgers play.
My hope right now is that he will be comparable to Cobb, minus the injury issues of course.
jeremyjjbrown
May 17, 2021 at 06:53 am
One thing that's nice about Gute is that he hasn't blown high draft picks at the rate Thompson did.
RCPackerFan
May 17, 2021 at 07:05 am
Regardless of how Rodgers numbers look as a rookie I think he is going to make a big impact on this team. Both on offense and special teams.
I think he will start out in the Tyler Ervin role. Jet sweeps, gadget type of plays. But I think he will also play a lot from the slot like Cobb did. His ability to move around will really help him and the offense out. The thing that really stands out with Rodgers vs the other WR's is his size. He is shorter but quicker then most. But he has some Deebo Samuel to him in that he is not going to go down easily. He runs like a RB and won't be easy to tackle. He is more of a true slot type of WR. Something we have been needing since Cobb had left.
On special teams I think he will be our return specialist. We have lacked a true threat at both for a while. Ervin provided a spark but he missed a lot of last year and didn't get signed until late in the year the previous year. We have needed a true threat for a long time, and we might have the guy we need.
The connection to Cobb is very strong with the ties to Cobb. But now its time for Rodgers to be Rodgers. Create his own future. I think it could be a very good one!
If the other Rodgers does come back, I think he will have a very good rookie year!
Leatherhead
May 17, 2021 at 07:09 am
If he gets 50 targets this year, I’ll be surprised.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 07:42 am
If he does, then you’ll know we are doing something right.
Getting the ball in Amari Rodgers’ hands may be what this offense needs the most with a young Jordan Love taking the QB1 in 2021. 50 targets could very well be just what the doctor ordered on safe, quick, high percentage throws, and then sit back and watch Amari’s elusiveness take over. He thrives on those quick targets where he can then let his RB mentality take over.
Amari is elusive, but he can also take the top off a D. He was a go-to guy at Clemson, a QB’s best friend.
If there is one WR from this draft who has a legit chance to explode onto the scene, it might be Amari Rodgers. He’s arguably the most Pro ready. Everything the Packers need is his play strength.
Leatherhead
May 17, 2021 at 07:41 am
May be what the offense needs? We are the #1 offense in the league!!!
He’s a rookie with plenty of capable veterans around him. Rookies make mistakes and mistakes lose games. IMO, barring injuries to the people in front of him, he’s not going to get many opportunities this year.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 09:07 am
It’s going to be different without Aaron Rodgers.
Getting Amari involved early where he will most likely see single coverage, will help Love a lot. Eventually, he might wind up drawing more coverage where Adams, Lazard & MVS should benefit.
The other factor is Love will probably trust going to Amari earlier than Aaron Rodgers would. Those early touches will build confidence with a new relationship like that for Amari & Jordan.
Some numbers that really speak:
- 5th in WR class with 8.0 yards after the catch per reception
- Amari Rodgers had 17 missed tackles forced last year. All Packers WRs together, combined, had 7.
Davante Adams had 149 targets in 2021
Allen Lazard had 46 targets
MVS had 63 targets
The last time we won the Super Bowl, the highest number of targets for one WR was Greg Jennings with 125.
Jordy Nelson had 64 targets
James Jones had 87 targets
Donald Driver had 85 targets
Seems there was a more even distribution amongst the top 4 players. I would imagine we will see more evenly distributed targets amongst our current top 4 with Jordan Love throwing. High percentage dink & dunks to Amari? I can see a bunch in there this year.
Leatherhead
May 17, 2021 at 09:06 am
It will be different without Rodgers, we’re in full agreement.
But Math is still Math. Start with 65 snaps in a game. Including runs and short passes, more than half of those plays will go to the RBs. So that leaves us with maybe 30 remaining plays. About 10 of those go to Adams.
20 remaining, to be split among the TEs and the remaining WRs. Tonyan, Lewis, Sternberger, Deguara, MVS, Lazard, Funchess.......and Amari Rodgers.
That’s going to work out to about 2-3 plays each. Probably more for some, like Tonyan, and less for others. We return all of our guys from last year, we get Deguara back, we add Funchess and Rodgers. There’s only one ball. I see Amari Rodgers as a future pick for next year when some of the other people are gone. This year will be a learning year and I think his impact on the offense will be very minor.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 09:50 am
You're not kidding there's a shit ton of players to distribute the ball to on this Packers offense, based on a long list of names.
I would not be surprised to see some bigger names jettisoned from the roster for bigger promise with some new players. I see MVS in a very precarious position, as well as EQ and Funchess...
There is math, and MVS's numbers have really been trending the wrong direction. He's going to have to make significant improvement, IMO, to stay on this roster. He's caught 52% of his passes, and has an 11.1 Drop%. MVS should be around 65-70% and 5%...
EQ is also at 53% Catch% with more than a 15% Drop% - Pro WRs worth their salt have a Drop% of around 6 or less. Davante Adams last season was at 0.7% - THAT IS INSANELY GOOD!!! Jordy Nelson's was 3.4% in his last year playing, 2018.
Allen Lazard's Drop% increased from 3.8 to 10.9 last season. To me, that was alarming, as I am a huge Lazard fan. MVS and EQ's #s are insanely bad, and I question whether Funchess (8.9 Drop%) actually does anything in GB.
FYi I love MVS and I hope he turns it around this season because he's an exceptional size/speed WR who can take the top off of any D. Those number are not trending well though, in speaking of numbers. Same for Lazard, who I also love in the Packers offense. Maybe that changes with Love throwing a different ball their way.
As Coldworld has mentioned, UDFA WR Bailey Gaither could emerge with a spot on this roster to help here too. They don't have the advanced stats on the college players, but he did have 41 receptions in just 7 games last season. MVS had 33 in 16 games. Watching Gaither play, he's more of a Cobb/Nelson tweener at WR, and an electric player.
We may see more WR turnover at roster cuts than we ever could have imagined this year.
dobber
May 17, 2021 at 09:54 am
"I see MVS in a very precarious position, as well as EQ and Funchess..."
I can see ESB (or even Funchess) being played off the roster in camp, but I think--unless he comes into camp looking like me--MVS is pretty safe. He's continued to improve, despite the maddening drops, and brings a speed element they don't get from anyone else. He's a candidate for a second contract.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 10:20 am
Yeah, I'm really hoping MVS begins to make a name for himself with the Packers this year as a reliable, go-to WR.
Last season we kept 5 WRs on the Final 53:
Davante Adams
Allen Lazard
MVS
ESB
Malik Taylor
This year, I could see that change to:
Davante Adams
Allen Lazard
MVS
Amari Rodgers
Bailey Gaither
Makes sense.
Coldworld
May 17, 2021 at 10:44 am
I really doubt Funchess goes anywhere, I think Rodgers will take the Ervin slot and EQ is likely gone unless he explodes in camp and that Rodgers is an addition to the other receivers retained.
Adams, MVS, Funchess, Lazard, Rodgers seem very likely assuming no injuries. Funchess and Lazard are interchangeable, Gaither may be the best Rodgers substitute, but does he start on the PS? EQ ought to be the most ready to sub in for MVS/Adams, but that could be another very easily—that player is the last to make the roster. (Surprisingly for a UDFA, that could be Gaither and he could be the kick returner if so—Rodgers being the punt man).
Malik Taylor has speed, decent hands, but I just have not seen him running a full route tree effectively. If he is this year, I don’t count him out.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 11:21 am
That's what I was thinking. KR and PR on your 53 with Bailey Gaither and Amari Rodgers respectively. There is also a chance they keep 6, which would allow for Funchess if he wins a spot.
Leatherhead mentioned Deguara in discussing the distribution of targets. I think he will play a big factor as well. The guy that concerns me a lot here is Jace Sternberger. I do see him as a player who will really have to battle to win back his spot on this 53 man roster. I don't know, but I don't see him as any kind of lock, with Big Dog, Tonyan, Deguara and Dafney, who showed very well last year.
Add to that, if Safety Christian Uphoff makes this 53, that would give us another KR. And, who knows what Malik Taylor does this year. He may surprise.
LambeauPlain
May 17, 2021 at 12:49 pm
Except Amari is likely in the mix for run play handoffs, fakes on motion/jet sweeps. The other receivers are not. That can quickly increase his play opportunities and touches.
Tundraboy
May 17, 2021 at 08:27 am
May be the number one Offense last year statistically but when Rodgers has that tunnel vision with Adams, it sure doesn’t look or feel that way.
dobber
May 17, 2021 at 08:26 am
If he does, it probably means either...
1. there were significant injuries ahead of him on the depth chart
2. he came into camp and blew the doors off things
Coldworld
May 17, 2021 at 10:48 am
It depends on his use in option role. That could get 3 touches a game their easily. He’s likely to be active as he is likely to return. That’s 50 there. Of course some will be hand offs not passes, but still won’t take many conventional slot passes to get him to 50 over 17 games.
LambeauPlain
May 17, 2021 at 12:51 pm
That's how I see his potential for touches too!
Coach Cleve Steamer
May 17, 2021 at 10:50 am
This is all very nice and sweet, but what happened to taking 2-3 years for a receiver. Hello! The NFL competition could be a little more difficult to get open against.
Coldworld
May 17, 2021 at 10:57 am
He’s not really that kind of receiver. He’s been a guy that had been schemed open in the passing game and then allowed to do his stuff. Like Cobb, it will take him longer to become a polished multi position capable WR, but he doesn’t really need that to contribute with his skill set.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 17, 2021 at 08:34 am
Even though I think Amari's impact will definitely be felt and seen with # of catches and yards on offense it is possible his greatest impact might not be so obvious. That being drawing more attention to the middle of the field along with Tonyan isolating more one on one defensive coverage for the outside WR's.
Thegravedigger
May 17, 2021 at 03:58 pm
yeah me too. but he might catch 37 because they will be screens.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 08:49 am
“Pump the brakes” on Amari Rodgers, Ken? How does the saying go?
Yeah, Amari has that look of confidence and a Pro’s Pro. I think he’s going to be a really special player for the Packs and a PERFECT complement to Davante Adams, Lazard and MVS. The fact that Amari is so powerful, so fast, so elusive, so versatile, as a pure “gadget” the Packers might have added the best of the best, when you consider the rigors of a 17 game NFL schedule.
We saw the highlights of Rondale Moore and Jaylen Darden. Those are not the biggest guys to take an NFL pounding. Amari really is that WR in a RB body. He’s a good enough and experienced enough WR to line up anywhere. Perfect fit for this offense.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 17, 2021 at 07:51 am
And to compliment what you say GG I really enjoy the stories about what an exemplary young man he is to go with the talent. I mean a very talented WR who isnt arrogant and brash? What isnt there to like?
NickPerry
May 17, 2021 at 07:27 am
I loved this pick and the fact the kid wanted to be picked by the Packers, it was his DREAM to play for the Packers makes it even better. How awesome is it to hear a kid who's drafted by the Packers say it was his dream to be drafted by them. Lets face it, Green Bay isn't a hot bed for the nightlife many of these kids drafted care about.
Amari Rodgers is the perfect fit for this offense. He's everything Tyler Ervin wasn't and so much more. In week one he'll have his role in the offense which will grow and grow and by week 9 or 10 he'll have a larger role than any rookie we've had in GB in a long time. This kid is everything we DIDN'T have in the WR room prior to the draft. With MLF playing the Mad Wizard drawing up plays and using existing plays he already has, this offense will actually take another leap forward.
By ANOTHER leap forward I mean the one AJ Dillon will have had made in 2021.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 08:44 am
Nick, you get it. Amari is an exceptional talent as a pure SLOT WR. Gutekunst trading up to take him at the #85 pick was great value. Athlon had him rated #72 overall in the draft.
Green Bay is not a place with the glitz. At all. I appreciate that he wants to play for the Packers too, as a dream scenario. Works out for us both.
AND - you're 100% correct Amari was something we didn't have at all in our WR room, where the entire room combined for only 7 missed tackles in 2020? Amari Rodgers forced 17 missed tackles all by himself last year... he's also THE most versatile gadget the Packers have seen since Cobb. Amari can do it all.
This is going to be fun to see, and, imagine what it will do for the rest of the Packers offense... If he establishes himself as the QB's best friend for Jordan Love, early, he might actually wind up pulling coverage away from the more veteran players. That would be cool.
Coach Cleve Steamer
May 17, 2021 at 10:54 am
I’m buying a few thousand jerseys with A Rodgers on it. I’m gonna be rich by week 10.
HawkPacker
May 17, 2021 at 07:47 am
I was very happy that we chose Amari in this year's draft. I believe he will add something special to our offense immediately and special teams as well. I am hoping that he does not return kicks and punts for us to reduce the chance for injury. Returning punts would be best imho.
As far as comparison to Randall Cobb? Cobb was a very good player but I am hoping that Amari will be even better. Isn't his body thicker than Cobb but he is just as fast as Cobb was for the Packers? If I am correct, hopefully he can handle the pounding better than Cobb did as I believe he will be on the field quite a bit.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 17, 2021 at 07:59 am
As I look at the Packers offense they finally have all the pieces I have been wanting for so many years regardless of who is QB. The WR's, the TE's, the slot WR, the RB's, and the OL. Finally it has all come together after years of neglecting the Offense as we tried building up the defense. Yes, could the offense use another #1 WR, and another OT? Absolutely they could but the talent throughout the whole offense offsets and balances. Very excited for 2021! Now if Love is QB and someone like Jeudy is added further adding to the offensive arsenal...yowser!!!
13TimeChamps
May 17, 2021 at 02:57 pm
I really don't understand all the love fans on here have for Jeudy. He had a 46% catch rate last year. No, that's not a misprint. 46%. You want to add that to MVS who has caught approximately half of the passes thrown to him over 3 years?
Coldworld
May 17, 2021 at 08:10 am
Cobb was brought in primarily to return and play a kind of gadget role on D. Rodgers is much more experienced in the passing game than Cobb was. Cobb was more experience out of the backfield. Cobb probably exceeded expectations as a pass catcher, but it took him a little time.
I think Rodgers role starting our will be similar. What he does bring is a player that is of a different type and one that excels on screens and other plays focused on getting him the ball in space and letting him make things happen. That’s not something we’ve had in a while.
As Ervin was in the few games he was healthy, Rodgers can make an impact by being there and giving defenses a different problem to solve. The broader receiving game will come with time, as it did with Cobb. From the beginning, Rodgers adds a new permutation (or one we largely lacked after 4 games last year).
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 17, 2021 at 08:28 am
In hindsight, the amount of times Cobb was used as a RB from the backfield with his physical stature I wonder the beating he took. Amari seems to have more the build for it and hopefully would be better able to withstand the pounding that goes on in those situations. Cobb was definitely a favorite and a baller! If Amari can match or best Cobb the Packers struck gold!
dobber
May 17, 2021 at 08:46 am
I would argue that Cobb's background as a QB-->RB/WR in college was woefully underutilized by McCarthy during his time in GB. MM by that point had calcified into throwing WRs out there and having them run predictable route combos. Cobb is exactly the kind of player (at least coming out of college) that has become a staple in many offenses now.
Coldworld
May 17, 2021 at 10:54 am
I agree that Cobb would seem to potentially been better in this O when he came out. However, Cobb turned out to be really good in the MM system in his first contract. One can argue he actually benefited from being used as a conventional receiver so much during his first contract. I think more by luck than coaching wisdom certainly. The one MM may have wasted was Montgomery.
Thegravedigger
May 17, 2021 at 04:03 pm
very good point. people forget that montgomery was a decent wr his rookie year. he was banged up and still produced. honestly when mcarthy tried to put cobb at rb i cringed every time. it never ever worked. and the only reason this kid amari is getting soo many cobb comparisons is simple. hes not 6 3. the only other little wr the packers drafted this decade was who? Randall cobb.
dobber
May 17, 2021 at 08:42 am
I think this is well-stated. His best immediate fit will be to fill that Ervin role: meaning he'll run around a lot, but not get the ball all that much. You don't have to give him the ball very often in that role to make defenses respect it. If you look at offenses stemming off the Shanahan (or Reid, or McVay, or whichever person you want to give credit to) tree, they all tend to feature a lot of presnap motion...this helps in that regard. AmRod starts out as a greater threat than Ervin ever was.
Most of Ervin's snaps in 2020 came when Davante Adams (and also Lazard) was hurt. It tells you a little about how they viewed Ervin and how they used him: in close to 150 offensive snaps, he had 24 touches (11 catches (15 targets), 13 runs). I think the assessment of AmRod as being a more stout Ervin early on, and his experience on flat passes, underneath routes/outlets, etc., might get him more looks than Ervin could as a capable pass-catching RB. AmRod is more of a catch-and-run guy, and I think we'll appreciate him in terms of keeping the sticks moving....especially if it's someone besides #12 under center.
PatrickGB
May 17, 2021 at 10:01 am
Love the term “AmRod”!
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 01:49 pm
Yeah, dobber, I do think the landscape changes drastically if AR is indeed traded and JL gets the QB1 nod. Love would then be building all-new relationships anyway, with everybody.
Maybe JL winds up giving this Packers team a better balance as a result.
Davante Adams turned out to be Aaron Rodgers' "QB's best friend." While the same will likely be true with JL and DA, AmRod was that for Trevor Lawrence through their entire tenure at Clemson. That did not go unnoticed by JL, I'm sure. Nothing wrong with having TWO BEST FRIENDS as a QB!!!
WRs had to crawl through a line in some candle lit ceremony with monks chanting while being spanked with paddles before Aaron Rodgers would throw to them.... FFS.
Jordan Love might handle trusting new talent better, being new himself.
AmRod is going to be a sensation in GB. This year. I'm certain of it. He's arguably the most pro ready of any Slot WR drafted.
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On a side note: One other guy I want to mention at slot WR that NO ONE is talking about is Reggie Begelton. I think he's going to be awesome if given the chance.
You know how 2nd or 3rd string QBs often wind up building relationships with other players they throw to daily who are at the bottom of the WR group or on the PS??? Yeah. Begelton & Love had ONE FULL YEAR of getting to know each other in MLF's system. He was a CFL All-Star and OWNED the middle of the field as a QB's best friend. Just thought I'd mention that.
mattgsx
May 17, 2021 at 08:35 am
I am very excited about Amari but I agree we need to pump the brakes. He could turn out to be an explosive and productive player like Cobb, or he could end up being the guy who occasionally flashes but can't put it all together, much like another smaller RB/WR type hybrid who also drew a lot of Cobb comparisons.
Roadrunner23
May 17, 2021 at 08:51 am
He just seems like a really bright, well spoken kid with a great attitude and a professional mindset.
There’s a lot to like, can’t wait to see him play for the Packers.
BJP
May 17, 2021 at 09:00 am
Life isn’t fair.
stockholder
May 17, 2021 at 10:36 am
I know they needed a punt returner. I know they needed a Kick off returner. And yes he's a packer. But- Size ,speed, hands. I just think the comparison to Cobb is premature. Cobb had Field speed. Ball security. Could do it all. And I just think Gute made up his mind, and yours, to fast. If he was Cobb, he would have gone before the 3rd round. So I'm putting the Packer Tease label on him. And just forget about him being "A red Zone threat". Thats my point. Thats why I Wouldn't have drafted him. The specialist Role has come to Green Bay. And when you have to many "Jack of all trades." You don't get the dominating performance needed, "Week to Week".
LambeauPlain
May 17, 2021 at 12:19 pm
So he's a bust then....before he even touches the ball in a season game. Gotcha.
And yeah, all that college production at a football powerhouse against top competition was just window dressing and most scouts would agree he was a late rounder.
Wow.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Seriously, I don't even read his stuff anymore. Saves precious, fleeting life moments not having to expend any energy there. Black cloud 100.
splitpea1
May 17, 2021 at 11:00 am
We should be very pleased if Amari has a rookie season similar to Cobb's. On offense he caught 25 balls, 15 of which were first downs. On special teams he had impressive kick and punt return averages and scored one touchdown on each (wouldn't that be nice, hadn't seen it in a long time!). During and after the following season, Cobb's offensive production exploded.
So I hope MLF doesn't dally around with Amari; most teams can't wait to see their high draft picks make an impact, and the Packers should be no exception. Get him in there!
LambeauPlain
May 17, 2021 at 12:33 pm
I knew of some of the similarities between Randall and Amari...but your list is uncanny, Ken! Rodgers almost looks to be a Cobb clone. This is a great story.
There is another similarity I see. Amari is has been touted as a voracious student of the game. Randall was known to work overtime and voluntarily attend the QB meetings while at KY. I expect Amari learned his study habits from Coach Dad and Mentor Cobb.
However, unlike Cobb, I expect Rodgers will get more opportunities during his rookie year. Unlike MM, Matt runs the ball as much as he passes...more potential plays for Amari. Unlike MM, Matt employs so much more motion and jet sweeps and quick hitters in the flat...more potential plays for Amari. And with the two headed run game monster of AJ and AJD, if Amari can make his presence known on the field early and often, it can open quick holes for the runners with fakes to Amari. More potential plays for him.
Hopefully Cobb has called the other Rodgers telling him he needs to play in GB because he is going to love Amari in the O.
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 01:35 pm
Wouldn't be surprised if Randall Cobb becomes a cap casualty in HOU and winds up signing with DEN to play with AR. I'll put $$$ down they talked about this at the Derby a couple of weeks ago...
riiiiing ring ring ring! "...and, they're off!"
White92
May 17, 2021 at 01:36 pm
One of my favorite plays I saw live:
https://youtu.be/VRPmDkXAPlQ
greengold
May 17, 2021 at 01:47 pm
Ohhhh, THAT was a goodie!!!! I miss Randall Cobb. What a player. If we can realize the same or better play with AmRod, that would be huge!
Since'61
May 17, 2021 at 02:33 pm
I think Amari Rodgers has the tools to become a very good player. However it’s spring time and the hype season is in full bloom.
Like always I’ll wait until Rodgers and the rest of our spring blooms play in games that count in the fall. Pre-season means nothing. We’ve had plenty of pre-season MVPs who are no longer in the league never mind still with the Packers.
Way too soon to make Amari Rodgers the second coming of Gale Sayers. Thanks, Since ‘61
stockholder
May 17, 2021 at 02:42 pm
Randall Cobb never won a super-bowl. Drafted in 2011. The packers haven't won since 2010. Do you understand that? Why is Rodgers the next #1. This kind of Fantasy belief; is what led to the packers losing after Starr. Get a grip on reality. Please!