Add another tributary to this stream of Monday Packers news. Aaron Rodgers is on the cusp of rejoining the team, and he may well want one of his former pass catchers back as well.
Rodgers wants Randall Cobb back in Green Bay, according to veteran broadcaster Trey Wingo and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (Twitter links). With the Packers willing to go to great lengths to appease the reigning MVP, the prospect of a Cobb return via trade certainly does not sound crazy.
The Texans have Cobb signed to a three-year, $27MM contract, but since-canned GM Bill O’Brien authorized that deal. And Houston acquired slot Anthony Miller from Chicago over the weekend, adding another new piece to the team’s skill-position corps. Cobb’s through-2022 contract includes a base salary of $8.25MM in 2021. Cobb will turn 31 next month, which does making him somewhat ill-fitting amid a Texans rebuild.
Green Bay, however, used a Day 2 draft pick on a wide receiver for the first time in six years in April, selecting Clemson’s Amari Rodgers in the third round. The Packers signed the 5-foot-9 target over the weekend. The ex-Trevor Lawrence weapon is expected to work in the slot as a pro, which would create an interesting overlap with Cobb’s skill set. The Packers also return Davante Adams complements Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, with Devin Funchess attempting to return after having played one game over the past two seasons. Cobb also left Green Bay before Matt LaFleur installed his system, providing another hiccup here.
Cobb played eight seasons with the Packers, totaling 41 receiving touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards. After giving Cobb a $10MM-per-year extension in 2015, the Packers let him walk in 2019. Cobb signed with the Cowboys and outproduced the contingent the Packers hoped would fill the void, amassing 828 receiving yards in that season. While Valdes-Scantling and Lazard made bigger contributions in 2020 — a season in which an injury limited Cobb to 10 games — the Packers are clearly loading up for what may well be one last run with their franchise centerpiece. Given the news emerging Monday, it would certainly not shock to see the team part with a late-round pick to further satisfy their 17th-year quarterback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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