Official Randall Cobb FA Thread

[Bretsky]

First, let me make the following clear:
- I fully expect they will re-sign Cobb, unless he gets a massive deal somewhere.
- I want them to re-sign Cobb.

That said, I don't think all is lost if he goes elsewhere. Much of what I am hearing about Cobb being irreplaceable I heard about Walker when he was holding out, Driver when his contracts were due and when he was aging, Jennings when hiis future was debated for two years, Finley when his contract was up and when his future became doubtful and Nelson when his contract was due. To a lesser degree, there was worry about Jones departure. Now it's Cobb's turn.

I think reality is that they don't need to replace anyone, they simple reformulate a bit to take advantage of what the next guy in line has to offer.

If Cobb were to leave, I think the offense would be fine with Adams. Rodgers II could step forward at TE ("Q" is what he is at this point). With a possible return to form by Boykin (perhaps unlikely), and/or steps up by Abbrederis or Janis and another likely draft pick or two at WR and/or TE, they will be fine. Sure, each and every one is indefinite, but they don't need all of them to blossom, just one or two.

I don't want them to lose Cobb, but I will not anguish over it if they do; nor will my expectations for the upcoming season go down because of it.

I don't see any threat at all in Rodgers and Q is a J.A.G.; losing Cobb to me would be huge. We'd actually need to count on a Fresno State guy !

[Bretsky]

Sometime, I wonder about Jennings, and if he really does provide what teams want from a "pro's pro." He was not happy in GB sharing the limelight with other receivers, and even seemed to resent the attention being focused on Rodgers. If Charles Johnson becomes the focus, will Jennings start grumbling?

THERE is a guy I'd still like to have....CHARLES JOHNSON......we should have cut Brad Jones years ago and let Johnson carry that spot

[denverYooper]

The Vikings will have an opening when they release Jennings.

It'd be funny if Cobb went to MN and Jennings ended up back in GB.

[pbmax]

Sometime, I wonder about Jennings, and if he really does provide what teams want from a "pro's pro." He was not happy in GB sharing the limelight with other receivers, and even seemed to resent the attention being focused on Rodgers. If Charles Johnson becomes the focus, will Jennings start grumbling?

Greg got sidetracked by the same contract chase that hurt Finley. It didn't screw his hands up like it did to Jermichael, but it did provide a monster distraction.

He was a better receiver than Jones, Nelson or Cobb and could make plays they could not, especially in the middle of the field. But he wanted a Fitzgerald/Vicent Jackson contract to cap his career after the friendlier deal he took in his second contract. When it started to fall apart, the whole family came unglued.

[smuggler]

Greg was a very good player for quite a while for us. He started to fall apart psychologically when he started to fall apart physically. There was talk, for the longest time, about how he did not want to play football well into his thirties, that he wanted to do something else with his life. But the ego is a very difficult thing to overcome...

[gbgary]

we're in better cap shape this year than those other years. taking one step back and one step forward hasn't gotten us anywhere. he'll get signed.

[mraynrand]

taking one step back and one step forward hasn't gotten us anywhere.

but you're on your way to the hokey pokey

[HarveyWallbangers]

Greg got sidetracked by the same contract chase that hurt Finley. It didn't screw his hands up like it did to Jermichael, but it did provide a monster distraction.

He was a better receiver than Jones, Nelson or Cobb and could make plays they could not, especially in the middle of the field. But he wanted a Fitzgerald/Vicent Jackson contract to cap his career after the friendlier deal he took in his second contract. When it started to fall apart, the whole family came unglued.

Jennings was better than Jones, probably slightly better than Cobb, but I'd take Nelson slightly over Jennings.

[pbmax]

Jennings was better than Jones, probably slightly better than Cobb, but I'd take Nelson slightly over Jennings.

Don't agree. Nelson better deep and maybe on sideline, Jennings better everywhere else including route running. Packer's offense doesn't go without him in Super Bowl. Unlike Nelson, Jennings could escape press coverage with ease and get open immediately like Driver. Not dominant though and let the contract and his injury/number of catches go to his head.

I'm hoping Adams brings some of that precision back, along with escape from press man coverage.

[Smidgeon]

Cobb's agent making a play for more money from the Pack?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-randall-cobb/

[mraynrand]

Don't agree. Nelson better deep and maybe on sideline, Jennings better everywhere else including route running. Packer's offense doesn't go without him in Super Bowl. Unlike Nelson, Jennings could escape press coverage with ease and get open immediately like Driver. Not dominant though and let the contract and his injury/number of catches go to his head.

I'm hoping Adams brings some of that precision back, along with escape from press man coverage.

This is correct. And Cobb cannot get open against press coverage all that well either, and doesn't have the size to clear out a bigger catch radius for himself. Although Adams has the better size and doesn't get killed by the press, I'm not sure about his precision in route running. Jennings showed that right away. (I do believe that Jenning's injury against the Raiders cost the Packers a SB repeat).

[Teamcheez1]

Cobb's agent making a play for more money from the Pack?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-randall-cobb/

If he wants to play for the Raiders, he better get a damn good contract because he will be working for the vet minimum after his stats plunge into the abyss.

[yetisnowman]

Of course we will be "fine" and "survive" if we let Cobb go. We will win 10-12 games and beat up the bad teams and our average division and have a good offense, etc etc. But losing Cobb greatly diminishes our superbowl chances imo. He is a td machine, and finds ways to get open and make big plays. The broken play/improvising Aaron likes to do goes hand in hand with Cobb's skill set. Our window is now with Aaron. You guys are banking on Abbrederis and/or Janis stepping up? A 7th round pick who couldn't sniff the field as rookie and a 5th round pick who blew out his knee and never sniffed the field as a rookie? I just don't feel like we have time to groom rookies or hope and pray someone works out. We have a great young player who has a great rapport with our qb. Sign Cobb. Spend draft picks elsewhere. See what the two honkeys can do in camp.
I will be so pissed and disappointed if we don't resign Cobb.

[mraynrand]

I just don't feel like we have time to groom rookies or hope and pray someone works out.....I will be so pissed and disappointed if we don't resign Cobb.

I'd be disappointed to lose Cobb too, but he's not elite 9 mil/year. And Adams, Rodgers, C-Dix, and Linsley don't share your worries about rookies.

[yetisnowman]

I'd be disappointed to lose Cobb too, but he's not elite 9 mil/year. And Adams, Rodgers, C-Dix, and Linsley don't share your worries about rookies.

Agree to disagree. Adams had a solid rookie season, better than I expected honestly. But he was super inconsistent. Even if one of the whiteboys or a draft pick equal Adams in terms of production next season(which I would say is very unlikely) then I think we lose quite a bit at receiver. I'm not sure how we don't. I say pay him 9 mil a year. It's strange how 7-8 mil seems to be automatically approved but 9 is breaking the bank. If he goes somewhere else I think it is a major blow to our team. I would love to be wrong and if he goes, maybe I will see that he was a more of a product of our system and we don't even miss a beat. I just don't see it.

[mraynrand]

If he goes somewhere else I think it is a major blow to our team.

This is the key. Is it true or not? I'm worried that it might be true, but think it's not. Plus intangibles. Is Cobb a great guy or what? I suspect he's worth a lot, in areas like locker room/team stability. Letting him go is a gamble for sure.

[red]

so....

someone in the raiders organization, close enough to know the teams plans, lets it "leak" that IF cobb becomes a free agent, they will start a bidding war

so how is this not tampering? sounds like the very definition to me

[King Friday]

so how is this not tampering? sounds like the very definition to me

Because no one really wants to go play for the Raiders...the league realizes this is the only way they can field a competitive team.

[vince]

so....

someone in the raiders organization, close enough to know the teams plans, lets it "leak" that IF cobb becomes a free agent, they will start a bidding war

so how is this not tampering? sounds like the very definition to me

What are the tampering rules anyway?

I think this is Cobb's agent trying to push up his client's value by leaking a rumor to the media that Oakland would love to pursue Cobb if/when he reaches free agency. It could have been an easily misinterpreted elevator conversation at the combine or it may not even have happened.

That happened to the Packers a few years back when Steven Jackson's agent leaked info that the Packers had strong interest in him - in an attempt to push Atlanta into upping its offer. Atlanta didn't bite. A few weeks later, after failing in his attempt to push the deal higher, he signed the deal with them. So it was pretty clear that the Packers interest level was "no thanks."

Can the agent be fined or penalized for tampering in these situations?

Even if there have been conversations between Reggie McKenzie and Cobb's agent, I think there's a fairly established precedent that the NFL does't even pursue those situations this close to the deadline. No sense in squashing good juice for their media partners..

[mraynrand]

What are the tampering rules anyway?

probably the same as the rules for football inflation, sexual assault, etc. Goodall will make like a monkey's uncle, make it up as he goes along and change his mind if some activists harass him and threaten the $$$ of the league.