NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports the Packers are "set to sign" free agent TE Jared Cook.

[SMBASS]

[QUOTE=pbmax;879838][QUOTE=SMBASS;879834]Four NFC teams competed for Jared Cook's services since the beginning of the tampering period: The #Falcons, #Panthers, #Bears and #Packers.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) March 28, 2016

I immediately distrust this guy as it was legal to talk to Cook once he cleared waivers.

You may be right pb but I wouldn't doubt if the Bears at least inquired about Cook after they traded Bennett away. In the original thread about Cook I had made a tongue in cheek remark about the Bears signing him after he left his visit with GB without a contract. I was commenting that the Bears would probably sign Cook just to give me yet another reason to hate them even more!

[yetisnowman]

Low risk high reward signing. No brainer. Glad TT got it done.

[Patler]

Cook vs. Finley comparisons from their predraft workouts:

Size - almost identical, Cook is 1/4" taller & 3 lbs. heavier.
Arms & hands - couldn't find info on Finley, but Cook has long arms at 35 3/4" and large hands at 10 1/2"
Age - again, almost identical. Cook is two weeks younger.

40 yard sprint - Cook, significantly faster, 4.5 seconds to 4.82. (better at 10 & 20 yard splits, too) In fairness, Finley reportedly had run in the 4.65 range other times.
Vertical jump - Cook, by a lot, 41 inches to 27.5 in.
Broad jump - Cook, by a bit, 10'3" to 9'9".
Bench press reps - Cook, 23 to 20.

20 yard shuttle - Finley by 4.38 to 4.56
3 cone drill - Finley by 7.15 to 7.25

Wonderlic - Cook is no dummy, with a reported score of 25. Couldn't find anything on Finley's score.


So, there you have it!

[Patler]

Four NFC teams competed for Jared Cook's services since the beginning of the tampering period: The #Falcons, #Panthers, #Bears and #Packers.
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) March 28, 2016

I immediately distrust this guy as it was legal to talk to Cook once he cleared waivers.

Actually, Cook didn't even have to clear waivers. Vested veterans who are released after Feb. 1 and before the next trade deadline are not subject to waivers, and are immediately free to sign with anyone.

[Smidgeon]

Cook vs. Finley comparisons from their predraft workouts:

Size - almost identical, Cook is 1/4" taller & 3 lbs. heavier.
Arms & hands - couldn't find info on Finley, but Cook has long arms at 35 3/4" and large hands at 10 1/2"
Age - again, almost identical. Cook is two weeks younger.

40 yard sprint - Cook, significantly faster, 4.5 seconds to 4.82. (better at 10 & 20 yard splits, too) In fairness, Finley reportedly had run in the 4.65 range other times.
Vertical jump - Cook, by a lot, 41 inches to 27.5 in.
Broad jump - Cook, by a bit, 10'3" to 9'9".
Bench press reps - Cook, 23 to 20.

20 yard shuttle - Finley by 4.38 to 4.56
3 cone drill - Finley by 7.15 to 7.25

Wonderlic - Cook is no dummy, with a reported score of 25. Couldn't find anything on Finley's score.


So, there you have it!

I have always found Finley's workout numbers fascinating, because he seemed to play far beyond what his pure athletic numbers suggested.

Well, I guess in 2009 (has it been that long already) and 2010 before he got injured, one could make the argument that his athletic skill was body control while making a catch. And I guess there's no measurement for that at the combine or any workout.

[mraynrand]

I want to see how Cook handles the Muskie Queen before I pass judgment. However, Cook looks easily more valuable than Scott Wells.

[Joemailman]

I have always found Finley's workout numbers fascinating, because he seemed to play far beyond what his pure athletic numbers suggested.

Well, I guess in 2009 (has it been that long already) and 2010 before he got injured, one could make the argument that his athletic skill was body control while making a catch. And I guess there's no measurement for that at the combine or any workout.

I think that was exactly it. Many of his big plays were due to his ability to make a catch and stay on his feet despite being off balance or taking a hit while making a catch. He gained a lot pf post-contact yards. Hopefully Cook can provide some of that, because Dickrod sure hasn't so far.

[woodbuck27]

This does not count as a "real" free agent signing, as Cook was cut...

C'mon, you know the drill by now.

I do hope this guy can help. Maybe now MM can keep that TE screen in the arsenal, if this guy has any shake and bake at all, or can at least get past that first 190 lb defensive back...

I wonder how fast he is.

Since the draft looked awful for a middle-of-the-field-stretching tight end, this looks like a good signing particularly this year.

Jared Cook Jr. is a tight end for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.

TE Jared Cook

Born: April 7, 1987 (age 28), Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Height: 6' - 5 " ... 254 lbs

40 yard dash time: 4.49 seconds (when he was entering his draft (2009) and weighed 146 lbs.

Education: North Gwinnett High School, University of South Carolina

[Patler]

40 yard dash time: 4.49 seconds (when he was entering his draft (2009) and weighed 146 lbs.

Dang, he was skinny! Good thing he put on 108 pounds!
(Just teasing Woodbuck. I make plenty of typos, too.)

[woodbuck27]

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
For Jared Cook & #Packers, it's a 1-year deal worth $3.6M, source said. Hope is, as with FAs this time of year, to kill it & sign long-term

RENTAL!


Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero 8m8 minutes ago
#Packers offered Jared Cook a 2-year deal. They settled on a 1-year pact that maxes out at $3.65 million with incentives, source said.

SELF CONFIDENT!

RE:

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
For Jared Cook & #Packers, it's *** a 1-year deal worth $3.6M, source said. Hope is, as with FAs this time of year, to kill it & sign long-term

*** http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/5165/jared-cook

This report from Rotoworld informs us that he signed for 1 year and Packers signed him to a one-year, $2.75 million contract.

Another $900,000 is available via incentives.

[MadScientist]

Let's hope he earns every penny of the incentives.

[beveaux1]

Low risk high reward signing. No brainer. Glad TT got it done.

Agree. Although it could use up to 3.75 million in cap space to sign next year's Packer free agents. Better option than a high draft pick when we have other, greater needs.

[pbmax]

http://www.si.com/nfl/2016/03/28/green-bay-packers-aaron-rodgers-jared-cook

What can he do in Green Bay's offense? Cook isn't a burner, and he's probably not going to threaten free safeties down the deep seam, but he's definitely a quarterback's friend on slants, comebacks, and curl/flat routes—the kinds of quick, first-read routes that were missing from the Packers' game plans last season. And when you watch Cook's 2015 tape, it's very much a product of quarterback inefficiency and inaccuracy—countless poorly thrown passes from Nick Foles and Case Keenum, usually under pressure, and Cook simply couldn't recover in time to passes thrown at the wrong shoulder against his leverage, or five feet over his head, or five yards past where he was. His 2015 stats—39 catches on 75 targets for 481 yards and no touchdowns—are far more reflective of St. Louis' 2015 quarterback disaster than Cook losing any of his game at age 28.

[Striker]

Aaron Nagler @AaronNagler 40m40 minutes ago
Cook & GB agreed to terms last Thur. No one had Peppers until it was announced. Ted has that place as leak-proof as an NFL building can be.

[Smidgeon]

Aaron Nagler @AaronNagler 40m40 minutes ago
Cook & GB agreed to terms last Thur. No one had Peppers until it was announced. Ted has that place as leak-proof as an NFL building can be.

For some reason, this gives me warm fuzzies.