Why The Green Bay Packers Are Slow In Signing Randall Cobb
The Green Bay Packers and Randall Cobb need each other. That is why the deal will get done.
Every Green Bay Packers fan is wondering the same thing these days: just what are the Packers waiting for when it comes to signing Randall Cobb?
When Cobb signed his rookie deal four years ago, few knew the impact he would have on the Packers, but Aaron Rodgers knows today. He has described Cobb as a great teammate who gives maximum effort in games and also during practice. Rodgers notes that Cobb is a developing leader and even embodies what being a Packer is all about.
Those are strong words from a man who fits the description himself. But, putting the superlatives aside, Cobb is developing into the difference-maker that every team needs, and one of the cornerstones of what could be the start of a new Packers dynasty.
To the Packers credit, they have made Cobb the number one priority of the prime 11 players that they are negotiating with. The question is, are they willing to meet his probable request, which will likely exceed the extension the Packers recently gave to Jordy Nelson? That deal includes a guarantee that is in the range of what Cobb is looking for.
One point of view is that the Nelson extension is the reason the Packers must not let Cobb get away. Without a threat to discourage double coverage of Nelson, the money the Packers have committed to him might as well burn in a barrel.
And with Cobb emerging as an eventual perennial pro-bowler, do the Packers want to chance losing him to a divisional rival? The thought of Cobb breezing past the Packers highly respected secondary and cruising into the end zone is making Packers fans fidgety, especially if it is for the Lions, Bears or Vikings.
But others point out that every receiver who has any kind ability stands out when Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback delivering the pass. Rodgers has a way of turning mediocre receivers into good ones, and good ones into stars.
If that´s not enough, the Packers also have Jarrett Boykin and the speedy, glue-handed rookie receiver Davante Adams waiting in the wings. And with today´s high-flying college passing offenses, there are plenty of young receivers available nearly every year.
Plus, it is not like the free agent market would not offer quality replacements for Cobb. Entering the season, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Torrey Smith, Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Macklin also had contracts that were up for expiration. Imagine any of them running patterns for Rodgers. How high would their production elevate?
The undeniable truth, however, is that Cobb is a special player. His skill set is not easily replaced. Besides his value as a kickoff returner, he also can line up in the backfield, as he has done recently, to give the Packers an escape plan on those rare occasions when Rodgers may be having an off day passing.
The big intangible is chemistry. Rodgers and Cobb already have built that. Bringing in a rookie, or any of the free agents, would be like starting the process all over again. Rodgers has proven that he can adjust quickly, which he has done with Adams. But how quickly would the new man adjust to Rodgers?
“He’s a competitor and that’s what I love about him. He’s going to go out and give his best no matter what. He’s going to play through pain, play through sickness and its just great to see a teammate go out there and putting his body on the line every down for you and its just great to play with him,¨ Cobb said of Rodgers according to Media Buccaneer.com.
When Cobb is at running back, he offers a burst of speed that neither Eddie Lacy nor James Starks provides. Would the Packers get that from a replacement for Cobb? And with inclement weather inevitable come playoff time, the more versatility the better. So when you add up everything Cobb offers, his value escalates as high as his patented leap.
That is why Title Town should just relax. The Packers will make the deal they need to make at the appropriate time. Yes, the wait may cost them more money. But let´s face it, the top objective right now is to make it to the Super Bowl and win it. If Cobb makes a big contribution to that, he will be worth what he gets.
Besides, the Packers are the ones who are holding an ace up their sleeve. That ace is Rodgers. Rodgers can help make Cobb a perennial pro bowler and maybe even a Hall of Famer. There are only a couple of other teams that could provide Cobb with a quarterback like that. And he knows it. So Cobb and the Packers need each other. That is why the deal will get done.