Green Bay Packers cement elite core, re-sign Randall Cobb

By Keegan Matheson | Mar 8, 2015

The Green Bay Packers do their best personnel work in the shadows, with rumors barely leaking from the offices of Lambeau Field until ink is drying on a contract. As midnight neared on Saturday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter brought a collective sigh of relief to the Green Bay Packers’ faithful, as he reported that Cobb had re-signed for 4 years, $40 million.

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This move comes just under the deadline of free agency, much like the contract of Sam Shields last offseason, but Cobb’s negotiation was considerably less certain. As a 24-year old spark plug coming off a career season with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, Cobb was poised to cash in, perhaps even larger than the $10 million annually that he will be receiving from Green Bay.

Organizations like the Oakland Raiders, whose general manager Reggie McKenzie played a role in drafting Cobb, were widely speculated to have primary interest in the receiver, not to mention a great deal of cap space. Those rumblings appear to have been justified, as well, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that Cobb had several offers on the table yesterday, and turned down “considerably more” money from another team to stay with the Packers.

While $10 million annually to play a game is far from a tragedy, a player accepting a salary below his established market value is a rarity in professional sports. This decision should, and will be, appreciated by Packers fans.

Oct 19, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

This signing allows Ted Thompson and the front office to breathe easy, as well, and focus on other pressing matters such as Bryan Bulaga. Cobb now solidifies the top end of the receiving core with Jordy Nelson, who is also signed through the 2018 season following a 4 year, $39 million extension that was also below what many considered his market value to be.

For Randall Cobb, this contract will set him up for another pay day in his late 20’s while cementing the heart of Green Bay’s offense. Cobb, who will be 25 when the 2015 season kicks off, joins Nelson (30), Rodgers (31) and Eddie Lacy (25) to form a Green Diamond across the Packers offense that has the potential to produce at very high levels for several more seasons.

Add to this a relatively young and improving offensive line featuring David Bakhtiari (23), T.J. Lang (27), Corey Linsley (24), Josh Sitton (29) and the hopefully return of Bryan Bulaga (26). Far too much would need to go right for this entire group to stick together, especially when expiring contracts continue to involve themselves, but there is little reason to believe that the Packers cannot continue their perennial runs to January.

At Cobb’s age, how much improvement remains in his potential? His 91 receptions for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014 were impressive, but as targets like Richard Rodgers and Davante Adams develop, Cobb may not top his 127 targets from last season. Regardless, few players are more efficient with their opportunities, as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports that Cobb has caught 75.2% of his targets since entering the NFL in 2011, the highest rate in the league during that frame.

There are miles to go before the Packers sleep this offseason, but the most important and least certain step has now been taken. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this deal is it’s timing, which gives Ted Thompson clarity regarding the team’s cap situation before free agency opens, instead of hamstringing the organization in other negotiations.

Organic roster composition continues to be the strategy in Green Bay. While that may not be the most common practice across the NFL, neither is Cobb’s decision to put winning over financial gain. A perfect match has been re-united both on, and off, the field of Lambeau.

Next: Will the Green Bay Packers re-sign John Kuhn?

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