Packers trading for Randall Cobb a blast from the past that helps in 2021
The Green Bay Packers are appeasing Aaron Rodgers by trading for Randall Cobb, bringing the past to the present but also helping the 2021 offense.
Aaron Rodgers is back with the Green Bay Packers and, while it may only be for the 2021 NFL season, that’s a net positive for the franchise given the narrative throughout this offseason. But one of his reported demands for rejoining the team was for the front office to work on bringing wide receiver Randall Cobb back into the fold.
As it turns out, the team is trying to mend the relationship with the reigning NFL MVP and Cobb is part of the equation. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Packers are negotiating with the Houston Texans to complete a trade that would send the soon-to-be 31-year-old wideout back to Green Bay.
Rodgers and Cobb are more than familiar with one another as the latter spent eight seasons with the Pack from 2011-18. Over that time, he played in 105 games with 470 receptions for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns, largely as a slot weapon. Over the past two years, he’s been less productive with the Cowboys and Texans, combining for 93 receptions for 1,269 yards and six touchdowns in 25 games.
Randall Cobb can help open up the Packers offense in ways that haven’t been available the past two seasons.
On the surface, this might look like Rodgers is just wanting a joyride with familiar faces from his time with the Packers. And there’s no denying that, based on recent returns, that Randall Cobb isn’t the same player he once was. That doesn’t mean, however, that he can’t be substantially helpful for the Green Bay offense in the 2021 season.
When people talk about the issues with this team’s wide receiver corps beyond Davante Adams, the crux of the argument is that there is no diversification in what the players at that position can do. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a boom-or-bust player and Allen Lazard, though less so, is definitely inconsistent in a similar mold.
That’s a big reason why Green Bay used a third-round pick on Clemson wideout Amari Rodgers, a player who can operate in the slot and simply make defenses have to work to shut down more of the field. Cobb is a player who can not only rotate in and do the same but also mentor Rodgers in that capacity, thus possibly making him even more effective as a rookie.
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Cobb is undoubtedly a callback to yesteryear with the Packers but he’s also a player who could help the team in the 2021 campaign. This offense having passing game weapons that open up possibilities for what they can do makes a team that was already one of the best on that side of the ball last season even more dangerous.