Randall Cobb Spurns Oakland Raiders, Opts to Stay in Green Bay
By Kevin Saito
For the better part of several weeks now, we’ve been led to believe that Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb would be testing the free agency market. And by testing the market, we mean landing with the Oakland Raiders. Apparently, if the Raiders are going to need to look elsewhere for a field stretching receiver as Cobb has left GM Reggie McKenzie standing at the altar with nothing but his checkbook in his hand.
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Given his ties to McKenzie, former teammates in James Jones and Charles Woodson already wearing the Silver and Black, but perhaps most importantly, the boatload of money Oakland is sitting on – with a mandate to spend it – it seemed to be a forgone conclusion that Cobb would be catching passes from Derek Carr in 2015.
Cobb however, apparently had other ideas.
It’s being reported by various outlets that Cobb has turned down multiple offers to sign a 4-year, $40 million dollar deal to stay with the Packers. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Cobb turned down “considerably more money” from other clubs to stay with the team that drafted him in 2011.
Randall Cobb had 6-7 offers today, I’m told. He turned down considerably more money elsewhere to sign with the #Packers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 8, 2015
Perhaps the allure of catching balls from one of the league’s elite quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers was the biggest draw. Or perhaps it was the fact that Green Bay was incredibly close to a trip to the Super Bowl last season – and seems poised for another postseason run in 2015 – that lured him back.
Whatever the reason though, it puts a big crimp in Oakland’s offensive plans for the coming year. By all accounts, the Raiders were planning on Cobb being the sure handed, field stretching receiver they so desperately need. Cobb was going to be in integral piece of what many hope will become a dynamic Oakland offense in 2015.
But to paraphrase an old Yiddish saying, “man plans, and the football gods laugh.”
Cobb going back to Green Bay leaves Oakland in a bit of a bind and scrambling to put together a plan B. Though they’ve likely secured the services of Rod Streater for 2015 via a second round tender, they placed an original round tender on fellow wideout Andre Holmes, and could wind up losing him.
If McKenzie had known earlier that despite his best efforts, Cobb was headed back to Green Bay, would he have made a better offer to keep Holmes?
Cobb’s decision undoubtedly alters many things for McKenzie, head coach Jack Del Rio, and the Raiders. Had they been able to lock him up, many believe that the Raiders would have opted to go defense with the first pick in the upcoming draft. Having addressed the need for a receiver by signing Cobb, Oakland would have been free to address the need for an elite edge rusher – somebody like a Randy Gregory, Dante Fowler, or Vic Beasley.
But now that Cobb has decided on snow and cheese curds over California sunshine and warmth, there will be a ripple effect in Oakland’s planning for the upcoming season. Though there are some good receivers on the open market – Jeremy Maclin, Michael Crabtree, Torrey Smith, and Brian Hartline, among others – none of them are the premier receiver that Cobb is.
Though they have Jones, Streater, Brice Butler, and perhaps Andre Holmes on the roster, the Raiders will absolutely need to address their glaring need for a field stretching, number one type receiver. And with Cobb opting to stay in Green Bay, it’s looking like that need will have to be addressed through the draft.
With Cobb opting to stay in Green Bay, Raiders’ fans had best hope McKenzie has a plan B.