Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) celebrates his first quarter touchdown catch with Jody Nelson against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay Packers wideout Randall Cobb is expected to be one of the biggest names in 2015 NFL Free Agency should he hit the open market, set to cash in after being Aaron Rodgers second favorite target behind Jordy Nelson in a 2014 season where he had the best numbers of his four year NFL career.
FanSided
Cobb broke the 1000 yard mark for the first time in the NFL, catching 12 touchdowns as the Packers went within one unfortunate meltdown on special downs away from the Super Bowl. In the playoffs Cobb was clutch for Green Bay, catching 15 passes in two games for 178 yards and one touchdown which elevated his status in a contract year where he should get a hefty payday.
According to sources, Cobb is expecting that payday to be $9 million per season, a number that appears to be a fair one based on Cobb’s play with the Packers on his first contract. Putting up big numbers in 2012 and 2014, coming back from a fibular injury that was suffered early in the 2013 season to become one of the top receivers in the league, Green Bay are going to have to put up big money to retain their wideout over the longterm.
Indications are Randall Cobb seeking $9M/year http://t.co/pg8rBpbFy9
— NBC Sports EDGE Football (@NBCSEdgeFB) February 16, 2015
$9 million for Randall Cobb is perfectly reasonable. He's incredibly good at getting open, and few receivers are as versatile as him.
— NFL Spin Zone (@NFLSpinZone) February 16, 2015
According to Over The Cap the Packers presently have $23,722,642 in cap space, which would allow them to retain Cobb, but would also come at the price of sinking nearly half of their cap space for 2015 Free Agency which puts general manager Ted Thompson in a difficult position when it comes to his receiver.
More from Just Blog Baby
- Raiders news: Free agent TE Foster Moreau diagnosed with cancer
- Order your Jimmy Garoppolo Las Vegas Raiders gear now
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2023 NFL Draft will make-or-break David Ziegler Era
- Raiders news: Jimmy Garoppolo offered a different kind of deal
- Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Trading down for an elite DT on Day 1
Thompson also needs to make a tough decision on cornerback Tamon Williams who has a large cap figure himself, making it a likely decision between defense or offense as he is unlikely to be able to keep both is Cobb is looking at a $9 million cap hit for his big deal in his second NFL contract. With Davante Adams emerging as a weapon in the passing game, Thompson may just allow Cobb to test the market and call his bluff, something that could open up the doors for other teams who would be willing to commit the cap space to bring in a player who could be a number one receiver on many rosters.
There is also a chance that Cobb could stay in Green Bay should the Packers decide he is worth the large portion of their 2015 cap space, but the payday that Cobb is expecting makes it potentially likely that he hits the open market. Something that wide receiver needy teams like the Raiders would be eager to see happen as Cobb would be the top wideout in 2015 Free Agency as it assumed that Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas will be retained by their teams.
That alone elevates the market for Cobb, who knows that he can leverage his status for a big payday after his rookie contract as a second round draft pick out of Kentucky. Enjoying team success in Green Bay, if the Packers give him what he feels he is worth he will gladly stay in Wisconsin, but that will be up to the cap tight Packers to decide as they will need to make a significant commitment to their wideout should they want to keep their core together of Nelson and Cobb going into the future.