Randall Cobb - Pro Football Rumors

Packers WR Randall Cobb Reworks Contract

July 31st, 2021 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

Randall Cobb is back in Green Bay, and the veteran receiver is taking a pay cut. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Cobb has restructured his contract.

Specifically, Cobb and the Packers converted $4.075MM of the player’s $5.25MM salary into a signing bonus. The team also added a 2023 void year to the contract, thus dropping Cobb’s 2021 cap hit to $2.68MM. While this move will provide the organization with some much-needed breathing room this season, it will also exacerbate the team’s future cap concerns.

Earlier this week, Cobb was traded back to Green Bay, where he previously played eight seasons for the Packers. Green Bay gave up a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Texans, and Houston also picked up $3MM of Cobb’s salary in 2021 (providing the organization with even more financial relief). Cobb is currently playing on a three-year, $27MM deal that he inked with Houston.

The trade came at the request/demand of MVP Aaron Rodgers, who agreed to return to the Packers earlier this week. Without Rodgers’ insistence, it’s unlikely that this trade would have ever materialized. Cobb never played for Matt LaFleur and third-round wide receiver Amari Rodgers was already ticketed for much of the team’s slot work. Still, Rodgers wanted his old pal back and the Packers weren’t about to say no to him, or Cobb’s wealth of experience. Now, Cobb will join Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess, and the other A. Rodgers on the WR depth chart.

Texans Trade Randall Cobb To Packers

July 28th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Zachary Links

He’s back. On Wednesday, the Texans agreed to send veteran wide receiver Randall Cobb back to Green Bay (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The deal will see the Packers send a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Texans, who will also pick up $3MM of Cobb’s salary in 2021.

The trade came at the request/demand of MVP Aaron Rodgers, who agreed to return to the Packers earlier this week. Without Rodgers’ insistence, it’s unlikely that this trade would have ever materialized. Cobb never played for Matt LaFleur and third-round wide receiver Amari Rodgers was already ticketed for much of the team’s slot work. Still, Rodgers wanted his old pal back and the Packers weren’t about to say no to him, or Cobb’s wealth of experience. Now, Cobb will join Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Devin Funchess, and the other A. Rodgers on the WR depth chart.

Cobb played eight seasons with the Packers, totaling 41 receiving touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards. He secured a $10MM-per-year extension in 2015 — a decent sum at the time — but the Packers let him walk in 2019. Cobb signed with the Cowboys and performed better than anyone else left in Wisconsin.

The 5’10” receiver parlayed that success into a three-year, $27MM contract with the Texans, but that deal was authorized by since-fired HC/GM Bill O’Brien. Cobb was also limited to just ten games. Now that they have slot receiver Anthony Miller, the new administration was willing to part with him.

Cobb, 31 in August, is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8.25MM in 2021 — partially paid by Houston.

Packers, Texans Discussing Randall Cobb Trade

July 27th, 2021 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers and Texans are discussing a trade that would bring Randall Cobb back to the Packers (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). This comes at the request of Aaron Rodgers, who returned to the team on Tuesday morning.

The Texans signed Cobb to a three-year, $27MM contract in 2020 under the Bill O’Brien administration. So, after picking up slot receiving Anthony Miller over the weekend, they’re probably open to dealing the veteran.

Cobb, 31 in August, is set to carry a $8.25MM cap hit this year. The Packers can probably make it work now that Rodgers has agreed to a reworked deal.

The Packers drafted Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers in the third round, but Rodgers still wants his old pal back. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and Devin Funchess are also in the mix for Green Bay.

Cobb played eight seasons with the Packers, totaling 41 receiving touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards.

Aaron Rodgers Wants Packers To Reacquire Randall Cobb?

July 26th, 2021 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Add another tributary to this stream of Monday Packers news. Aaron Rodgers is on the cusp of rejoining the team, and he may well want one of his former pass catchers back as well.

Rodgers wants Randall Cobb back in Green Bay, according to veteran broadcaster Trey Wingo and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones (Twitter links). With the Packers willing to go to great lengths to appease the reigning MVP, the prospect of a Cobb return via trade certainly does not sound crazy.

The Texans have Cobb signed to a three-year, $27MM contract, but since-canned GM Bill O’Brien authorized that deal. And Houston acquired slot Anthony Miller from Chicago over the weekend, adding another new piece to the team’s skill-position corps. Cobb’s through-2022 contract includes a base salary of $8.25MM in 2021. Cobb will turn 31 next month, which does making him somewhat ill-fitting amid a Texans rebuild.

Green Bay, however, used a Day 2 draft pick on a wide receiver for the first time in six years in April, selecting Clemson’s Amari Rodgers in the third round. The Packers signed the 5-foot-9 target over the weekend. The ex-Trevor Lawrence weapon is expected to work in the slot as a pro, which would create an interesting overlap with Cobb’s skill set. The Packers also return Davante Adams complements Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard, with Devin Funchess attempting to return after having played one game over the past two seasons. Cobb also left Green Bay before Matt LaFleur installed his system, providing another hiccup here.

Cobb played eight seasons with the Packers, totaling 41 receiving touchdowns and more than 5,500 yards. After giving Cobb a $10MM-per-year extension in 2015, the Packers let him walk in 2019. Cobb signed with the Cowboys and outproduced the contingent the Packers hoped would fill the void, amassing 828 receiving yards in that season. While Valdes-Scantling and Lazard made bigger contributions in 2020 — a season in which an injury limited Cobb to 10 games — the Packers are clearly loading up for what may well be one last run with their franchise centerpiece. Given the news emerging Monday, it would certainly not shock to see the team part with a late-round pick to further satisfy their 17th-year quarterback.

Texans Notes: Easterby, Kelly, Cobb

December 18th, 2020 at 10:41am CST by Rory Parks

While Texans executive VP Jack Easterby will not become the team’s next GM, recent reports suggest that he will have a significant say in determining who the next head coach will be. And in a comprehensive piece detailing Easterby’s unconventional and sometimes controversial rise through the NFL front office ranks, Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop of SI.com suggest that might not necessarily be a good thing.

The article is well-worth a read for any NFL observer, but especially Texans fans. Some of the authors’ sources say that Easterby, who was brought in to improve the club’s culture, has only made it worse, and that he has secured his lofty position within the organization thanks largely to the inordinate amount of sway he has over owner Cal McNair. Indeed, one source said McNair is “blinded” by Easterby, who has also been accused of undermining other key figures — like former head coach Bill O’Brien — and who is said to have been a driving force behind the lopsided DeAndre Hopkins trade (for which O’Brien has shouldered most of the blame).

Of course, Easterby — who declined the authors’ invitation to tell his side of the story — has plenty of supporters as well, and it will be fascinating to see how his role will impact Houston’s HC/GM search and the team’s fortunes moving forward.

Now for more from the Texans:

If quarterback Deshaun Watson has it his way, the new Texans head coach will retain current offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. Kelly has been with the organization since 2014 and was elevated to OC last year. Amidst an otherwise difficult 2020 campaign, Watson is enjoying a career year, and he gives his 34-year-old coordinator a great deal of credit for that. We previously heard that McNair would consider Watson’s input with respect to the HC search, so it stands to reason that he would also value his star QB’s opinion on his OC.
The Hopkins trade, along with assorted injuries and suspensions, have decimated Watson’s WR corps. Randall Cobb has been on IR since late November with a significant toe injury, and according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, surgery is a possibility. Cobb, 30, has an outside chance of returning this year, but with the Texans well out of the playoff picture, it probably makes more sense for him to start preparing for 2021.
The Texans selected cornerback John Reid in the fourth round of this year’s draft, but even after the Bradley Roby suspension and with Houston already looking ahead to next year, Reid is unlikely to see more defensive snaps, per Wilson. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver confirmed as much, saying that while he believes Reid has a great career ahead of him, he is not quite ready for a larger role. Reid has played just 60 defensive snaps on the season, and 32 of those came in Week 1.
LB Reggie Gilbert and DL Willie Henry are visiting the Texans, per Wilson. Gilbert and Henry were recently cut by the Jaguars and 49ers, respectively, and Houston will see if they can get anything out of two defenders who at one time showed they might be worthwhile pieces of an NFL roster.

Texans Place Randall Cobb On IR

November 25th, 2020 at 6:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Texans picked up their third win of the season by beating the Patriots, but they picked up a couple of key injuries along the way. We just heard starting defensive tackle P.J. Hall is done for the year, and now Randall Cobb will be hitting the shelf.

The veteran receiver has a toe injury that is considered “significant,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The Texans have since placed Cobb on IR.

Fellow receiver Kenny Stills picked up a quad injury on Sunday, and although we don’t know the severity on that one yet, it’s possible their offense is significantly shorthanded for their Thanksgiving trip to take on the Lions.

It’s a tough blow, as Cobb has been playing a big role in his first season in Houston. Through ten games he has 38 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. He inked a three-year pact worth an impressive $27MM back in March. He turned 30 back in August, but outside of seven missed games in 2018 has mostly been pretty durable.

Trade Rumors: Thomas, Njoku, Watt, Jets

November 1st, 2020 at 8:50am CST by Rory Parks

Saints head coach Sean Payton has said his team has no interest in trading star receiver Michael Thomas, though Thomas’ camp was recently said to be looking for potential deals. There has been no movement towards a Thomas trade, and whether that’s because New Orleans has no interest in dealing him or because the club has not received an offer it likes, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Thomas will stay put.

With the trade deadline two days away, let’s round up a few more rumors on players who could be on the move:

The Browns don’t want to trade tight end David Njoku, but Njoku has renewed his request to be dealt, and Rapoport says Cleveland has been fielding calls on the former first-rounder. It may take at least a fourth-round pick to get a deal done, but with Austin Hooper set to return and with the emergence of rookie Harrison Bryant, the Browns may elect to move Njoku.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Texans are at the center of the trade market, with one executive saying Houston could move as many as five players if it wants to. Rapoport expects the Packers‘ interest in Will Fuller — which dates back to the summer — to ramp up, but it will likely take a high pick to convince the Texans to move Fuller. Fellow WR Kenny Stills has also drawn some interest, though rival clubs see the contracts for Stills and Randall Cobb as prohibitive. DE J.J. Watt may be receptive to a trade, but considering his contract and age, other teams probably don’t value him like the Texans do.
The Jets have received calls on LB Avery Williamson, OTs George Fant and Chuma Edoga, and CB Quincy Wilson, per Albert Breer of SI.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says the Steelers — who recently lost Devin Bush for the season — could be in the market for Williamson, and Edoga also seems like a good bet to be dealt since he does not look like a fit with the current regime.
La Canfora says teams have also called the Jets about WR Breshad Perriman and TE Chris Herndon, though Breer notes that safety Marcus Maye has not drawn much interest.
Rapoport names Dolphins RB Jordan Howard and Seahawks TE Jacob Hollister as two other players who could be moved. And though the Bengals are shopping disgruntled wideout John Ross, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says there hasn’t been interest in Ross (Twitter link).

Teams Calling Texans On Fuller, Cobb

October 28th, 2020 at 3:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite trading DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans entered the season with a bloated wide receiver payroll. They are now 1-6 and between GMs, leading teams to inquire about some of their players.

Teams have contacted the Texans about their wide receivers, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who notes the team has fielded calls on Will Fuller and Randall Cobb (Twitter link).

The trade deadline looms Nov. 3, though teams who would like to deploy their new players in Week 9 would need to make deals this week in order for them to begin practicing ahead of those games. COVID-19 testing protocols require players to pass six tests — each a day apart — before practicing with new teams.

Fuller and Cobb represent half of Houston’s veteran receiving corps, which also includes 2020 trade acquisition Brandin Cooks and 2019 trade get Kenny Stills. Fuller, who is playing on a $10.16MM fifth-year option salary, would bring far more value back to the Texans in a deal than a Cobb swap would. The then-Bill O’Brien-run Texans signed Cobb to a three-year, $27MM deal in March. Shipping out the 30-year-old slot receiver would not bring especially notable compensation, and Wilson adds the Texans are not receiving strong offers for either player as of Wednesday afternoon.

Houston having dealt Hopkins would seemingly make a Fuller trade less likely. He has emerged as Deshaun Watson‘s top target, hauling in 31 passes for a team-high 490 yards and five touchdowns. Although the former first-round pick is a free agent at year’s end and has been unable to stay healthy for most of his career, the Texans do not have any surefire building blocks at this position for Watson moving forward. Cooks would qualify, but the O’Brien acquisition is on his fourth team. Cooks, 27, has also come up in trade talks. While the Texans appear ready to deal one of their veteran wideouts, it is unclear as of now which one will go.

AFC Contract Details: Bulaga, Cobb, Collins

March 22nd, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest contract details as of Sunday night. We will focus on the AFC here.

Bryan Bulaga, T (Chargers): Three years, $30MM. $19.25MM guaranteed; $10MM signing bonus. Bulaga’s salaries in 2020 ($1.5MM) and 2021 ($7.75MM) are guaranteed. A $2.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2022 league year, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Randall Cobb, WR (Texans): Three years, $27MM. $18MM guaranteed; $6MM signing bonus. Base salaries in 2020 ($3.75MM) and ’21 ($8.25MM) are guaranteed; non-guaranteed salary of $7.9MM in 2022. Wilson notes (on Twitter).
Rodney Gunter, DL (Jaguars): Three years, $18MM. $11.15MM guaranteed; $4.25MM signing bonus. 2020 and ’21 base salaries of $2MM and $4.9MM are guaranteed. Non-guaranteed 2022 base of $5.4MM, per Wilson (on Twitter).
Vic Beasley, OLB (Titans): One year, $9.5MM. The $9.5MM is guaranteed and includes a $6MM signing bonus. $2.5MM worth of sack-based incentives exist in the deal, Wilson adds (on Twitter).
Maliek Collins, DT (Raiders): One year, $6MM. $5.75MM guaranteed. Deal includes a $1.5MM sack-based incentive, Wilson tweets.
De’Vante Bausby, CB (Broncos): One year, $825K. The deal contains no guaranteed money, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Texans To Sign Randall Cobb

March 17th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

Randall Cobb is headed to Houston. The Texans have agreed to sign the former Cowboys wide receiver and longtime Packers star, according to old friend James Jones (on Twitter).

Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year deal worth $27MM. The pact also includes $18.75MM guaranteed – a solid haul considering Cobb’s age and injury history.

While Cobb took a one-year, $5MM deal with the NFL’s other Texas team in 2019, this Houston pact comes in nearly as high as the deal the Packers gave him amid his prime in 2015. Cobb played out his four-year, $40MM Green Bay deal and fared well in Dallas on a prove-it pact.

Cobb, 30 in August, stayed healthy last year and appeared in 15 games for the Cowboys. Although Dallas fell short of the postseason, he had a productive campaign with 55 catches for 828 yards and three touchdowns.

In Houston, he’ll try to be part of the solution after yesterday’s shocking trade of DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. Cobb will join Kenny Stills and Will Fuller in Houston, likely stepping into a familiar slot role while the deep threats work the boundaries. However, Cobb is the only member of this trio signed beyond 2020. Both Stills and Fuller are set for UFA status in 2021, so the Texans still have work to do at wide receiver after Monday’s stunner.