Cobb, Crosby Among Packers’ Unsigned Free Agents
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Randall Cobb wants to play in 2023. Will it be with the Green Bay Packers, who could use his veteran presence? Or will it be with the New York Jets at the request of Aaron Rodgers?
A second-round pick by the Packers in 2011 who returned to Green Bay at Rodgers’ urging in 2021, Cobb ranks fifth in franchise history with 532 receptions. He’s not the unstoppable dynamo that he was in, say, 2014, and he missed 14 games the past three seasons, but he remains an effective role player.
According to Pro Football Focus, Cobb in 2022 caught 70.8 percent of passes thrown his way, averaged 12.3 yards per catch 5.6 yards after the catch and 1.67 yards per route, and had two drops (5.6 percent). Those numbers were close to his career marks of 73.1 percent completions, 12.1 yards per catch, 6.0 YAC, 1.68 yards per route and a drop rate of 7.7 percent.
Cobb was on Rodgers’ New York wish list, which was not to be confused with a demands list.
“Did they ask me about certain guys that I’ve played with over the years? Of course. Did I talk glowingly about teammates that I love? Yeah. Why wouldn’t you?” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Do I love those guys on the list? Of course. Did I make demands about certain people? People just want these things to be so true. I’m in this meeting, dressed in ceremony regalia giving them some sort of handwritten on parchment demand list of people they need to sign.
“Listen, I think objectively people can look at Allen Lazard and go, ‘He’s a really good player. We would love to have him on our team.’ And then anybody with a brain would maybe call me from any team and go, ‘Hey, what kind of locker room guy is Allen Lazard? What’s his work ethic like?’ And I’d say, ‘He’s a … great dude. Anybody would be lucky to have him in the locker room.’”
The Packers might want him, too. At the Scouting Combine, general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke of his desire to have a veteran receiver on the roster. As it stands, the five receivers under contract include four 2022 draft picks and a first-year player.
“It’d be nice to have a guy that can continue to help move those guys along as well as a veteran presence out there,” Gutekunst said. “I think that’s important.”
Here is an updated position-by-position look at the Packers’ 14 unrestricted free agents. That list includes the Packers’ all-time scoring leader, kicker Mason Crosby.