Randall Cobb is leaving Green Bay after eight seasons with the Packers for another NFC playoff contender.
As first reported by Fox's Jay Glazer, Cobb has agreed to sign with the Cowboys, who were in the market for a new receiver after letting slot guy Cole Beasley walk in free agency. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Cowboys are giving Cobb a one-year, $5 million deal. The Cowboys have since confirmed that they've signed Cobb.
This works as confirmation too:
It's a nice get for the Cowboys, who have mostly remained on the sidelines during free agency as they focus on reaching extensions with numerous key players, from DeMarcus Lawrence to Dak Prescott to Amari Cooper. After losing Beasley to the Bills, the Cowboys were in need of a pass-catching option who can operate out of the slot. They found a solid and relatively cheap one in Cobb, who is still only 28 years old.
He's coming off a disappointing season due in large part to injuries that limited him to nine games, but he's been a consistent performer over the course of his career. Since entering the league in 2011 as a second-round pick of the Packers, Cobb has averaged roughly 691 yards and five touchdowns per season -- and along the way, he came down with a couple iconic touchdowns. His production peaked in 2014, when he posted career highs in receptions (91), receiving yards (1,287), and touchdown catches (12). The Cowboys shouldn't expect Cobb to come close to reaching those highs, but they can expect him to more than adequately replace Beasley, who averaged about 467 yards per season from 2012-18.
In Dallas, Cobb is joining an offense that revolves around Cooper and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Cobb will be mostly fighting for targets among receivers Allen Hurns, Michael Gallup, and Tavon Austin, and tight end Jason Witten, who unretired this offseason. After Cooper joined the team midway through the season, Beasley saw his target share drop as Prescott primarily looked for Cooper downfield. Cooper should remain the focal point in the passing game even with Cobb in the mix.
This past season, which saw the Cowboys win the NFC East and crash out of the playoffs in the divisional round, the Cowboys ranked 22nd in points scored, 23rd in passing yards, and 24th in offensive DVOA. So while the Cowboys should be encouraged by their two playoff appearances over the past three years, they also need to find a way to improve offensively. A lot of that will have to do with play-calling and scheme, but upgrading the personnel certainly won't hurt.