How good can Randall Cobb be? Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have older, familiar targets to throw to anymore, which means that the player who led the team in receptions and yards last season might be headed towards an even bigger season in 2013.
Cobb, who was mostly used as a return man during his rookie season, scoring two touchdowns, including one 108 yard kick return, evolved into the team’s top receiver in 2012, catching 80 passes for 954 yards last season. With both Greg Jennings and Donald Driver gone, it gives him, James Jones and Jordy Nelson more time with the ball, but it looks like Rodgers is going to specifically be looking for Cobb most of the time.
He puts a lot of extra time in. He watches a ton of film. He spent an off-season watching various slot guys that he admired and tried to pick things up. He’s very well-coached. I think Edgar Bennett deserves a lot of credit. Here’s a guy who’s a Packer Hall of Fame running back who’s coaching receivers and doing a heck of a job. So that helps. He stays on those guys about ball security and detailed routes. That helps.
But Randall sees the game through the eyes of a quarterback because he was a quarterback. So he understands timing and spacing and when he has to get out of his breaks. He’s an excellent, just like Jordy Nelso is, an excellent second reaction guy. When I have to come out of the pocket, where in the past you might have seen some of the balls go to Greg and Jordy, Randall caught more than anybody last year because he was healthy and he also has really good reactions.
His return duties will be cut, which means it’s all about receiving from now. With Rodgers, arguably the best quarterback in the NFL (with the salary to match), specifically looking for Cobb from now on, as he’s being touted as the first among equals, having a huge season for him is certainly in the cards, and wouldn’t be surprising to anyone given his production the moment he became a much more important part of the Packers’ offense.
I think he can be a 100-catch guy. We haven’t had that here in a while. But I think he can. I think he’s a special player. As long as he can stay healthy, I think he’s going to be a big-time star for us.