The Green Bay Packers may lose Randall Cobb as a free agent this offseason, as teams like the Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns all could be interested in signing the wide receiver on the market, as he is one of the top offensive players available at his position with Jeremy Maclin.
UPDATE: Sources report that Randall Cobb has signed back with the Packers on a four year deal worth $40 million, according to ESPN.
Cobb is coming off of a career season and he is expected to get some big offers on the market and that could price him out of Green Bay. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are interested in Cobb and Jeremy Maclin, while Adam Schefter reports that the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers are also interested in the Packers star. Cobb is coming onto the free agent market at the right time, as the passing game is at a premium and he is just 24 years old.
Cobb missed 10 games in 2013 after dealing with a hit low against the Baltimore Ravens and he came back and stayed healthy through the 2014 season. Cobb had 91 catches for 1287 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 games last season and with Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas franchised, he is the top player available at his position. According to U-T San Diego, the Chargers are interested in Cobb as a free agent and the team has also been connected to Adrian Peterson and Ndamukong Suh this offseason.
The Raiders have been mentioned as a landing spot for Cobb, as they have over $50 million in cap space and plan to use it on the offensive side of the ball. According to ESPN.com, Cobb is seeking at least $11 million per season and the Green Bay Packers are only willing to go between $8 million-$9 million annually. The Packers just gave out an extension to Jordy Nelson and they could let Cobb go and give Davante Adams more snaps on offense.
Cobb had his best season in 2014 and he previously had 80 catches for 954 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012. Cobb was a breakout player for the Packers as special teams player and he has turned out to be explosive on offense since coming out of Kentucky. The Cleveland Browns could be a potential option for Cobb, as the team has a high amount of cap space and a need at wide receiver with Josh Gordon getting suspended for 2015.
The Texans are an interesting option for Cobb, as the team is looking to trade or release Andre Johnson this offseason and he could step in as the new number one receiver. The Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans are interested in Cobb and Jeremy Maclin, as they would like to pair one of those players with DeAndre Hopkins. Getting rid of Johnson will clear cap space for the Texans and that could lead to a contract for Cobb or Maclin. Both Maclin and Cobb are coming off of career seasons and the way things are right now, it looks like they are both leaving their teams. The Eagles and Maclin have been slow in negotiations and he could end up with offers elsewhere on the open market, including in Houston.