Is Randall Cobb the Right Fit For the Jags?
By Luke Sims
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Randall Cobb is going to be a prized wide receiver during the 2015 NFL Free Agency period. He has the tools to be the best wide receiver on a number of teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, and will command a large chunk of change as a result.
Good thing the Jags have the most cap space of any NFL team during this year’s free agency period.
Unfortunately, throwing money at Cobb may not be enough to convince him to come to a franchise in the midst of a rebuild, even if he would instantly become the most dependable receiver for the team. Here’s what Sayre Bedinger had to say:
"Like the Raiders, the Jaguars are in the midst of a rebuilding project. The Jaguars drafted a pair of nice young receivers last year in Allen Robinson and Marquise Lee, and Cobb would certainly provide them a no. 1 option in that offense.Again, the question here is not whether or not the Jaguars could offer enough money to pry Cobb out of Green Bay, but whether or not he feels like the money is worth leaving a more stable, championship-ready situation."
The truth is that Cobb’s anticipated departure from the Green Bay Packers (if it happens) may bring him to greener pastures but he will likely want to marry that with the ability for the team he is joining to win. At this point, I think it is tough to say that the Jaguars will be winning more than six or seven games during the 2015 season. After that the team will hopefully be contenders for the playoffs, but that’s a big step down for a player who is catching passes from one of the best active QBs and a likely Hall of Famer.
Besides his potential trepidation about joining a rebuilding team, you also have to wonder whether the Jags want him to be their top receiver. Pro Football Focus ranks Cobb as one of the top slot receivers in the league during 2014 and he has performed well in that role through his career. Is he able to make the leap to being a number one receiver in an offense that is full of unproven second year receivers? He was also PFF’s top rated wide receiver overall, but that’s a new spot for the young wide out. Can he continue to perform at that level? Better yet, can he continue to perform at that level with Blake Bortles tossing him passes instead of Aaron Rodgers.
Right now there are a lot of question marks surrounding Cobb – as befits any top free agent prospect – and it is our responsibility to question whether he is the right fit for the Jaguars or whether the team wouldn’t find marrying themselves to the wide receiver as a good option. Overall, I think he’s an instant improvement. Now, whether the Jags want to open their bulging wallet for a player that may not be a perfect fit is a different matter.
Personally, I think he’d be great despite the questions raised above. His improving performance year over year (excluding his shortened 2013) is nearly too tough to ignore.