Randall Cobb would take $1-2 million less to stay with Packers, per report

The NFL's legal tampering period has begun, and already there has been a development in the negotiations for Randall Cobb. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, Cobb would take $1-2 million less per year in order to remain with the Green Bay Packers.

At this stage of the negotiations, it's extremely rare for a free agent to communicate this type of sentiment. While Robinson did not reveal his source, it's clear that the information came from Cobb's camp. The Packers have no reason to leak these details, as they only serve to make them look bad if a deal ultimately doesn't materialize.

As for the report itself, it seems Cobb is willing to sacrifice money to remain in a favorable situation with the Packers. That doesn't mean a contract is forthcoming, but it suggests that the two sides might work something out afterall.

At the same time, it's also possible Cobb expects to sign with another club and is trying to subtly finger the Packers as the reason why. Even if players don't admit it, they prefer not to become pariahs in their former cities, à la Greg Jennings in Green Bay. Supporting that theory is this subsequent tweet from Robinson:

I would not pin the Randall Cobb situation solely on the #Packers. Cobb's camp wants to see what the market is. There's a ton of $ out there

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 7, 2015

It follows that the Packers and general manager Ted Thompson may have been willing to do a deal this entire time, but Cobb and agent Jimmy Sexton wanted to at least see what opportunities the receiver might have elsewhere.

Free agency doesn't officially start until Tuesday. Even at that point, Cobb's home for 2015 might still remain a mystery.