Randall Cobb to sign with the New York Jets

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday morning that the New York Jets are expecting to sign former Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb to a one-year deal. Considering the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Cobb are close enough that Cobb named Rodgers the godfather to his children, this move is filed as “less than surprising.”

Cobb was traded to the Packers in 2021 from the Houston Texans when Green Bay’s front office and Rodgers were clearly having a power struggle. General manager Brian Gutekunst, at the time, claimed that the team wouldn’t have made the trade had it not been at the request of Rodgers. Over the last two years, Cobb recorded 62 receptions for 792 yards and six touchdowns for the Packers.

Prior to his most recent stint in Green Bay, Cobb had also spent the 2011 to 2018 seasons with the Packers. Assuming that he doesn’t return to the team, Cobb will finish his career in Green Bay ranking 11th on the team’s all-time receiving yards list, fifth in receptions and 10th in receiving touchdowns.

After the draft, Gutekunst stated that the Packers would not close the door on kicker Mason Crosby and safety Adrian Amos returning to the team. Cobb’s name was never mentioned in his press conferences over draft weekend, but it was clear that the team had fully moved on from the receiver when they gave out Cobb’s number 18 jersey to undrafted rookie free agent Malik Heath. For what it’s worth, the numbers of Crosby (2), Amos (31) and tight end Marcedes Lewis (89) — three 2022 Packers on the free agent market — were not assigned to any of the 88 players on Green Bay’s roster when the Packers announced their draft class’ jersey numbers.

The contact details for this signing, beyond it being a one-year deal, haven’t been released at this time. The Jets signing Cobb will not impact Green Bay’s compensatory picks in 2024, as post-draft signings are treated differently from pre-draft signings. Over the Cap currently projects the Packers to receive three compensatory picks next year for free agents lost in 2023: Allen Lazard (fifth round), Jarran Reed (sixth) and Dean Lowry (sixth.) This falls in line with Gutekunst’s statement after the draft that the team is planning on going into 2024 with 11 draft selections after making 24 in the previous two drafts.