Randall Cobb moves to Texans while Packers keep searching for reliable slot option

GREEN BAY — As Randall Cobb entered free agency once again, he had two priorities: He wanted a great quarterback with whom he could try to build the kind of chemistry he had with Aaron Rodgers, and he wanted a team he could see competing for the Super Bowl title.

Cobb believes he’s found that in the Houston Texans and quarterback Deshaun Watson. Meanwhile, the Packers continue to search for a slot receiver who can approximate the production Cobb delivered for most of his career in Green Bay and again last season with the Dallas Cowboys.

“There were a few teams that made offers or showed interest. Dallas and Houston were two teams that offered (contracts), and it was a tough decision to make,” Cobb said during a conference call with Texans beat writers last week. “Hearing what my agent was telling me about coach (Bill) O’Brien and the opportunity that he wanted to give me to do some of the things that I did when I was back in Green Bay, was one of the one of the main reasons that I jumped at the offer.”

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Cobb was then asked what he saw as the key to success as a slot receiver. His answer was immediate — and illuminating as the Packers look to find someone who can do what Cobb once did.

"I think the biggest thing is the chemistry with the quarterback,” Cobb replied. “That's one thing that I'm excited to come in and build and be able to learn what (Watson) likes and show him what I'm good at and just being able to communicate and be on the same page. When I watch his highlights, a lot of the routes that were run by the slot receivers are a lot of the stuff that I'm used to in my career.

“I've run a lot of routes out of the slot just being my primary position for most of my career. I think, obviously, when I played with (Aaron) Rogers my first eight years, a lot of what he did was late in the play, scrambling around, moving around and just being able to find ways to get open after the initial route, and create separation and be a target and find a way to get open for him in those situations. I see a lot of the same characteristics in Deshaun, the way he's able to escape the pocket and keep his eyes downfield and find receivers."

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After the minimal production the Packers got from their slot receivers last season — at least the ones not named Davante Adams, the team’s clear-cut No. 1 wideout who head coach Matt LaFleur moved around formations for matchup purposes – there was some thought that general manager Brian Gutekunst might be interested in a reunion.

Instead, Cobb got a three-year, $27 million deal with the Texans that included $19 million in guarantees. The Packers, meanwhile, watched Geronimo Allison take a one-year, prove-it deal with the Detroit Lions after struggling in the slot role last season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Allison played a team-high 311 snaps in the slot last season — 74.2 percent of the snaps he played on offense. He was targeted 42 times and caught 26 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns from the slot, with four drops.

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Adams, meanwhile, lined up in the slot on 117 snaps (27.4 percent of his overall offensive snaps) but caught 32 of 40 targets from the slot for 270 yards and four touchdowns and one drop.

The Packers also tried Allen Lazard (119 slot snaps, 16 receptions), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (56 snaps, five receptions), Jake Kumerow (44 snaps, two receptions) and Darrius Shepherd (33 snaps, one reception) there.

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During his one year with the Cowboys last season, Cobb lined up almost exclusively in the slot, playing a team-high 431 snaps there — 91.9 percent of his total snaps. He caught 50 of his 70 targets for 716 yards with three touchdowns and nine drops, according to PFF.

The Packers have made no secret of their need to upgrade their wide receiver depth chart, but beyond the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Shepherd, whom they demoted to the practice squad midway through last season, they don’t have anyone who truly fits the slot receiver prototype.

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Asked about the position earlier this offseason, Gutekunst and LaFleur each suggested that LaFleur’s offensive system allows for non-traditional slot receivers to thrive. That seemed to be the thinking behind having Allison lined up there last season, but the experiment didn’t pan out. Perhaps that will lead Gutekunst to draft a player similar to Cobb, a second-round pick in 2011 out of Kentucky.

“You’re always looking to be bigger, faster, stronger if you can be. But it’s really about the football player, whether they can play,” Gutekunst explained. “Every player has different attributes that makes them who they are, and if a guy doesn’t have the height that we certainly would like, but makes up for it in other ways, I don’t think we would not draft a player just because he wasn’t tall enough.

“We had Randall Cobb here who was a really good player for us for a long time. He certainly didn’t meet some of the height requirements. It’s truly about what they can do for our football team, and obviously with Matt’s system there are some tweaks as far as what he does with the slot and stuff that may lend itself to different skill sets.”

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Late in the season after Allison’s struggles — he finished the year with just 34 overall catches for 287 yards — LaFleur had Adams lining up in the slot more frequently. Presumably, LaFleur would like to still use Adams in the slot on a semi-regular basis but complement him with other options. That alternative likely will come via the April 23-25 NFL draft, since recent addition Devin Funchess is an outside receiver by trade and wouldn’t seem to be a good fit for the slot.

“I think it’s more about fit. We’ve got a lot of guys that have a lot of experience. It’s just trying to find the right fit, not only for our staff but for our players and for them to go out and perform at their best,” LaFleur explained at the NFL scouting combine. “It just depends on what (a given receiver) is good at.

“I’ve got confidence that we have a lot of guys that we can put inside. There’s nowhere you can’t put Davante. Davante can go anywhere on the field. I thought Allen did a nice job when we put him inside last year. G-Mo made some big catches for us. Again, you’ve got to find the skill set of whatever that receiver possesses and then you put him in the appropriate spot to try to help you go out and make some plays.”

Hamstrung?

During that same conference call with Houston-area reporters, Cobb was asked about his production in Dallas, where he caught 55 passes for 828 yards and three touchdowns and 15 receptions that went for 20 or more yards — tied for 21st in the NFL and more than any Packers receiver had. (Adams led Green Bay with 12.)

Cobb’s answer praised the Cowboys’ strength and conditioning staff but came off as a perhaps unintended shot at the Packers. He dealt with hamstring injuries several times during his Packers career, including during the 2018 season, and Cobb indicated the Dallas staff saw something Green Bay’s didn’t.

“I think the biggest thing was the offseason workout that I went through with Dallas, I think definitely helped keep me healthy. I think I built a lot of strength, especially in my hamstrings,” Cobb said. “When I got to Dallas, I was told that my hamstrings were really weak — and I was the first time that I've been told that in my career.

“So being able to build that strength and stay on the field, I felt really, really good – probably the best I’ve felt in the past five or six years.”