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Fuck the Shrimp. I hope Buffalo has a way to make him not be one-dimensional.
Cowboys Sign WR Randall Cobb
- Thread starter boozeman
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From the shadows you emerge...
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Guy always seemed to catch some big passes against us, and puts another legit speed guy on the field with Cooper. Fuck yeah.
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Quinn would be icing.
Smitty
DCC 4Life
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And it looks like Malik McDowell will probably sign. Also I don’t count us out of the running for a safety. Either Berry or Geathers.
ravidubey
DCC 4Life
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Exactly right. The fan base infatuation with Beasley is hilarious.
If Cobb is healthy this is a great signing.
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To be fair both sides of the spectrum are ridiculous.
p1_
DCC 4Life
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you will get acclimated quickly.
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Film room: Here's how Cowboys' new slot WR Randall Cobb can help improve Dallas' offense
By John Owning
Twitter:@JohnOwning
The Dallas Cowboys' aggressive start to Week 2 of free agency continued Tuesday, as the team signed former Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb to a one-year, $5 million deal.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, Cobb was once viewed as one of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL. In 2014, Cobb was at the height of his success, accumulating 106 receptions for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns (which includes the playoffs), per Pro Football Focus. He failed to replicate those numbers in subsequent years but was still an electric playmaker in 2015 and 2016.
Cobb's production fell off a cliff in 2017 and 2018. Aaron Rodgers' fractured right collarbone sent Green Bay's passing game into the toilet in 2017, as Brett Hundley proved to be one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football in Rodgers' absence. In 2018, a nagging hamstring injury caused Cobb to miss six games - a concussion caused him to miss a seventh -- sapping Cobb's athleticism and effectiveness when he did see the field.
Having said that, a healthy Cobb can provide the Cowboys with a great deal of value and upside, especially with Cole Beasley's departure to Buffalo. So with that in mind, let's turn on the film and examine what Cobb brings to the table.
Effective slot receiver
Despite some talk of Cobb playing on the outside, he is most effective from the slot. He played 80 percent of his snaps from the slot position in the last three seasons, per The Quant Edge. Unfortunately, at this point in his career, Cobb lacks the physicality through the route and at the catch point to consistently win outside the numbers as a receiver.
Nevertheless, that shouldn't worry Cowboys fans because Cobb can still be a very effective slot receiver for the team, though, his play style is much different than Beasley. While Beasley's game was predicated on precise route-running with sudden direction changes, Cobb is a bigger target who can stretch the field vertically from the slot and is potent after the catch. This posits that Dallas may have different plans for the slot receiver position than in recent years.
Cobb deserves to be characterized as a good route-runner from the slot. If Amari Cooper is a 9/10 in terms of route running, Cobb is about a 7/10. He's not the most nuanced route-runner, but Cobb understands how to disguise his intentions and can get open in a variety of situations.
He's extremely effective on double moves, gaining consistent separation on chair (out-and-up) and squirrel routes (out-and-up route followed by a comeback/curl). Cobb shows his veteran savvy on double moves, as he consistently sells the initial break with his eyes, causing defensive backs to consistently bite on his first move.
On top of that, Cobb has proven to be dangerously effective against zone and off coverage, as quarterbacks have recorded at least a 98 passer rating when targeting Cobb in those situations in each of the last three seasons, per TQE.
Versus off coverage, Cobb does an excellent job of accelerating through the stem of his route to eat up a defensive back's cushion and is outstanding at manipulating a defensive back's hips so that he can create separation at the breakpoint. Here's a great example:
Here, Cobb is in a reduced split as the middle receiver in Green Bay's trips right formation. Washington aligns in a Cover-1 shell in its nickel defense with the nickel cornerback aligned over the top of Cobb, giving the Packers receiver an eight-yard cushion.
Once the ball is snapped, Cobb initially widens his route so that he can attack the outside hip of the nickel cornerback, forcing the cornerback to be mindful of an outside breaking route. Right before he reaches the breakpoint, Cobb widens his route even more to put more pressure on the cornerback to defend an outside breaking route.
Because of that, all it takes is a slight nod outside to get the cornerback to turn his hips toward the sideline, enabling Cobb to easily cross the cornerback's face and create a good amount of separation. Although he wasn't able to haul in the slightly inaccurate pass, Cobb still shows off his ability to create separation on a post route against off coverage.
QB's best friend
Through his eight years in Green Bay, Cobb developed outstanding chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Both players were consistently on the same page, enabling the duo to be extremely productive in their time together.
Though Cobb likely won't be able to develop that same kind of chemistry with Dak Prescott before September, his ability to read defenses, anticipate coverages and identify blitzes will make him an effective outlet for Prescott when pressured or blitzed. Here's a great example:
On this play, Cobb is aligned as the slot receiver to the wide side of the field. The Atlanta Falcons are running a slot blitz, which Cobb immediately identifies after the snap. With Atlanta bringing the blitz, Cobb knows that Rodgers is going to want get the ball out fast, so he runs a quick one-step slant and immediately gets his eyes turned back toward the quarterback, enabling him to haul in Rodgers' quick throw.
If Cobb didn't recognize the blitz and ran a longer developing route, he wouldn't have been ready for the pass.
Furthermore, even when defenses bring pressure sans a slot blitzer, Cobb displays the ability to win early, providing the quarterback with an immediate outlet to beat the blitz. In the above clip, Cobb is able to create enough immediate separation that Rodgers is able to complete an easy pass despite the fact that the blitzer was unblocked.
Not only can Cobb win early in his routes, but he's proven to be extremely adept getting open late in routes. He is one of the best 'scramble drill' wide receivers in the NFL. When a play breaks down and a quarterback is forced to break the pocket, receivers have to understand how to work back into the quarterback's view and find enough open space to give the quarterback a good throwing window.
Cobb thrives in this area, as he produced many big plays on scramble drills while in Green Bay. With Prescott's ability to extend plays, this could be an avenue to more frequent explosive plays for the Cowboys offense.
Dangerous with the ball in his hands
Though Cobb has done well to improve as a route-runner throughout his time in the NFL -- Cobb was a quarterback until his sophomore year at University of Kentucky -- he's most comfortable when the ball is in his hands.
This is why Green Bay utilized Cobb on screens a ton during his time in the frozen tundra, and the Cowboys would be wise to do the same. Once he receives the ball, Cobb displays good vision as a ball carrier, as he understands how to read the leverage of defenders to find the path of least resistance, and he's tough to bring down in the open field.
Bubble and tunnel screens are a fantastic attachment to run-pass options, which the Cowboys used sparingly last season but may use more of with Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator. They are especially effective when defenses load up the box to stop the run. Moreover, the Cowboys would be wise to 'tag' the bubble screen with their base running concepts, which inevitably gives Prescott the ability to make the sight adjustment and take advantage when they have a numbers advantage on the outside.
The Cowboys would be wise to use Cobb on jet sweeps as well to get Cobb the ball in space, which would take advantage of his talents as a runner.
Final thoughts
Overall, Cobb isn't the same dynamic playmaker he was earlier in his career, as injuries and Father Time have slowed the receiver some. However, he still possesses enough athleticism and nuance to provide the Cowboys with an effective slot receiver and gadget weapon who can also be used as a returner, if need be. However, he's had issues with muffs in the past.
Cobb's route-running ability, veteran savvy and football intelligence will enable him to be productive for the Cowboys offense if healthy, which remains a huge question mark for Cobb moving forward. Nevertheless, the Dallas front office did a good job of mitigating their risk by giving Cobb a short and relatively inexpensive deal.
The fact that Cobb signed to a one-year deal also gives the Cowboys the flexibility to select a slot receiver without feeling the need to reach for a player to fill a need. The Cowboys no longer have to address the slot receiver position early in the draft. Although they still could if a talent such as South Carolina's Deebo Samuel falls to the team at pick No. 58.
Furthermore, if the Cowboys still do select a slot receiver in the draft, Cobb's presence gives the team a one-year buffer to allow the rookie to develop without the pressure of needing immediate production.
Much like the acquisitions of Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder, signing Cobb is another savvy low-risk, potentially high-reward move.
By John Owning
Twitter:@JohnOwning
The Dallas Cowboys' aggressive start to Week 2 of free agency continued Tuesday, as the team signed former Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb to a one-year, $5 million deal.
Listed at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds, Cobb was once viewed as one of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL. In 2014, Cobb was at the height of his success, accumulating 106 receptions for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns (which includes the playoffs), per Pro Football Focus. He failed to replicate those numbers in subsequent years but was still an electric playmaker in 2015 and 2016.
Cobb's production fell off a cliff in 2017 and 2018. Aaron Rodgers' fractured right collarbone sent Green Bay's passing game into the toilet in 2017, as Brett Hundley proved to be one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football in Rodgers' absence. In 2018, a nagging hamstring injury caused Cobb to miss six games - a concussion caused him to miss a seventh -- sapping Cobb's athleticism and effectiveness when he did see the field.
Having said that, a healthy Cobb can provide the Cowboys with a great deal of value and upside, especially with Cole Beasley's departure to Buffalo. So with that in mind, let's turn on the film and examine what Cobb brings to the table.
Effective slot receiver
Despite some talk of Cobb playing on the outside, he is most effective from the slot. He played 80 percent of his snaps from the slot position in the last three seasons, per The Quant Edge. Unfortunately, at this point in his career, Cobb lacks the physicality through the route and at the catch point to consistently win outside the numbers as a receiver.
Nevertheless, that shouldn't worry Cowboys fans because Cobb can still be a very effective slot receiver for the team, though, his play style is much different than Beasley. While Beasley's game was predicated on precise route-running with sudden direction changes, Cobb is a bigger target who can stretch the field vertically from the slot and is potent after the catch. This posits that Dallas may have different plans for the slot receiver position than in recent years.
Cobb deserves to be characterized as a good route-runner from the slot. If Amari Cooper is a 9/10 in terms of route running, Cobb is about a 7/10. He's not the most nuanced route-runner, but Cobb understands how to disguise his intentions and can get open in a variety of situations.
He's extremely effective on double moves, gaining consistent separation on chair (out-and-up) and squirrel routes (out-and-up route followed by a comeback/curl). Cobb shows his veteran savvy on double moves, as he consistently sells the initial break with his eyes, causing defensive backs to consistently bite on his first move.
On top of that, Cobb has proven to be dangerously effective against zone and off coverage, as quarterbacks have recorded at least a 98 passer rating when targeting Cobb in those situations in each of the last three seasons, per TQE.
Versus off coverage, Cobb does an excellent job of accelerating through the stem of his route to eat up a defensive back's cushion and is outstanding at manipulating a defensive back's hips so that he can create separation at the breakpoint. Here's a great example:
Here, Cobb is in a reduced split as the middle receiver in Green Bay's trips right formation. Washington aligns in a Cover-1 shell in its nickel defense with the nickel cornerback aligned over the top of Cobb, giving the Packers receiver an eight-yard cushion.
Once the ball is snapped, Cobb initially widens his route so that he can attack the outside hip of the nickel cornerback, forcing the cornerback to be mindful of an outside breaking route. Right before he reaches the breakpoint, Cobb widens his route even more to put more pressure on the cornerback to defend an outside breaking route.
Because of that, all it takes is a slight nod outside to get the cornerback to turn his hips toward the sideline, enabling Cobb to easily cross the cornerback's face and create a good amount of separation. Although he wasn't able to haul in the slightly inaccurate pass, Cobb still shows off his ability to create separation on a post route against off coverage.
QB's best friend
Through his eight years in Green Bay, Cobb developed outstanding chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Both players were consistently on the same page, enabling the duo to be extremely productive in their time together.
Though Cobb likely won't be able to develop that same kind of chemistry with Dak Prescott before September, his ability to read defenses, anticipate coverages and identify blitzes will make him an effective outlet for Prescott when pressured or blitzed. Here's a great example:
On this play, Cobb is aligned as the slot receiver to the wide side of the field. The Atlanta Falcons are running a slot blitz, which Cobb immediately identifies after the snap. With Atlanta bringing the blitz, Cobb knows that Rodgers is going to want get the ball out fast, so he runs a quick one-step slant and immediately gets his eyes turned back toward the quarterback, enabling him to haul in Rodgers' quick throw.
If Cobb didn't recognize the blitz and ran a longer developing route, he wouldn't have been ready for the pass.
Furthermore, even when defenses bring pressure sans a slot blitzer, Cobb displays the ability to win early, providing the quarterback with an immediate outlet to beat the blitz. In the above clip, Cobb is able to create enough immediate separation that Rodgers is able to complete an easy pass despite the fact that the blitzer was unblocked.
Not only can Cobb win early in his routes, but he's proven to be extremely adept getting open late in routes. He is one of the best 'scramble drill' wide receivers in the NFL. When a play breaks down and a quarterback is forced to break the pocket, receivers have to understand how to work back into the quarterback's view and find enough open space to give the quarterback a good throwing window.
Cobb thrives in this area, as he produced many big plays on scramble drills while in Green Bay. With Prescott's ability to extend plays, this could be an avenue to more frequent explosive plays for the Cowboys offense.
Dangerous with the ball in his hands
Though Cobb has done well to improve as a route-runner throughout his time in the NFL -- Cobb was a quarterback until his sophomore year at University of Kentucky -- he's most comfortable when the ball is in his hands.
This is why Green Bay utilized Cobb on screens a ton during his time in the frozen tundra, and the Cowboys would be wise to do the same. Once he receives the ball, Cobb displays good vision as a ball carrier, as he understands how to read the leverage of defenders to find the path of least resistance, and he's tough to bring down in the open field.
Bubble and tunnel screens are a fantastic attachment to run-pass options, which the Cowboys used sparingly last season but may use more of with Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator. They are especially effective when defenses load up the box to stop the run. Moreover, the Cowboys would be wise to 'tag' the bubble screen with their base running concepts, which inevitably gives Prescott the ability to make the sight adjustment and take advantage when they have a numbers advantage on the outside.
The Cowboys would be wise to use Cobb on jet sweeps as well to get Cobb the ball in space, which would take advantage of his talents as a runner.
Final thoughts
Overall, Cobb isn't the same dynamic playmaker he was earlier in his career, as injuries and Father Time have slowed the receiver some. However, he still possesses enough athleticism and nuance to provide the Cowboys with an effective slot receiver and gadget weapon who can also be used as a returner, if need be. However, he's had issues with muffs in the past.
Cobb's route-running ability, veteran savvy and football intelligence will enable him to be productive for the Cowboys offense if healthy, which remains a huge question mark for Cobb moving forward. Nevertheless, the Dallas front office did a good job of mitigating their risk by giving Cobb a short and relatively inexpensive deal.
The fact that Cobb signed to a one-year deal also gives the Cowboys the flexibility to select a slot receiver without feeling the need to reach for a player to fill a need. The Cowboys no longer have to address the slot receiver position early in the draft. Although they still could if a talent such as South Carolina's Deebo Samuel falls to the team at pick No. 58.
Furthermore, if the Cowboys still do select a slot receiver in the draft, Cobb's presence gives the team a one-year buffer to allow the rookie to develop without the pressure of needing immediate production.
Much like the acquisitions of Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder, signing Cobb is another savvy low-risk, potentially high-reward move.
Chocolate Lab
Mere Commoner
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- 20,260
No real harm done, but I think he's a big name who doesn't have much anymore. And apparently the rest of the league agreed for him to only get a deal that cheap.
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- 52,988
Imagine going from Dak to Josh Allen.