The Green Bay Packers are going to let receiver Randall Cobb test free agency, if you believe Jason La Canfora.
Long considered the Packers’ top free agent priority and a virtual lock to get re-signed, it appears the Packers may not want to pay Cobb’s asking price, which is reportedly $9 million per season.
The Packers know that Cobb’s market is likely to get out of hand and have focused on keeping other free agents. They continue to discuss a new deal with the agent for tackle Bryan Bulaga, sources said, and I bet they get their man in the end. Same with nose tackle Letroy Guion. I’d be pretty surprised if they did not re-sign him — his legal issues may be resolved shortly — and especially with fellow defensive lineman B.J. Raji a free agent. Guion did a very nice job thrust into the starting role last season, and the Packers are very good about keeping their value free agents.
Funny that Bulaga — a guy not nearly as important to the offense and who the Packers already have a ready-made replacement on the roster for — is now the top priority. That’s another story though.
What’s important here is that if the Packers let Cobb hit the open market, they may as well kiss him goodbye. And that would leave the Packers with one reliable returning pass catcher in 2015.
If Cobb is indeed all about the dollars, then we hope he enjoys losing — a lot.
We know both the Raiders and the Jaguars are interested in Cobb. The Jags have more than $60 million in available cap space and the Raiders have nearly $50 million. They can pay Cobb whatever he wants.
Oh, by the way, those two teams combined for six wins last season. The Packers had that many wins by week 10.
Maybe Cobb should ask Greg Jennings what happens when you make money your primary motivator.