My initial reaction to the Tuesday afternoon announcement that Dallas had signed former Green Bay Packer Randall Cobb was mixed. One one hand, I was excited due to his success in Green Bay over the last eight seasons. On the other, I was concerned about Cobb’s perceived injury history ( it would seem the Cowboys are as well– considering his contract is one year and 5 million dollars).

But after closer inspection, there is little to complain about regarding Cobb’s on-field production. Yes, he missed 7 games in 2018. That being said, the receiver has been relatively healthy since 2013; and if 2018 is any indication then there is…

Plenty of corn left on the Cobb (sorry)

Route work: It becomes evident quite quickly that Cobb takes plenty of pride in his route-running ability. He does an excellent job of stemming his routes- forcing the defense back to open his hips the wrong direction before making the cut into his route. In addition to showing precision getting into and out of his cuts, Cobb has a strong understanding of spacing. He knows to stretch underneath when defenders bail in coverage and work the field laterally when covered by a linebacker.

Situational awareness: On numerous occasions, Cobb alters the depth of his route in relation to the chains for critical conversions. Three-yard slants become five-yard slants and shallow crosses become just a little bit steeper. While this may seem like an obvious part of a professional wide receiver’s job description, few receivers actually display chain awareness prior to receiving the football. Luckily for the Cowboys, Cobb’s game resembles that of a wily veteran.

Miscellaneous: Cobb fights through contact well. He rarely lets the chip from a defensive end or linebacker distract him from getting to the place on the field Rodger’s needed him to be. The only part of his game that may look different for the Cowboys than it did in Green Bay is his utilization in the screen game. For the Packers, Cobb was frequently the recipient of bubble screens in the backfield. On a Cowboys roster that contains Ezekiel Elliot, Amari Cooper, and Tavon Austin (known for his speed); Cobb’s prior experience in the screen game may not be as necessary for the Cowboys.

In conclusion, Cobb is worth more than the 5 million dollar contract he signed with Cowboys. If Prescott and company can get half the production out of him that he displayed over the last 8 years in Green Bay, no Cowboy fan can be mad about this contract.