GREEN BAY – It seems like an eventuality the Packers will draft a receiver or two during next week’s NFL Draft after the departures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Whatever talented is added, however, Green Bay will still be relying on returning veteran wideouts Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard to set the tone for the offense, both on and off the field.
Cobb enters his 12th NFL season and 10th in Green Bay. The sixth-leading pass catcher in franchise history returned to the Packers last July following a trade with the Houston Texans.
The 5-foot-10, 192-pound receiver fell right back in sync with Aaron Rodgers, who housed his close friend and longtime teammate for a few weeks while Cobb and his family searched for their own accommodations during training camp.
Cobb caught 28 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games and was having his best game of the year against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 28, when he sustained a core-muscle injury on a 7-yard touchdown catch before halftime that required surgery. He finished with four first-half catches for 95 yards.
Cobb also served as a mentor to 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers, whom he’s known for the past 12 years as Rodgers’ father, Tee Martin, coached Cobb at the University of Kentucky.
“Randall is a tremendous leader,” said third-year receivers coach Jason Vrable, who had passing game coordinator added to his title this offseason. “If you talk about guys I’ve been around over the last 10 years, he’s up there as the best.
“You can’t have enough Randalls on your team, ever. I think the more you have, I think the more W’s you end up with at the end of the season. I truly believe that.”
With Adams (Raiders) and Valdes-Scantling (Chiefs) residing in the AFC West, Lazard is now the longest-tenured consecutive receiver on the Packers’ roster after opening eyes in 2019 as an undrafted free agent during training camp.
The 6-foot-5, 227-pound wideout has since become one Aaron Rodgers’ most-trusted targets…