10:26am: The Jets are closing in on a Lazard deal, per Schefter, who adds they are also expected to pursue Randall Cobb. The latter target should be a clearer indicator they believe Rodgers is coming. Cobb has played 12 NFL seasons; 10 of those came with Rodgers in Green Bay. When Rodgers dropped his 2021 trade request, he drove Packers brass to reacquire Cobb from the Texans via trade. Cobb joins Lazard as a free agent, having played out a reworked contract in 2022.
Cobb is going into his age-33 season and would make for an atypical No. 4 wide receiver, but considering the Jets’ quarterback pursuit, the veteran slot target certainly sits as a logical candidate here. The Jets would be Cobb’s fourth team; he played with the Cowboys in 2019 and Texans in 2020. The Jets are taking Rodgers’ input regarding free agency targets, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. The Cobb connection certainly makes that clear.
The team, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter), remains optimistic Rodgers will indeed follow in Brett Favre‘s footsteps, 15 years later. All signs still point toward a trade, per Cimini, but this has become quite the drawn-out courtship. The Packers appear onboard with starting the Jordan Love era. The Jets will need to know if Rodgers is in or out soon, as teams’ budgets are changing rapidly as barely 24 hours remain until the 2023 league year.
10:15am: As the football world still awaits an Aaron Rodgers decision, reasonable dot-connecting can commence regarding the Jets’ wide receiver plans. They are working to reach an agreement with Allen Lazard, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
At least one other team is trying to add the Packers wide receiver-turned-free agent, but the Jets are attempting to reunite him with Nathaniel Hackett (and, if they can finally push this saga past the goal line, Rodgers). Lazard has spent the past four seasons with the Packers, consistently earning praise from Rodgers along the way.
The Jets appear to be in the lead for Lazard, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who notes the other team in on Lazard may not be an aggressive pursuer at this point (video link). This package deal now has a better chance of coming to pass, though Lazard still seemingly resides as the second domino here. The receiver market began to move Tuesday morning, via Jakobi Meyers‘ Raiders agreement. Lazard resides as one of the second-tier options available on what is viewed as a mediocre free agency wideout crop.
The Packers conjured…