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A brand new addition for the New York Jets is expected to have a larger role than originally thought.
Rich Cimini of ESPN revealed on Sunday, June 4 that wide receiver Randall Cobb is going to be a key piece to the puzzle in 2023.
“If you think Cobb is just going to be a spare part on offense, think again. If Cobb can stay healthy — an issue in recent years — he will be part of the receiver rotation.”
Defining the Randall Cobb Role in Jets Offense
When Cobb originally signed his one-year deal for $3 million with only $250,000 in guarantees it was expected to be in a WR4 or WR5 minimal role.
However, the former Pro Bowler is going to be more important than that.
Cimini said the former Kentucky product is the only “pure” slot receiver on the team. Since entering the league in 2011, Cobb has posted more catches, yards, and touchdowns from the slot than any player, per ESPN.
The other important piece of information is his relationship with QB1 Aaron Rodgers.
The 32-year-old who will turn 33 before the start of the 2023 season is used to getting the rock. Last season he was “targeted on 20.6 percent of his routes” in 2022, per ESPN Stats and Info. That was his highest percentage since the 2014 season.
There is a reason Cobb was targeted so often, he was incredibly effective.
The statistics won’t jump off the page at you. He only caught 34 receptions for 417 receiving yards and contributed just a single receiving touchdown.
However, the deeper analytics truly prove how effective the Rodgers-to-Cobb combination was.
Over the last two seasons, A-Rod posted a 90.7 QBR when targeting Cobb. That was his second-highest QBR targeting a single player over that span only behind Davante Adams, per Rich Cimini.
Expectations for Jets WR Randall Cobb in 2023
Cobb signed a contract with the Jets back on May 3rd. Since agreeing to terms, Cobb has been very honest and aware of what his role will be on this Jets team next season.
“I know this isn’t the prime of my career, but I do think I still have a lot left in the tank. I’m not playing 90-100 percent of the snaps like I used to at one point in my career but the 40-50 percent that I am playing you know I’m very efficient in that time,” Cobb explained to the media on May 31. “Especially on third down and in the red zone. Obviously having that understanding and being able to help out in critical moments.”
Cobb expounded upon that very topic during a one-on-one conversation with Jets team reporter Eric Allen.
“Obviously being at this point in my career I know I’m not a 100 target guy that I was at an earlier stage of my career, but I’ve been very effective in certain situations.”
Cobb has averaged 45.6 targets over the last three seasons. According to Pro Football Reference, Cobb has also played in 50.6 percent of the offensive snaps per season over that same time span.
Beyond his contributions on the field, the Jets see him contributing off of it.
“He’s a guy who has a lot of experience in the system, he’s a guy that they’re comfortable and familiar with,” Jets head coach Robert Saleh told the media on May 31. “Flag-bearers. Like guys who are going to plant the flag and be able to echo the message and they already know what it is. To have those guys is priceless. It’s no different than why we brought Solomon Thomas, Kwon Alexander a year ago, Marcell Harris, DJ Reed all of the guys who have had familiarity with our system and our messaging and voice.”
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