Randall Cobb is coming home.
He'll turn 31 during training camp. Age and injuries have taken their toll and, by football player standards, he is over the hill.
However, he has an uncanny rapport with Aaron Rodgers - maybe stronger than any other receiver the quarterback has ever had.
Sure, Aaron Rodgers has a great rapport with Davante Adams in goal line situations.
And of course Rodgers had an incredible rapport with Jordy Nelson on sideline routes and back shoulder throws.
But his rapport with Randall Cobb is something different. The link Rodgers had with Adams and Jordy came from scripted plays that took advantage of their incredible skills and timing. With Cobb, the connection shows up in the scramble drill when things break down into unscripted chaos.
Throughout his career, Randall Cobb has made huge plays by going off script. From switching to a deep route on "4th and Great" to breaking off to a soft spot as Rodgers bought time in "It's Randall Cobb Again," the shifty receiver has come up big when plays break down and draw out.
A receiver doesn't need prime speed or athletic traits to get open in the scramble drill. He needs to have a feel for the game and an unspoken bond with the quarterback.
Randall Cobb has both of those things - he has a way of finding space in a place where his quarterback innately knows to look for him in.
Last year, that could have came in very handy.
Every time it felt like Rodgers was locked in to Adams, Cobb could have been another receiver with the full trust of the quarterback, which could have opened up another option.
That's great. Having a security blanket with an unspoken bond is a wonderful weapon.
However... it comes with a potential downside in this particular situation.
A big part of Aaron Rodgers's return to MVP form last year was his rhythm passing. He looked incredibly sharp dropping back and throwing in rhythm in the LaFleur offense.
Recall, not long ago, how Rodgers looked at the end of Mike McCarthy's tenure. He was not trusting the system. He was not dropping back in rhythm and and hitting receivers in stride.
Instead, he was dancing around, waiting for guys like Cobb or Jordy to get open.
The security and trust he had with those guys was great, but it led him to playing off script too much. It led him to playing sandlot passing to the detriment of the team. It led to losing seasons.
If Rodgers regresses to simply holding onto the ball and waiting for Cobb or Adams to get open, the season could be a huge disappointment.
However, if he can play within LaFleur's system - a system that helps receivers get open - and he can throw in rhythm and on-scriptwhile throwing to receivers that he has full, unspoken, mental connection with... look out.
The return of Randall Cobb is an exciting idea, but how the quarterback uses him will determine if the move was a success or not.
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