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The dots are easy to connect. Randall Cobb obviously knows Mike McCarthy very well. All but one of Cobb’s NFL seasons came under McCarthy while a member of the Green Bay Packers. With the head coach now manning the Dallas Cowboys, why wouldn’t Randall Cobb want to stick around for a second season with America’s Team?
That’s a question that only Cobb can answer and a lot of it will likely depend on what sort of offers he gets in about a month once free agency begins. The Cowboys certainly provide Cobb with some recent and longtime familiarity.
The McCarthy factor is very big here
We all saw Cobb attend McCarthy’s first press conference as the Cowboys head coach. While that seemed to add fuel to the speculation that he could stay, there is a long time between now and free agency.
Cobb is currently training out in California, the offseason is the time to stay in shape for most players, and he recently caught up with USA Today’s Doug Farrar. He spoke about the role that McCarthy has played in his football life and how fond he is of him.
“I love Coach McCarthy. He was the first one who gave me a chance in the NFL. I remember him when I was at the combine, meeting with him in the room for the first time. He gave me a chance to end up having a great career in Green Bay. It was unfortunate what happened to him up there, but he’s got a second chance, and hopefully, he can end up like Andy Reid: Go to a new team, and find a way to make something happen.
“When it comes to free agency, you never know how it’s going to play out. But it could. You factor in all the different pros and cons to whoever’s offering and who wants you, and you find out where you’re valued, and how much you’re valued.”
Many have made the Andy Reid comparison when talking about Mike McCarthy and it’s certainly not a bad one given that the former just won the Super Bowl. The hope would be that McCarthy would win a championship in Dallas a little bit faster than Reid did in Kansas City.
Wide receiver is a position that could change in an instant for the Cowboys depending on what they want to do with both Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb. If neither return, then the position jumps to the very top in terms of needs versus if they retain both (or even one), then they can more comfortably devote their resources elsewhere.