nerdmann
12 years ago
ESPN 

“Our special teams in a number of areas was about as good as we've played in our time there in Green Bay, and Randall is a big part of that,” McCarthy said at the Scouting Combine on Friday. “I hope he’s not playing next year. That’s really the responsibility of the rest of the skill players in the locker room. He’s someone who spent a lot of time this time last year developing packages for him, as far as putting him in the backfield and so forth. I prefer not to play him on special teams. We’ll let time answer that.”



So much for "not playing scared."

Cobb played 635 snaps last season on offense and another 138 on special teams for a total of 773 over 15 games. The game he missed, in the Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, was a result of an ankle sprain he suffered on a kick return the previous week. Cobb has three touchdown returns in two seasons on special teams, but he will enter 2013 as arguably the Packers' top offensive playmaker. That status almost requires a transition on special teams.



If we were gonna start "playing scared," couldn't we have done so sooner, before we put a rookie on punt returns during a key playoff game. /endofbitchsession.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
doddpower
12 years ago
You see it as "playing scared." I see it as just managing risks. Special teams are for the bottom of the roster guys, not arguably the number 1 offensive weapon. Honestly, I'd almost be OK with no chances ever taken on special teams so long as they don't turn the ball over. I know that's a bit extreme, but I'd prefer starting at the 20 yard line every drive than turn the ball over and never even give the offense a chance. Currently, the Packers receiving group is still formidable, but without Jennings they don't have the same depth as last season.
steveishere
12 years ago
It isn't like Cobb was all-world and irreplaceable as a returner last year. If he was the best returner in the NFL or something then maybe it could be considered "playing scared" but he hasn't really been all that special on returns outside of a couple here and there. Not to mention kick/punt returns are such a small aspect of the game. It's not worth the risk for what he brings to offense.
doddpower
12 years ago

It isn't like Cobb was all-world and irreplaceable as a returner last year. If he was the best returner in the NFL or something then maybe it could be considered "playing scared" but he hasn't really been all that special on returns outside of a couple here and there. Not to mention kick/punt returns are such a small aspect of the game. It's not worth the risk for what he brings to offense.

Originally Posted by: steveishere 



And as we've seen with D. Hester, trying to do too much with a player can often limit them to some extent at what they originally did best.

nerdmann
12 years ago

You see it as "playing scared." I see it as just managing risks. Special teams are for the bottom of the roster guys, not arguably the number 1 offensive weapon. Honestly, I'd almost be OK with no chances ever taken on special teams so long as they don't turn the ball over. I know that's a bit extreme, but I'd prefer starting at the 20 yard line every drive than turn the ball over and never even give the offense a chance. Currently, the Packers receiving group is still formidable, but without Jennings they don't have the same depth as last season.

Originally Posted by: doddpower 



Mike's words, not mine.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Zero2Cool
12 years ago
"Our special teams in a number of areas was about as good as we've played in our time there in Green Bay and Randall is a big part of that. I hope he's not playing next year. That’s really the responsibility of the rest of the skill players in the locker room. He's someone who we spent a lot of time this time last year developing packages for him, as far as putting him in the backfield and so forth. I prefer not to play him on special teams. We'll let time answer that." - Mike McCarthy.

So, we finally hear what we all (most of us) wanted to hear and we're gonna chastised him for it? Perhaps he has had time to think things through, things such as you know the number one WR most surely leaving, thus, making Randall Cobb more valuable?

You don't want your coach saying "yeah next season we will take him off special teams because we do not expect Greg back" because that tells you he's thinking of NEXT SEASON and not NEXT GAME.

C'mon people ... get with it or get a spanking!
UserPostedImage
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
12 years ago
I can live with Cobb being pulled off ST. I rather expected it this upcoming season. Returns tend to be done by the guys who are not starters or heavily involved in the offense. I am a little surprised that Mike said so now before the draft.
UserPostedImage
Porforis
12 years ago

And as we've seen with D. Hester, trying to do too much with a player can often limit them to some extent at what they originally did best.

Originally Posted by: doddpower 



Cobb was never Hester on special teams, and Hester isn't what he used to be. And that being said, Cobb is quite a bit better on offense than Hester was, although maybe that's just a result of better people around him than Hester (then again, that's also an argument for Cobb reserved for offense).

Regardless, while I see some value in comparing the two situations, Cobb and Hester are NOT equivalent. If we were in a situation like we were in 2010 I think where our options to return punts were Tramon Williams or random WR, absolutely keep Cobb in there. But while Ross muffed one in a big game, he's shown explosiveness and field vision as well. At least give the kid some more chances. And if he stinks it up in the preseason, I'm sure we'll see Cobb in there again assuming someone else doesn't raise eyebrows.
PackerTraxx
12 years ago
Seems like common sense to me with Gregg most likely gone.
Why is Jerry Kramer not in the Hall of Fame?
+1
macbob
12 years ago

Seems like common sense to me with Gregg most likely gone.

Originally Posted by: PackerTraxx 



Agreed, plus I liked the flashes that Jeremy Ross showed last season. Just give him a full off-season practicing as the team's kick/punt returner and full season before putting him in that position in the playoffs... :-"
Similar Topics
Users browsing this topic
    Fan Shout
    Zero2Cool (4h) : Oh wait, they got Cam Ward. 1st overall right? haha oops
    Zero2Cool (4h) : They could send Packers a 1st for a QB they are familiar with
    Zero2Cool (4h) : Titans QB Will Levis to have season-ending shoulder surgery
    Zero2Cool (19-Jul) : Their season did kind of start there, so 🤷
    dfosterf (19-Jul) : Eagles put an engraved Brazil flag on their super bowl rings
    Zero2Cool (18-Jul) : Benton unsigned no more
    Zero2Cool (17-Jul) : That's good analysis, yes you are getting old. It'd a blessing!
    dfosterf (14-Jul) : *analysis* gettin' old
    dfosterf (14-Jul) : One of the best analyisis I"ve ever watched at this time of an offseason
    dfosterf (14-Jul) : Andy Herman interviewed Warren Sharp on his Pack a day podcast
    packerfanoutwest (10-Jul) : Us Padres fans love it....But it'll be a Dodgers/Yankees World Series
    Zero2Cool (9-Jul) : Brewers sweep Dodgers. Awesome
    Mucky Tundra (6-Jul) : And James Flanigan is the grandson of Packers Super Bowl winner Jim Flanigan Sr.
    Mucky Tundra (6-Jul) : Jerome Bettis and Jim Flanigans sons as well!
    Zero2Cool (6-Jul) : Thomas Davis Jr is OLB, not WR. Oops.
    Zero2Cool (6-Jul) : Larry Fitzgeral and Thomas Davis sons too. WR's as well.
    Mucky Tundra (5-Jul) : Kaydon Finley, son of Jermichael Finley, commits to Notre Dame
    dfosterf (3-Jul) : Make sure to send my props to him! A plus move!
    Zero2Cool (3-Jul) : My cousin, yes.
    dfosterf (3-Jul) : That was your brother the GB press gazette referenced with the red cross draft props thing, yes?
    Zero2Cool (2-Jul) : Packers gonna unveil new throwback helmet in few weeks.
    Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : I know it's Kleiman but this stuff writes itself
    Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : "Make sure she signs the NDA before asking for a Happy Ending!"
    Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : @NFL_DovKleiman Powerful: Deshaun Watson is taking Shedeur Sanders 'under his wing' as a mentor to the Browns QBs
    Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Dolphins get (back) Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade
    Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Steelers land Jalen Ramsey via Trade
    dfosterf (26-Jun) : I think it would be great to have someone like Tom Grossi or Andy Herman on the Board of Directors so he/they could inform us
    dfosterf (26-Jun) : Fair enough, WPR. Thing is, I have been a long time advocate to at least have some inkling of the dynamics within the board.
    wpr (26-Jun) : 1st world owners/stockholders problems dfosterf.
    Martha Careful (25-Jun) : I would have otherwise admirably served
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : Also, no more provision for a write-in candidate, so Martha is off the table at least for this year
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : You do have to interpret the boring fine print, but all stockholders all see he is on the ballot
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : It also says he is subject to another ballot in 2028. I recall nothing of this nature with Murphy
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy is on my ballot subject to me penciling him in as a no.
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : I thought it used to be we voted for the whatever they called the 45, and then they voted for the seven, and then they voted for Mark Murphy
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : Because I was too lazy to change my address, I haven't voted fot years until this year
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : of the folks that run this team. I do not recall Mark Murphy being subject to our vote.
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy yay or nay is on the pre-approved ballot that we always approve because we are uninformed and lazy, along with all the rest
    dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.
    Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?
    Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : And then he signs with Cleveland in the offseason
    Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : @SharpFootball WR Diontae Johnson just admitted he refused to enter a game in 41° weather last year in Baltimore because he felt “ice cold”
    Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.
    Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.
    Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH
    beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.
    Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law
    Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter
    Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter
    Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Packers are working on extension for LT Walker they hope to have done before camp
    Please sign in to use Fan Shout
    2025 Packers Schedule
    Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
    LIONS
    Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
    COMMANDERS
    Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
    Browns
    Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
    Cowboys
    Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
    BENGALS
    Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
    Cardinals
    Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
    Steelers
    Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
    PANTHERS
    Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
    EAGLES
    Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
    Giants
    Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
    VIKINGS
    Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
    Lions
    Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
    BEARS
    Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
    Broncos
    Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
    Bears
    Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
    RAVENS
    Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
    Vikings
    Recent Topics
    3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

    20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    20-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    18-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    15-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    14-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

    10-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

    10-Jul / Around The NFL / Zero2Cool

    6-Jul / Random Babble / Martha Careful

    4-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

    2-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

    2-Jul / Fantasy Sports Talk / dfosterf

    1-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

    29-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

    Headlines
    Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.