Jeff Hanisch – USA TODAY Sports
Since 2008 when Aaron Rodgers took over behind center for the Green Bay Packers, there has never been a wide receiver that lead the Pack in targets in consecutive years. Take a look:
2008 — Greg Jennings
2009 — Donald Driver
2010 — Greg Jennings
2011 — Jordy Nelson
2012 — Randall Cobb
Greg Jennings is the only guy to appear twice. In 2011, Jordy Nelson went off, and the buzz was centered on him and him alone. Then in 2012, he faded somewhat as Randall Cobb emerged. It’s a Packer’s trend.
To assume that Cobb will continue right where he left off is unsafe. There is a saying that goes “those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it.” Well, history says the Packers will have a new receiving leader this year. Those who base all of their projections off of the previous year alone may be sorely disappointed when someone, perhaps James Jones, becomes the new favorite target of Rodgers.
That’s not to say Cobb won’t have a good year. Nelson still put up seven touchdowns last year despite falling off the targets list. Rodgers loves to fling the ball and the Packers love to let him. He’ll find targets wherever he can, and Cobb will no doubt be one of those targets.
But expecting Randall Cobb to be a steady number one receiver may be asking too much.
Rodgers does even better than Tom Brady and Drew Brees in spreading the ball around. It’s a large part of why he’s been so successful, he turns all of his weapons into even more deadly weapons.
Cobb will have a good year. The point is, however, that he may not be the No. 1 wide receiver that the experts have him projected as. He’s been generally accepted as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver this year. That’s expecting way too much.
He could top out at 10th or so, but that’s in a best-case scenario. A more likely spot would be 15th. Rodgers may have lost Jennings, but with Jermichael Finley returning to form and his always-varying target selection, Cobb should not be viewed as a top-10 wide receiver.
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