Randall Cobb deal suggests good usage in Houston

The Houston Texans just shipped off over 30 percent of their passing offense when they traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Their next move was to acquire veteran receiver Randall Cobb. Those vacant targets and receptions bode well for Cobb, but maybe more importantly, his contract shows the team will want big things from their investment.

Cobb has dealt with multiple injuries in his career after a strong start.Last season he was forced to take a one-year prove it deal in Dallas and he played well in response, staying healthy and caught 55 passes for 828 yards and three touchdowns. His stats were buoyed by Dak Prescott’s strong season and Amari Cooper injuries late in the season.

Cobb’s deal is a three-year, $27 million contract that includes $18.75 million in guarantees, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. That’s a heavy chunk of change for a 30-year old slot receiver who hasn’t topped 850 yards since 2014, but it is enough to get interested in him seeing extra usage to justify his payday.

Cobb won’t fill in on the outside for Hokins, so slot receiver Keke Coutee would likely see his usage fall while Kenny Stills and Will Fuller get work on the outside. Cobb did produce a strong 15 yards per reception with the Cowboys, his highest since his rookie year. If he can stay healthy and get a good chance at Top-2 targets on the team, he will have fantasy worth with DeShaun Watson throwing him the ball.

His health and ability as he gets olde are concerns, but he is set up well at the onset of the 2020 season. Trying to fill Hopkins’ shoes as far as production will be impossible and a single receiver won’t get his workload, but there’s no doubt that Cobb, Fuller and Stills will all get their shots at seeing a big role and Cobb has a leg up with his guaranteed money and the circumstances that brought him to Houston.