On March 16, reports surfaced the Houston Texans were trading receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals.
Not even 24 hours later, and there were reports the Texans were signing former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys wideout Randall Cobb.
The former 2014 Pro Bowler knows that there will be plenty of scrutiny zeroed in on him and the rest of the receiving corps because of the departure of a three-time All-Pro in Hopkins who was arguably the best receiver in the game.
“I think obviously with DeAndre leaving, it’s going to be a lot of eyes on all three of us to step up and make some plays, and typically me because a lot of people are looking at me and coming in and being a replacement, even though me and DeAndre are two totally different types of receivers,” Cobb told the Houston media on a conference call on Friday. “I look forward to the challenge and coming in and showing what I can do.”
One of Cobb’s best abilities is as a slot receiver, a position where Hopkins thrived. Seemingly, the Texans may not lose production from the slot with the arrival of Cobb. However, on the outside, the Texans don’t have the same presence as they did with Hopkins, which is why Cobb knows the focus will be on “all three” of them — the other two being Will Fuller and Kenny Stills.
“I’m a big fan of them,” said Cobb. “I think you look at Fuller whenever he’s healthy and he’s able to be on the field, he’s an amazing athlete, he’s got a lot of speed, he can take the top off the coverages, he makes some big plays downfield.
“And Kenny is a playmaker. Get the ball in his hands and let him do what he do. I look forward to coming in and being a piece of that.”
Fuller produced 49 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games, the most the former 2016 first-round pick has played in since his rookie year. Stills collected 40 passes for 561 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games as a jack-of-all-trades wideout.
Because of the “unprecedented times,” as Cobb refers to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 29-year-old hasn’t left his offseason residence in Los Angeles to meet any of his new teammates. For now, texting is the medium to make introductions.
Said Cobb: “I used to train with Kenny Stills him a little bit, so I’ve been talking to him. Still trying to get in touch with Fuller and some of the other guys. I’m going to try to get their numbers here shortly so I can reach out and call them and text them and everything.”
When Cobb and his family are able to relocate to Houston, the former 2011 second-round pick from Kentucky knows that he has to develop a strong chemistry with his fellow receivers so quarterback Deshaun Watson doesn’t miss a beat with his former No. 1 now playing in the NFC West.
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