The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire sports, even the NFL, which is in its offseason.
Because of the emphasis on social distancing, free agents were unable to visit prospective teams. Nonetheless, the business of pro football marched on.
For receiver Randall Cobb, he signed a three-year, $27 million contract with the Houston Texans without ever stepping foot inside NRG Stadium or anywhere in Harris County.
“That’s probably been the weirdest part,” Cobb told Houston media on a conference call on Friday. “This is my second or third time going through free agency, and normally during the tampering period you can’t really do anything anyway, but once the league year starts and you’re able to go down and meet with the team and meet with the coaches and sit down and watch some film with the coaches and get a good feel for what you’re getting into.”
What Cobb is getting into is a situation where three-time All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins is with the Arizona Cardinals and two-time Pro Bowl quarterback will need to develop better chemistry with his receiving corps, of which Cobb figures to be the impactful slot receiver.
To get an idea of how the Texans offense operated in 2019, Cobb found as many clips as he could on the internet.
“Really that’s the only thing I’ve been doing is kind of watching some of the highlights that I could find on the internet on YouTube, and trying to get an idea,” said Cobb. “I talked to Coach (Bill) O’Brien and kind of felt the way that they’re going to use me and how I can fit into the offense, but it was definitely a little weird this year.”
The 5-10, 192-pound former Pro Bowler still hasn’t had a physical, and he hasn’t signed any contracts officially. Cobb remains in his offseason residence in Los Angeles and hasn’t even had the chance to go to a doctor’s office to take his physical.
Weird times indeed.
However, the Texans are hopeful that Cobb can bring a veteran stability to the receiving corps that will keep their passing game formidable.
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