Dallas signed Randall Cobb yesterday, an anticipated move as they try to fill the vacated slot receiver spot that's been manned by Cole Beasley in recent years. Cobb brings a veteran presence and experience to the lineup, but not a lot else. Definitely nothing in the way of after-the-catch ability.
It wasn't always this way. In the early part of his career, Cobb was up around 14-15 yards per catch. That includes his best season, 2014, when he caught 91 balls for 1,287 yards (14.1 yards per catch) and 12 TDs. But it's been a steep decline since then; he's been at 9-10 yards per catch in each of the last four seasons.
Yards per target shows the yards receivers average not only on the passes they catch but the ones they don't catch, and few were more productive than Cobb five years ago. In that 2014 season, he averaged 10.2 yards per target -- 4th in the league among wideouts with 50-plus targets. Three players were better than him that year, and they're three of the best deep threats in the league: DeSean Jackson, T.Y. Hilton and Kenny Stills. That's the list.
But look at least year. Cobb averaged a mere 6.3 yards per target. That was better than only five wideouts, and most of those guys are either grave disappointments in their young careers or have been released in recent months.
| WR YARDS PER TARGET, 2018 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | No | Yds | TD | Tgt | Avg |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 57 | 965 | 10 | 70 | 13.8 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 86 | 1524 | 8 | 138 | 11.0 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 87 | 1479 | 12 | 137 | 10.8 |
| Rashard Higgins, Cle. | 39 | 572 | 4 | 53 | 10.8 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 76 | 1270 | 6 | 120 | 10.6 |
| DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 41 | 774 | 4 | 74 | 10.5 |
| Josh Gordon, 2 tms | 41 | 737 | 4 | 71 | 10.4 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 40 | 566 | 6 | 55 | 10.3 |
| Brandin Cooks, LAR | 80 | 1204 | 5 | 117 | 10.3 |
| Mike Williams, LAC | 43 | 664 | 10 | 66 | 10.1 |
| Tyrell Williams, LAC | 41 | 653 | 5 | 65 | 10.0 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 113 | 1677 | 8 | 170 | 9.9 |
| Chris Hogan, N.E. | 35 | 532 | 3 | 55 | 9.7 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 115 | 1572 | 11 | 163 | 9.6 |
| DJ Moore, Car. | 55 | 788 | 2 | 82 | 9.6 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 125 | 1405 | 9 | 147 | 9.6 |
| Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 76 | 1028 | 7 | 108 | 9.5 |
| Sammy Watkins, K.C. | 40 | 519 | 3 | 55 | 9.4 |
| Amari Cooper, 2 tms | 75 | 1005 | 7 | 107 | 9.4 |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 86 | 1219 | 6 | 130 | 9.4 |
| Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 65 | 843 | 6 | 92 | 9.2 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 46 | 694 | 6 | 77 | 9.0 |
| Adam Thielen, Min. | 113 | 1373 | 9 | 153 | 9.0 |
| Kenny Golladay, Det. | 70 | 1063 | 5 | 119 | 8.9 |
| Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 64 | 821 | 10 | 92 | 8.9 |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 66 | 838 | 4 | 94 | 8.9 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 59 | 842 | 7 | 95 | 8.9 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 71 | 868 | 4 | 98 | 8.9 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 97 | 1196 | 6 | 136 | 8.8 |
| Christian Kirk, Ariz. | 43 | 590 | 3 | 68 | 8.7 |
| Kenny Stills, Mia. | 37 | 553 | 6 | 64 | 8.6 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 111 | 1426 | 7 | 166 | 8.6 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 77 | 1052 | 6 | 124 | 8.5 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 50 | 618 | 5 | 73 | 8.5 |
| Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 63 | 739 | 3 | 88 | 8.4 |
| David Moore, Sea. | 26 | 445 | 5 | 53 | 8.4 |
| Courtland Sutton, Den. | 42 | 704 | 4 | 84 | 8.4 |
| Taywan Taylor, Ten. | 37 | 466 | 1 | 56 | 8.3 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 111 | 1386 | 13 | 169 | 8.2 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 35 | 508 | 5 | 62 | 8.2 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 66 | 872 | 4 | 107 | 8.1 |
| Allen Robinson, Chi. | 55 | 754 | 4 | 94 | 8.0 |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 50 | 752 | 6 | 94 | 8.0 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling, G.B. | 38 | 581 | 2 | 73 | 8.0 |
| Corey Davis, Ten. | 65 | 891 | 4 | 112 | 8.0 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 74 | 850 | 6 | 108 | 7.9 |
| Anthony Miller, Chi. | 33 | 423 | 7 | 54 | 7.8 |
| Adam Humphries, T.B. | 76 | 816 | 5 | 105 | 7.8 |
| Cole Beasley, Dall. | 65 | 672 | 3 | 87 | 7.7 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 104 | 1297 | 15 | 168 | 7.7 |
| Seth Roberts, Oak. | 45 | 494 | 2 | 64 | 7.7 |
| Demaryius Thomas, 2 tms | 59 | 677 | 5 | 89 | 7.6 |
| Curtis Samuel, Car. | 39 | 494 | 5 | 65 | 7.6 |
| Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 64 | 736 | 4 | 97 | 7.6 |
| Josh Reynolds, LAR | 29 | 402 | 5 | 53 | 7.6 |
| Jarius Wright, Car. | 43 | 447 | 1 | 59 | 7.6 |
| Donte Moncrief, Jac. | 48 | 668 | 3 | 89 | 7.5 |
| Michael Gallup, Dall. | 33 | 507 | 2 | 68 | 7.5 |
| Antonio Callaway, Cle. | 43 | 586 | 5 | 79 | 7.4 |
| Taylor Gabriel, Chi. | 67 | 688 | 2 | 93 | 7.4 |
| Kendrick Bourne, S.F. | 42 | 487 | 4 | 66 | 7.4 |
| John Brown, Balt. | 42 | 715 | 5 | 97 | 7.4 |
| Danny Amendola, Mia. | 59 | 575 | 1 | 79 | 7.3 |
| Dede Westbrook, Jac. | 66 | 717 | 5 | 101 | 7.1 |
| Golden Tate, 2 tms | 74 | 795 | 4 | 113 | 7.0 |
| Keelan Cole, Jac. | 38 | 491 | 1 | 70 | 7.0 |
| Devin Funchess, Car. | 44 | 549 | 4 | 79 | 6.9 |
| Willie Snead, Balt. | 62 | 651 | 1 | 95 | 6.9 |
| Stefon Diggs, Min. | 102 | 1021 | 9 | 149 | 6.9 |
| Josh Doctson, Was. | 44 | 532 | 2 | 78 | 6.8 |
| Chester Rogers, Ind. | 53 | 485 | 2 | 72 | 6.7 |
| Quincy Enunwa, NYJ | 38 | 449 | 1 | 68 | 6.6 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 69 | 734 | 6 | 112 | 6.6 |
| Jarvis Landry, Cle. | 81 | 976 | 4 | 149 | 6.6 |
| Ryan Grant, Ind. | 35 | 334 | 1 | 52 | 6.4 |
| Chris Conley, K.C. | 32 | 334 | 5 | 52 | 6.4 |
| Zay Jones, Buff. | 56 | 652 | 7 | 102 | 6.4 |
| Randall Cobb, G.B. | 38 | 383 | 2 | 61 | 6.3 |
| Michael Crabtree, Balt. | 54 | 607 | 3 | 100 | 6.1 |
| Laquon Treadwell, Min. | 35 | 302 | 1 | 53 | 5.7 |
| Kelvin Benjamin, 2 tms | 25 | 380 | 1 | 67 | 5.7 |
| Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 37 | 371 | 1 | 76 | 4.9 |
| John Ross, Cin. | 21 | 210 | 7 | 58 | 3.6 |
Not that Beasley was setting the world afire either, but he was a little more middle-of-the-pack, and was actually better than he was the previous year, when he was near the bottom of the league. At least based on this metric, one of the two slot receivers is in decline, and it's not Beasley.
The price was right for the Dallas deal: one year, $5 million. Beasley is making a little over $7 million per year in Buffalo. But Dallas shouldn't think they're all set with Cobb, who it should be noted played in only 9 games last year. The draft might have a better option for them.
--Andy Richardson