Randall Cobb didn’t say it in front of the media, and he didn’t say it to Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. But Cobb used the same words Earl Thomas did when Cobb ran into Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at NFL Honors in February: Come get me.
“Yeah, he said that,” Prescott said. “It’s interesting looking back, and now that I’ve had a couple practices in with him, he’s an incredibly smart guy. I think that’s going to be the best thing that helps him pick everything up and just get going and be a big-time player in this offense.”
The Cowboys signed Cobb in March to replace Cole Beasley in the slot.
Cobb, who played only nine games last season because of injuries, posted an Instagram story earlier this week that seemed to suggest he comes into this season with a chip on his shoulder. The photo showed him with a potato chip sitting on his shoulder.
“I’ve always got it; that’s nothing new,” Cobb said, laughing. “I’ve had a chip on my shoulder since I was 7.
“Obviously, you never want to miss games first off. You never want to not produce. As a receiver, we all want to have a hundred catches and go for 1,400 yards, but that’s not always the case. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the production I’ve had in the past. Obviously, missing games, you don’t want to miss games. I want to be on the field, and I want to provide everything I can for this team.”
Cobb’s 38 catches last season were his fewest since 2013 and his 383 yards and two touchdowns were his fewest since his rookie season of 2011. He had hamstring and concussion issues that limited him to 466 snaps.
The Cowboys like what they have seen from the healthy Cobb so far. He’s only 28 and has extra motivation to have a big season.
“I don’t think he’s lost a step,” Cowboys receivers coach Sanjay Lal said. “He has a chip on his shoulder because people think he’s washed up. Those are his words. So he did great all offseason, training. We train hard here. And he’s all in on that stuff.”