By nearly all accounts the Oakland Raiders are expected to make a major splash or three once the NFL free agency period opens in March. They've got the second-most cap room in the league - about $57 million - and a plethora of holes on their leaky roster/ship that need plugging.
They've been linked to a number of players in a number of NFL destinations, perhaps none more so than Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb.
The latest NFL free agency rumor concerning Oakland and Cobb, from Bill Huber of Packer Report, alleges that the Raiders and GM Reggie McKenzie are ready to go all-in on Cobb once he hits the open market.
"According to a league source, the Oakland Raiders - led by former Packers director of player personnel Reggie McKenzie - are considering offering Cobb a blockbuster deal," writes Huber.
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported that Cobb, said to be seeking a deal worth $9 million annually, per ESPN, has now upped his asking price.
"One source said the word going around at the NFL combine league personnel staff and executives was that his price was $12 million per year," writes Silverstein.
Packers GM Ted Thompson is reportedly willing to offer Cobb a deal with a value somewhere between $8 and $9 million, but won't budge from that number. Cobb and his agent Jimmy Sexton believe there is much more to be had on the open market.
Huber reports that the Raiders, who nabbed Cobb's former teammate, James Jones in free agency last year, are willing to offer a deal worth about $11 million annually.
The 24-year-old Cobb is coming off his best season as a pro. He finished the year with 91 catches for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.
As Huber notes, only eight receivers league-wide are slated to make more than $11 million next season - a number buoyed by the recent franchise tags handed to Demaryius Thomas of the Broncos and Dez Bryant of the Cowboys.
